Shirvan to Bajgiran (day 10)

Very lazy start to the day as the ride to the border is not that long. I leave the hotel just after 10am, after a photo with the manager of the hotel. He's a very pleasant man who offered me some free food yesterday and then a plate of fruit.

My plan is to stay in Bajgiran and get an early start to clear the borders. I really want the chance to see Ashgabat, possibly spend half a day looking at the marble buildings I've read about.

It's about 75km to Quchan and there's little traffic on the road today. There's a gravel track running parallel to the road, so I drop into it to have a bit of fun and see how the bike feels. I do it a couple of times. I could have done a fair amount of that journey on the adjacent gravel but I wasn't fully focused when I set off so preferred to stick to the tarmac.

I fill up in the town of Quchan, I don't need much but best to have a full tank and get rid of as much local currency as possible. I'll pay for the hostel and then change the remaining Rials to Turkmen Manat in the morning at the border.

The road from Quchan to Bajgiran is fantastic, it makes its way up into the mountain and initially it's farm land as far as I can see. It's quite and there's very little traffic in my direction but a lot of traffic coming from the other direction. At one point I thought that I'd missed a turn off as the signs didn't have any English spelling on them. The signs show a town called Dargaz which I don't remember seeing on the map. Relief as I see the sign post for Bajgiran.

I arrive in the village just after 1pm and I go to the building that is supposed to be a hostel. From the various information online I know it's the first building on the left. I ask a soldier and he points to the building. I find the man with the keys and I'm in. It is either still under construction or it's crumbling to pieces but I've got a roof over my head tonight.

Tomorrow will bring its own challenge with the border crossings.

Iran it has been a great experience.

Total distance: 152km