Iran; I love you

I was entering to Iran from Saraghs bordercrossing, tired, dirty and having terrible cough from the afternoons spend in the air conditioned cafes in Turkmenistanin. I was wearing my hijab; long loose pants, long loose shirt and a headscarf. This would be my cycling costume for the times in Iran. Somehow, I managed to cross the whole border without anyone stopping me. I pushed my bicycle through all the doors in the customs while looking for people working on the border. Unfortunately, I had to return back to the beginning of the customs, in order to a get my passport stamped. I would have never thought that Iran would be the country, where I could just walk in to. I didn't get into any trouble for carrying Tibetan prayer flags and other religious symbols, that people have given me within last year of my journey. The people on the border were friendly, expect a doctor who unpleasantly used his position and harassed me. After I complained about his behavior, other officers said they will take care of the doctor. Later, I saw him walking to the mosque and giving me a smile. I was feeling ashamed and decided to be stronger, if any harassment happens later.

International bank cards does not work in Iran and neither it's possible to get dollars after entering into the country. Therefore travelers have to carry all the money they need during their stay in Iran. I exchange some of my dollars on the border and people explained to me that 36000 rials is one dollar, so suddenly once again I became millionaire. The man I exchanged money with, explained how in Iran they talk about rials and tomans, tomans is the same as rials, but one zero is taken away. Later, I learned that sometimes they announce the price as price as ten, or hundred and you just learn to know what they mean. I actually didn't need to be worried about the money for over a few weeks, because the Iranian hospitality took good care of me. The rumors of extremely hospitable Iranians is proved to be right. People want greet and talk to you literally all the time.

Ever since I crossed the border into Iran, the kindness of people have been sometimes even too overwhelming. I have been invited to so many homes every day to stay overnight with families, to eat, to have a cup of tea, have a lunch or just to have a rest. My bags are full of food and gifts because Iranians want to give you everything and actually even more than you need. People, who I chatted with, have been even following me with their cars/scooters just to deliver me a gift that they didn't have with them earlier. Sometimes same people returned after one hour with bottles of cold drinks (and snacks) and smiles ; "Lotta, you must be thirsty already, here is cold drink for you". Almost everyone wants to make sure I am having good time, and that I am as comfortable as possible on 44 degrees heat on a busy highway. I have been having people escorting me through the busy parts of the roads to make sure that I will be reaching my destination safely.

When I arrived to Mashhad, I was staying Moshans (warmshower host) home. Moshan is studying in Malaysia, but his family took incredibly good care of me. This is Iranian hospitality; even if the person who invites you to her/his home is not around, the family takes happily care of you. I was in food paradise, Iranian home cooked food is heavenly tasty after Central Asian food (as vegeterian there is really not many options expect rice or bread). The women of the family teached me how to wear my scarf, which didn't want to stay on my head, and how to cook Iranian food. They wanted to shave my hairy face and arms, since all the Iranian women are throughly shaved. They demonstrated the shaving process, which is done with strings. They wanted to take me for shopping, since my pajama looking clothes were not really from the latest fashion. I tried to explain that they are ok, they are still almost in one piece and they are practical to wear on the road. I tried to tell, that I have been cycling last days on the desert of Turkmenistan, and during those eight days I haven't had time nor interest to take care of outlook. Yes, I am woman and my hands are little black, because of the bicycle oil, but it's there always. I had to explain myself so much that next time when I took a shower, I actually washed all the black oil paints away from my hands. Often, next to these stunningly beautiful Iranian women, I feel like a person walking straight out of forest or technically I just cycled straight from desert.

One of the girls wanted to cycle with me in Mashhad. One evening, we set off to hunt the best ice cream in town. For my surprise, Iran has some of the most delicious ice creams, I have ever eaten. I was excited about the cycling with my friend, it was my second time that cycled with the local woman during my whole trip. From all the countries i wouldn't have guessed that in Iran I would have found a girl who was excited to cycle with me. She told that some women do cycle in Iran but it is not in common, because in some parts of Iran women are technically not allowed to bicycle and the government is planning to ban the cycling from women in Iran. She didn't want to explain why but she said the police will not give me a  problems, because I am a tourist. Yet, women they protest against this upcoming law and they cycle in big cities during the day time and in the smaller once during the nights. Mashhad had a bicycle lain (!!) to cycle, but the scooters and passengers were using it more than cyclists. On the following day, 5 women took me out for a Friday picnic. Friday is holiday in Iran and I have never seen so many picnickers. Iranians they absolutely love picnics with their families and friends, camping and using their public places. Picnickers are absolutely everywhere, all the parks are full and people were even having picnics on a roundabout middle of busy streets. I found it very fascinating how families appreciated the time spent together.

