In the morning we met with Kamron close to Sio-se-pol bridge. It was beautiful morning, we were accompanied by our lovely hosts. We had to wait for Kamron for a while, but before he arrived we had small re-union with our friends from train: Max and Georg. Finally Kamron shows up and told us that we have to take a bus to get to his village. So we walked along the river, past through crazy traffic in the city and got to the bus. When we wanted to pay, Kamron forbid us. We didn't feel good to let him pay but he was faster.
So sitting in the bus, talking about past few days after one hour we arrived to Shahrekord. From the bus it looks like small provincial city. What we didn't know is that Shahrekord is among highest towns in Iran, it's 2220 m above sea level. Kamron told us that his village is close to Shahrekord. He went to get some transport for us. One thing was sure, place next to bus station didn't look friendly. When we were waiting for him, some taxi drivers approached us with questions in Persian for which we didn't had answers. Everyone passing by looked suspicious and unfriendly. It wasn't so hot as in Esfahan, but the air was full of dust. Some minutes later Kamron came with some of his friends and we got into two cars and headed out of the town into mountains.
We were driving for two hours. Kamron with his friend and Gorg and Max were in the first car. We three and our excellent formula 1 driver were in the second car. He was driving on these small roads so fast that we had to wait for the second car for 15 minutes until they arrived to our location next to river.
Then again racing started. We made another stop in our driver's village. He wanted to show us his family and house and drink "Chai" with them. Chai means tea and sounds exactly as word tea in Slavic languages.
We got a call from Kamron who was wondering where we were. So in a few minutes we were back on the road going as fast as possible to Sarche.
Sarche was located in small valley, looked small. Our driver told us that he had never been there yet and only 2000 people are living there. Such a small village.
First car entered the village smoothly and parked in some near house. Then it's was our move to slowly get down to the valley. Tony in the front filming interesting view on right side and me with Barbara in the back. Then I saw big crowd of people standing next to two small trucks arguing about something.
I immediately took a photo of them. Twice to be sure. I said:" Hey Tony, look at the right side, take them on the video. It would be nice to have them in our trip documentary." "Sure", he responded and looked with camera on the right side, taking approximately few seconds of HD video. Everything happened so fast. One young guy, he could be 17/19 years old, saw us in the car with camera. He was sitting on the top of one truck and he shouted something pointing on us.
That was the moment when all these people stopped arguing and looked at us. Everyone was silent for one or two seconds. I froze in fear of near future, I guess everyone in the car did.
Then all the people started to run towards our car. Everything in the next paragraphs happened in few minutes, not more than 15-30 minutes.
First thing which I did was removing first photo I took. I took my flash card from camera and I hid it in a secret pocket. I didn't think about it much, it was like a reflex. I had them on the photo and they didn't see me taking it. Tony hid his camera under seat and our driver was trying to calm us down. He said: "it will be OK, i will speak with them in farsi."
No it wasn't OK. From the moment we saw them running to our car, we screamed to driver, "turn the car, let's go out of the village". Actually he couldn't do that. There wasn't enough place to turn over the car on the road. He was also afraid but he still thought that it will be OK when he will be speaking with them.
They didn't let him speak. Later when we share our memories from the event we realize that not all of them started to run to the car. Some of them started to run to the nearest houses. They probably went for some guns or others to help them. When they came to our car some of them already had some stuff which could be used as a weapons and they tried to drag us out. Two front windows were open. I closed our windows in the back and locked out all doors. I guess it saved our lives that time. Quarter second after crowd enclosed the car they started to strangle our driver and tried to drag him out through the window, because doors were locked. I was locking it immediately after they tried to open them. Fortunately our driver stepped on the accelerator pedal and we moved a meter or two. That surprised the guy who was strangling him and he backed off. Our driver realizing that he had a free throat again, stepped on the accelerator pedal again and at maximum speed went deeper into the village. We were screaming at least in the same intensity as our attackers if not more.
We stopped after 60 or 70 metres, because riding car on that kind of road in full speed wasn't easy. I was afraid that we would never get out of this ... village. No more than two minutes lasted our peace (sorry master yoda speaking).
We were screaming to each other our possibilities, then suddenly three motorbikes came next to the car. Two men on each. I was surprise, how they manage to took their motorbikes so fast? It was like from Hollywood movie, we in car trying to get rid of them and these people trying to stop the car, and take us out. It was clear for us that if we would be out of the car, they would kill us without questions and no one could ever know what's happened to us there. They managed to strangled our driver again but when the car run through something on the road and jumped a bit, he stopped. At the same time another motorbikes approached from the left side and the villager tried to drag Tony out through the window, tearing his yellow shirt a bit but wasn't able to take him out. He even tried to open locker on the doors but I immediately locked it again.
