For a long time I was looking forward to see landscape around Armenian / Azerbaijan and Iran border. My curiosity came from many photos I have seen from this part of Iran / Armenia. Now I am on the way to the Iran so I have a chance to see it finally on my own eyes. Pass thought this peace of land wasn’t so easy as I thought (it took me 2 days even I expected that I make it in one day) but definitively worth effort.
My way to the border started in Armenian city of Goris where with help I stopped Iranian truck driver who went to the border but because of his colleague truck brooked he took me only as far as Kapan city (circa 60km). Here I had two options: hitchhike or take bus which was leaving next day in the afternoon. I have decided for first option, but because was late afternoon I didn’t managed get ride same day. Also thanks to 20 kids who tried to take anything they could from me and after quite long time somebody again managed make me angry. Next day I have decided to try my luck again (if that wouldn’t work I planned to take afternoon bus). I was really lucky because within 10 minutes I was sitting in the Armenian Red Cross car who went to the border. At this point everything looked like easy going day. When I have entered the car I realised that our driver thinks that he is Michael Schumacher and was driving like crazy with words “Sorry we can’t stop anywhere to take pics as we are in hurry”. Well fair enough I only hope that we get to the final destination and not to the hospital… The road between Kapan and Iranian border is amazing. Green mountains with elevation around 3 000 meters about sea level and snow on its peaks suddenly after crossing pass quickly change to dry rocked mountains. First what came to my mind at this point was “Welcome to Iran”. My driver was all the time asking me if I am OK, because I couldn’t even speak how I loved the landscape.
Crossing the border was quite easy going even that I had to wait more than 4 hours, because there was nobody who would give me stamp in to the passport. After getting to Iran should come highlight of the day – “Aras Valley”. The valley copy border between Iran and Armenia/Azerbaijan. At the end I was here in best time of the day as the sun start go down and light was nicely soft. From now biggest issue was that I wanted to take pictures on the way. The problem is that here it is strictly prohibited. The border line is still quite sensitive especially between Armenia and Azerbaijan after their war. You can still see remaining of the war like are damaged train tracks, tunnels and even train coaches which all together makes strange feelings…
As I was expecting the landscape was astonishing. I think that I already had chance to see quite lot of beautiful places but this was simply so amazing that I didn’t have words. Of course I have decided to take some pictures what didn’t really like my taxi driver. He didn’t say anything (probably because he didn’t speak English) but his reaction was obvious. When he saw me immediately started to speed up. In one point I said to myself that it already doesn’t really matter if the army shoot me because I take pictures or the driver kills me because he drives like an idiot. So I stopped to care even about the army check points and have taken pictures everywhere I feel like. When I got to Jolfa and later to Tabriz people I met told me that I am crazy to take pictures at this border. Well may be I am and I was only lucky or may be simply nobody cares anymore…