After few days rest in Mashhad with my amazing Iranian family and group of women, I was cleaner than ever before and I wasn't coughing anymore, therefore I felt ready to cycle again towards Teheran. Bless to my first family who openly answered to all my questions and wonders of Iran and Iranians. They patiently thought me the important sentences in Farsi. I planned to cycle smaller roads, which are parallel to the bigger busy roads. Fast I learned that alone I wasn't allowed to cycle small roads, because I was woman. Every time, annoyingly the police found me and escorted me back to the big highway. The roads are in very good condition in Iran and since people stop me all the time to give me something, I didn't need to worry about food or water. I slept with many families, mosques, police station and at the red crescent stations. I tried to do wild camping couple of times, but somehow the police always found me middle of the night and forced me to pack my camp and cycle to another place to sleep, which was normally 20-30km away. The reason for not letting me to camp is, surprise surprise: because I am woman alone.

Unfortunately, for the first time I didn't feel safe to cycle alone as a woman. Most of the people are just so so amazing and hospitable, but there are some pigs in every forest. I believe that, the tight separation between men and woman creates frustration and therefore anger inside men. The government tries to control or even hide people's sexuality, which in every sense is impossible attempt. How can you try to shut down such a strong force as sexuality? By trying to do so, there is always consequences and growing frustration. I got to feel this by facing sexual harassment almost everyday on the road. It's hard to admit and it's hard to deal with. In the beginning I thought I was just having bad luck, but after contacting other young woman who cycled alone in Iran, I heard sexual harassment is pretty common. Yet, I also have met solo female cyclists who haven't faced the same issues as me.

When I talked with the local women about it, they admitted that as a young blond woman alone on the road, I was easy target for those men. It also seems so that many countries have misunderstood the western culture with Hollywood movies. Many people believe that western women are so free spirits that they are ready to have sex with everyone. This misunderstanding is not only in Iran but in several countries I have cycled through. Local people are extremely sorry for what I had to face, but often the answer is that it happens everywhere in the world. Unfortunately, they are right, but for me it's hard to accept such an ignorant answer. Yes, on my second cycling day of my trip over a year ago in Finland I met a man who passed with his car and after a kilometer he was vancking next to the road. This happens everywhere. Still, nothing can be explained by saying that it happens everywhere in the world. In my opinion if one says so, it gives allowance for the harassment, because it's common habit everywhere in the world.

Now, I will give an example how the harassment happened to me. The second last day in Iran, I cycled out of a small town and a teenager came to cycle next to me. We didn't exchange words, he didn't even look into my eyes. After some time, he cycled closer and placed his hand on my legs. When he tried to reach to my boobs, I hit him with water bottle while screaming at him and telling that I will call the police. Violence is never good answer to anything, but after facing so many similar situations, I just couldn't hold myself anymore. The boy cycled fast off and I was scared to continue to the empty deserted mountain road. What about if I made him angry and he will come back with his friends? What will I do then? What about if There is more desperate men during the empty stretch?

Luckily, he never returned. Instead a boy of my age passed by and stopped to talk to me, when I was resting next to the road. The road was empty and he asked me why am I there, when the easier bigger road goes below the mountains. I was telling him, I like shortcuts. In the beginning, I was scared at him, only because he was a man. As usual, he ended up being the kindest man, who gave me ice water, later brought me cold Coca-Cola and fruits. He made sure that I managed to get over the mountain pass, and by doing that he reminded me how amazing and caring people the majority of Iranians are. As people come into your life for a purpose, this man was the eyes opener to me, how I had let the fear control me when I was encountering the local people. Did I really cycled this far to loose my trust to kindness of humanity, just because of some bad experiences? I realized that I had some work to do with myself.

