The last week in Europe has gone fast and now the countdown begins to my train ride east to IRAN!!! ''OOh I am so excited, I just can't hide it, I know.. I know.. I know... I know... I know I want ...." oh sorry I got a little carried away with the Pointer Sisters.
Back in Istanbul at the moment just made it hitchhiking from Zagreb, Croatia in more then 2 days with a little luck and bad luck.
Croatia has been really nice as me and Jorine stayed there for 5 days after we arrived in Reijka last wednesday.
Stayed for a day on the biggest island Krk on an campsite packed with hundreds of dutch and german families. The day after we try to charter a boat to a nicer island called Rab. Got on a boat doing a round trip across the islands and got of when we arrived on Rab. Hitched a ride to the other side of the island the a nice sandy beach where we crashed for 3 days on a campsite.
Croatia's islands are beautifull and the sea cristal blue; at first side the islands look very rocky and without any trees but the other side is far nicer to the eye.
Getting a taint was not that hard those days. On saturday my plan was to meet up with Sabine a friend from Groningen as she was travelling through Croatia as well, unfortunatly we didn't catch up as she was heading to the south of Croatia. Saturday I found a couple on the camping that could bring us the next day all the way to Zagreb in 3 hours. So on Sunday we arrived pretty early in the capital of Croatia at a good hostel. Good to be in the hostel atmosphere with other backpackers and that day explored the city a bit with 2 americans and Cordie a funny Irish dude.
The following day I was on the road again, on my own as Jorine stayed in the hostel to travel further by her self.
My mission Zagreb - Istanbul in 2 days 1300 km. First day after 4 hours I got 100 km out of Zagreb before I got a ride from on older belgium\ french speaking woman, well actually she got a ride from me (not that way you dirty minded bastards) of the 600 km we drove I!! drove 400 km in the 5 day old Citroen car, speeding my way to Serbia cause she was tired of driving.
Slept in a hotel near the road as it was raining heavenly. the next day was not day fortunate. after 12 hours of hitchhiking and 2 rides I got stranded 300 km further of the city of Nis where my hotel was in Bulgaria. I was not going to make it to Istanbul that day.
Thanks to a person working at the gasstation I got on a bus that night at midnight and arrived this morning at 8 oclock in a hostel i stayed last year in Istanbul. Slept for a few hours and walked through the city with Tom an Irish bloke I met on the bus.
Today picked up my trainticket for tonight 23;55, got more then 600 euro in cash (cause in Iran the ATMs don't work with foreign cards), bought some long trousers (Iran strict rules) and enjoyed my last beer for the next month, smoking a shisha on the roof of my hostel with Tom.
Yes yes Iran here I come.
So the next 57 hours I will be in a train crossing Turkey, and I will enjoy every minute of it. My ticket goes to Tehran but I will get of at Tabriz to explore the north of Iran before meeting up with my dad a week later in Tehran.
The photo is trimming my beard in a park in Istanbul. My plan was to let it grow for 8 weeks but I have been reading about Iran and I learned that without a beard I will get eassier in contact with normal people, as a beard reminds the young people of people of the stricy ismalic government.
For some photos look at my facebook http://www.facebook.com/ search for joost copray ... more will follow.
Have to go.
greets joost
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