As this was to be our last excursion we decided to do it via public transport, so we got up early to catch a bus at 7 am and we were in a place called Kazerun by 09.30.
Our plan was to get a taxi from there the last 20km to Bishapur.
Unfortunately Steve got talking to an elderly man on the bus who had a little english - after enquiring about our reason for the journey he decided to appoint himself as "your leader" for the day. We think he meant "guide".
Anyway, despite our protestations of independence he started making a fuss organising taxis as soon as we got off the bus and pretty soon there was a cast of thousands milling around all trying to assist with the arrangements. I counted thirteen people at one point - excluding us.
I'm afraid I got a bit cross at this point and may have been a litttle rude, but eventually we extricated ourselves and headed off without any hangers on.
The taxi left us at Bishapur, which is the site of an ancient city - around 1800 years old - and was the capital of the persian emperor Shapur I.
He is apparently famous for having beaten the Romans on three occasions, and for taking many of Emperor Valerian's army prisoner.
The site was huge - much of it still to be excavated - but we saw what there was over a couple of hours plodding around the site. By now it was around midday and probably the hottest day we have had - in the mid 90's.
We had left the hotel before breakfast and the fiasco at the bus terminal meant that we had overlooked the need to buy any food - and we only had a couple of small bottles of water.
There was nothing to be had where we were - it was quite an isolated spot - and there were also no taxis around.
The next site was about 4km away so we started walking. The route began opposite Bishapur and led through a narrow gorge between two enormous ridges about 2,000 ft high. The ridges curved so that we were entering an almost circular valley about 5 km in diameter with just one more small exit via a similar gorge an the other side. The floor of the valley was very fertile and cultivated with orchards and vegetable fields - a lovely isolated place.
Our objective was a cave part way up the hillside which contained a 7 metre high statue of Shapur I.
And no - I have no idea why they put it there.
Pretty soon a passing car stopped to offer us a ride - for which we were by now extremely grateful.
The driver didn't speak any english but we managed to convey what we were doing and he dropped us off at the start of the path. There was still nowhere to buy food and water.
When we set out we hadn't realised just how remote this spot was - on the way back our only option was to hitchhike. By now we were feeling the effects of the heat and the lack of food and water so walking back to the main road was not at all an attractive proposition.
I haven't hitchhiked since I was a student, so it was quite nostalgic. It's just too easy in Iran though - once they see you are a foreigner they can't slam the brakes on quickly enough.
The first car that came along stopped to pick us up - a young couple who invited us to share their picnic lunch. We declined but they thrust a couple of bananas on us anyway as they dropped us at the main road - they were heading away from Kazerun. We wolfed them immediately.
A wait of only a few minutes before we were picked up by a couple of guys who happened to be going all the way back to Shiraz, so they dropped us at our hotel.
As I said, it's just too easy here.
So, all in all, a bit of a wierd day - but one we will remember.
I omitted this bit earlier, but now I think perhaps I should include it...........
The guy who wanted to be "our leader" was a veteran of the Iran/Iraq war and he had been terribly injured during the conflict.
He had no hands and was blind and his hearing was very limited.
Given his circumstances he was remarkably cheerful.
How he intended to guide us we had no idea.
We wouldn't have wanted a guide in any event, but we really didn't know how to cope with him.
Perhaps we should have given it a go and let things take their course.
We felt bad about it at the time and afterwards.
Our plan was to get a taxi from there the last 20km to Bishapur.
Unfortunately Steve got talking to an elderly man on the bus who had a little english - after enquiring about our reason for the journey he decided to appoint himself as "your leader" for the day. We think he meant "guide".
Anyway, despite our protestations of independence he started making a fuss organising taxis as soon as we got off the bus and pretty soon there was a cast of thousands milling around all trying to assist with the arrangements. I counted thirteen people at one point - excluding us.
I'm afraid I got a bit cross at this point and may have been a litttle rude, but eventually we extricated ourselves and headed off without any hangers on.
The taxi left us at Bishapur, which is the site of an ancient city - around 1800 years old - and was the capital of the persian emperor Shapur I.
He is apparently famous for having beaten the Romans on three occasions, and for taking many of Emperor Valerian's army prisoner.
The site was huge - much of it still to be excavated - but we saw what there was over a couple of hours plodding around the site. By now it was around midday and probably the hottest day we have had - in the mid 90's.
We had left the hotel before breakfast and the fiasco at the bus terminal meant that we had overlooked the need to buy any food - and we only had a couple of small bottles of water.
There was nothing to be had where we were - it was quite an isolated spot - and there were also no taxis around.
The next site was about 4km away so we started walking. The route began opposite Bishapur and led through a narrow gorge between two enormous ridges about 2,000 ft high. The ridges curved so that we were entering an almost circular valley about 5 km in diameter with just one more small exit via a similar gorge an the other side. The floor of the valley was very fertile and cultivated with orchards and vegetable fields - a lovely isolated place.
Our objective was a cave part way up the hillside which contained a 7 metre high statue of Shapur I.
And no - I have no idea why they put it there.
Pretty soon a passing car stopped to offer us a ride - for which we were by now extremely grateful.
The driver didn't speak any english but we managed to convey what we were doing and he dropped us off at the start of the path. There was still nowhere to buy food and water.
When we set out we hadn't realised just how remote this spot was - on the way back our only option was to hitchhike. By now we were feeling the effects of the heat and the lack of food and water so walking back to the main road was not at all an attractive proposition.
I haven't hitchhiked since I was a student, so it was quite nostalgic. It's just too easy in Iran though - once they see you are a foreigner they can't slam the brakes on quickly enough.
The first car that came along stopped to pick us up - a young couple who invited us to share their picnic lunch. We declined but they thrust a couple of bananas on us anyway as they dropped us at the main road - they were heading away from Kazerun. We wolfed them immediately.
A wait of only a few minutes before we were picked up by a couple of guys who happened to be going all the way back to Shiraz, so they dropped us at our hotel.
As I said, it's just too easy here.
So, all in all, a bit of a wierd day - but one we will remember.
I omitted this bit earlier, but now I think perhaps I should include it...........
The guy who wanted to be "our leader" was a veteran of the Iran/Iraq war and he had been terribly injured during the conflict.
He had no hands and was blind and his hearing was very limited.
Given his circumstances he was remarkably cheerful.
How he intended to guide us we had no idea.
We wouldn't have wanted a guide in any event, but we really didn't know how to cope with him.
Perhaps we should have given it a go and let things take their course.
We felt bad about it at the time and afterwards.
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