break day in Damghan

Dear friends.

Because I can’t use Facebook in Iran I opened a account in Instagram. You can follow nearly daily fotos and little reports. Adress : schmockelthomasheinrich

It’s my second rest day and it’s sleeping sleeping sleeping time. I want to keep you updated with my km done and to go. Until Damghan I walked 307 km in 2 weeks. And there are 557 km to go until Mashad until the 5th of May. That seems manageable to me.

When I left Tehran I saw a sign saying 960km to Mashad, what maked me wonder. And not really paniking but challenged. Anyway, when I came back to the highway 44 after 200 km walking I was surprised to see a sign with just 667 km towards Mashad, a gift of 100km. Because I will walk all the way along the highway, there will be proparbly no extra km to add. I must say, it’s not that horrible to walk along the highway all the time, as I thought in the beginning. Mostly there are two lines beside me. The ather two lines in the opposite direction are some 100m away. I made also friend with the idea, that I am walking directly on the old silk road. It’s kind of a supporting energy of knowing how many people traveled through centuries and tousands of years this way. I saw already a old carawansarey beside the road. Also supporting is, that through these 2 weeks after New Year in Iran (21.3.) about 2 million people are travelling to Mashad to honour the tomp of Iman Reza and to pray there. In this 2 weeks most people in Iran have holidays and not so much trucks are in the highway.  The Mashed pilgrim’s nowadays are mostly taking there cars, but also train and planes. But there are also walkers – I will report later. Anyway – the car pilgrim’s are mostly travelling with a tent. They come often a long way and can’t reach Mashad in a day. So cities along the highway created areas, where these pilgrims can rest and sleep. And while walking along the way, you see all these cars packed with lots of blankets, often banded at the roof.

Coming back to the km. Leading Aftar towards Semnan I knew I had to go that day about 35km. Suddenly I saw a sign saying 25 km. Oh nice surprise. 3 km later the confiration. 25km again on a sign. Also two police men where greeting me. The controlled me a day before. It was the first day of Nowrouz – New Year, so there was not a lot of traffic. Actually there was nothing to do. So they invited me to sit a while in the police car to get warm and have some conversation. They also tried to convince me, that it is only 20km to Semnan. It was a little bit dropping rain and I had the feeling, the clouds are trying to hold the rain away for me. Getting in the car would change the mindful holding pilgrim energy and would maybe allow the elements to open the clouds to let the rain come down. So I refused and continued the walk. Until Semnan it was 36km to walk.

Arriving in Semnan I first bumped into two men. They wanted to celebrate New Year and convinced me to get in a car. 1km later we ended up sitting in a little shop. More and more friends came and it was clear, this will be a long night. And I was so exhausted. They wanted to dance, had some in Iran illegal alcohol organized, and where also big smokers. They thought of put me into a place with a heavy smoker for sleeping. — After a while I just said goodbye. This really nice people I couldn’t follow that day, done as I was. I want back to the place where I stopped walking, step by step towards the city center.

Here I met Hasan. He was in the way to the Nowrouz Bazar. His friends had a stand there with wooden hand made decoration materials. Shahin, Mehrnoosh, Shapur, Adel, Fereshte, Mohammad and Shiva welcomed me heartly. Iranians love foreigners and that served me with whatever they could. My mind was very fresh, my body was sitting on a chair, fresh air and we had time to enjoy each other. What a beautiful arriving. Finally Hasan drove me to his family home. Next day we visited Shahin in his workshop, we met some other artists. In he afternoon we drove with his wife Mahboobe and his kids Kamyar and Kamand to the Mountain village Shahmirzad.  We had lunch in a traditional restaurant and later a sweet relaxing time in there garden and garden house. In the evening we want again to the Nowrouz bazar. Lovely time in Semnan. This is an example of beautiful people connection I make. We all want to see each other again. But there is no garantie at all. Instead of being attached it is such a treasure to enjoy the time together and celebrate life in the presence as it enfolds. It was truly lovely. Thanks again.