It happened at least three times. Then Tony finally managed to close the window.
Both windows in the front were already closed when arrived to the end of the road.
Part 2
So sitting in the bus, talking about past few days after one hour we arrived to Shahrekord. From the bus it looks like small provincial city. What we didn't know is that Shahrekord is among highest towns in Iran, it's 2220 m above sea level. Kamron told us that his village is close to Shahrekord. He went to get some transport for us. One thing was sure, place next to bus station didn't look friendly. When we were waiting for him, some taxi drivers approached us with questions in Persian for which we didn't had answers. Everyone passing by looked suspicious and unfriendly. It wasn't so hot as in Esfahan, but the air was full of dust. Some minutes later Kamron came with some of his friends and we got into two cars and headed out of the town into mountains.
We were driving for two hours. Kamron with his friend and Gorg and Max were in the first car. We three and our excellent formula 1 driver were in the second car. He was driving on these small roads so fast that we had to wait for the second car for 15 minutes until they arrived to our location next to river.
Then again racing started. We made another stop in our driver's village. He wanted to show us his family and house and drink "Chai" with them. Chai means tea and sounds exactly as word tea in Slavic languages.
We got a call from Kamron who was wondering where we were. So in a few minutes we were back on the road going as fast as possible to Sarche.
Sarche was located in small valley, looked small. Our driver told us that he had never been there yet and only 2000 people are living there. Such a small village.
First car entered the village smoothly and parked in some near house. Then it's was our move to slowly get down to the valley. Tony in the front filming interesting view on right side and me with Barbara in the back. Then I saw big crowd of people standing next to two small trucks arguing about something.
I immediately took a photo of them. Twice to be sure. I said:" Hey Tony, look at the right side, take them on the video. It would be nice to have them in our trip documentary." "Sure", he responded and looked with camera on the right side, taking approximately few seconds of HD video. Everything happened so fast. One young guy, he could be 17/19 years old, saw us in the car with camera. He was sitting on the top of one truck and he shouted something pointing on us.
That was the moment when all these people stopped arguing and looked at us. Everyone was silent for one or two seconds. I froze in fear of near future, I guess everyone in the car did.
Then all the people started to run towards our car. Everything in the next paragraphs happened in few minutes, not more than 15-30 minutes.
First thing which I did was removing first photo I took. I took my flash card from camera and I hid it in a secret pocket. I didn't think about it much, it was like a reflex. I had them on the photo and they didn't see me taking it. Tony hid his camera under seat and our driver was trying to calm us down. He said: "it will be OK, i will speak with them in farsi."
No it wasn't OK. From the moment we saw them running to our car, we screamed to driver, "turn the car, let's go out of the village". Actually he couldn't do that. There wasn't enough place to turn over the car on the road. He was also afraid but he still thought that it will be OK when he will be speaking with them.
They didn't let him speak. Later when we share our memories from the event we realize that not all of them started to run to the car. Some of them started to run to the nearest houses. They probably went for some guns or others to help them. When they came to our car some of them already had some stuff which could be used as a weapons and they tried to drag us out. Two front windows were open. I closed our windows in the back and locked out all doors. I guess it saved our lives that time. Quarter second after crowd enclosed the car they started to strangle our driver and tried to drag him out through the window, because doors were locked. I was locking it immediately after they tried to open them. Fortunately our driver stepped on the accelerator pedal and we moved a meter or two. That surprised the guy who was strangling him and he backed off. Our driver realizing that he had a free throat again, stepped on the accelerator pedal again and at maximum speed went deeper into the village. We were screaming at least in the same intensity as our attackers if not more.
We stopped after 60 or 70 metres, because riding car on that kind of road in full speed wasn't easy. I was afraid that we would never get out of this ... village. No more than two minutes lasted our peace (sorry master yoda speaking).
We were screaming to each other our possibilities, then suddenly three motorbikes came next to the car. Two men on each. I was surprise, how they manage to took their motorbikes so fast? It was like from Hollywood movie, we in car trying to get rid of them and these people trying to stop the car, and take us out. It was clear for us that if we would be out of the car, they would kill us without questions and no one could ever know what's happened to us there. They managed to strangled our driver again but when the car run through something on the road and jumped a bit, he stopped. At the same time another motorbikes approached from the left side and the villager tried to drag Tony out through the window, tearing his yellow shirt a bit but wasn't able to take him out. He even tried to open locker on the doors but I immediately locked it again.
It happened at least three times. Then Tony finally managed to close the window.
Both windows in the front were already closed when arrived to the end of the road.
Part 2
Holy fuck! I was expecting a cool adventure post, not a car chase and strangulation. Can't wait to read more, dude. Best of luck in avoiding death, guns, and doors without locks.
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