Not only I had to face sexual harassment in Iran but I also almost got robbed in Teheran while I tried to find a good mechanic who could fix my bike. Middle of the day, a man (most likely drug addict) tried to rob me. He didn't manage to get anything from me, because once he started to pull my bike i started to scream like a fire alarm. I was already thinking if I have to fight for the first time in my life over my bicycle, but the situation ended him hitting me twice on my face and me screaming load for help. Locals were running after him, but unfortunately they didn't manage to catch him. The women took me into their home calmed me down, placed ice for my face, gave me food and water. They called to their sister who spoke English and there I was shaking talking on the phone, while moms were nursing me the way I have never been nursed before. I found the most beautiful family from Teheran and they kept calling me every day while I was in Iran just to make sure, that I am fine. Bless this family bless bless bless. To make it clear it's not normal in Iran, that people behave violently against foreigners. This man must have been desperate and thought I would be an easy target. He was definitely wrong.

For the first time during my cycling tour, I had to think if cycling is safe for me. For the first time during the whole journey, I was facing problems and I was not sure how to deal with them. I knew, it was time to think why am I cycling and is it something I want to continue doing. I had to face my stubborned mind and ego. Why would I risk myself for cycling all the way through Iran ? My ego was screaming so laud for continuing of cycling, to prove myself that I am not scared, i can handle this, I am cycling and not taking busses. In the end, I decided to leave my bike to Teheran and have a holiday in the south to get some distance to Teheran and my bike and after to choose my next step. While backpacking I met again with Josh the Irish guy, who is on his overland journey with his car. I joined him and two French guys for a desert trip and enjoyed the feeling of safety. Nobody talked to me, because I was with three men and suddenly life felt easy. After five days of my holiday I wasn't satisfied, I missed my bicycle. In the beginning I enjoyed the easy life, but it just didn't satisfy my hunger of learning and feeling about the culture and places. Even if Iran had given me some hard times, I missed talking with people, I missed ending up to staying with kind families. I missed everything that makes me to love cycling in Iran. So, I decided to return to Teheran and take a bus to city of Tabriz and cycle from there to the border of Armenia.

In Tabriz, I met amazing Iranian woman. I was sitting on a bench doing people watching and she came to sit next to me. We stared to talk and she invited me to her home to have lunch. We talked how is it to be a woman in Iran. There came more women and the whole afternoon we talked how the life changed for the women after the Islamic revolution in 1979. I had already noticed and been told that most of the women do not like to wear their scarf, they want to be free but the government puts down the women rights and actually men rights as well. In Iran there is a religious police, who does not check that people pray enough many times during the day, instead they check that people dress up accordingly and that men and women do not walk hand in hand. One could ask why Iranians does not make another revolution? University professor explained to me that many Iranians fought in the war with Iraq, so the memory of the war is still too near. In addition to that, at the moment even if the government is fucked up the country itself is somewhat safe and stable compared to the other countries in the region. On the other hand young people, who want to do something different than the government allows, have to face way too many problems to be able to do that. Some of them says that Iran will change soon, some of them says that they have learned to play the game with the government.

That night in Tabriz, I went to sleep into the public park (Iranians love camping in public parks, and they are full of families spending time together) and I met with Australian cyclist called Calumn and Spanish couple. Their experience of Iran was totally different, most likely I had had troubles because I was alone as a woman. I ended up cycling together with Calumn, and he invited me to do camping holiday with him and his friend from Teheran. How different experience was to cycle with the man even only for one day. No one bothered me, no one talked to me. They only talked to my brand new husband since men and woman can be together only if they are married. For example when we were flying down the mountain 50km/hour and my head scarf flew away and I didn't want to stop because of that people told to Calumn to tell me to put on my scarf. I found it funny that the same cars passed by me, but they didn't say anything to me. I got invited to a camping holiday with Calumn and his friend and after some adventures we found our helpful tree and a farmer who let us be where we wanted.

Even if I had some troubles in Iran, I think Iran is amazing country to visit. It's huge and so many beautiful places and people to see. It's a country that is totally misunderstood by a western media. Even if the government of Iran is trying to rule people with tight laws and forces people to behave publicly in a certain way, at home people are behaving as they please. For me it opened my eyes for women rights, for consequences of laws to separate men and women, how people can kind of pretend to be strict Muslims just because they are forced to do so. I never knew how to appreciate my freedom, until I lost it for some time, I have absolutely taken it as granted. I believe that as a woman alone, I ended up having fruitful conversation with both Iranian woman and men. If I would have had men next to me, most likely women would have never approached me as much as they did now. The hospitality and helpfulness of people was something extraordinary. As its often said through the hard times one learns the most of themselves, as I pedaled off from Iran my head was spinning of thoughts and lessons that I had faced. I could say to Iranians the same words as so many Iranians were shouting to me from their cars and shops: I love you!