View from the top of Chak Chak
We boarded our bus around 8AM for a couple of hour bus ride outside Yazd first visiting the old abandoned mud city of Kharanaq and then onto the Zoroastrian town of Chak Chak that was built in A.C. 637. Although wandering through the mud houses of Kharanaq was interesting, Chak Chak was a much more compelling and physically challenging site to get to. The Chak Chak walk starts out as a series of fairly steep switchbacks then onto many separate stairways of steep steps. Eventually we reached the very top where Zoroastrian ceremonies occur and where a fire has been kept lit for over 1500 years.
We headed back to Yazd at mid afternoon and stopped at the Silk Road hotel for lunch which consisted of curried camel meat and rice…and non alcoholic Iranian beer of course. We finished with cappuccino and started out again seeing a few more sites and visiting a few shops along the way. I saw a couple very nice silk carpets in the $5000-7000 range but had to settle for a $30 brass candle bowl which I spent 15 minutes trying to negotiate the final price. I don’t think my efforts ever result it any deals but the process is enjoyable.
Camel meat at the Silk Road hotel
Derek, Michael, Nishi, Stella and I went back to the hotel and had tea and hookah and talked for a couple of hours and then headed out for a walk for another few hours and finished the evening at an ice cream shop near Yazd center. Derek and I were confident that we knew the back way through the alleys of the old city back to our hotel. It only took us 10 minutes to become completely lost. With mild panic setting in, we asked two local teenagers the direction. Fortunately one of them spoke perfect English but unfortunately we pronounced the. America of the hotel incorrectly and became even more lost. Derek finally remembered that he had a map of the hotel and that got us back on track. One of the teenagers had a motorbike and pushed it alongside while we walked until we found a place where we could get a cab…which is what we should have done in the first place. We probably walked over a mike and a half and ended up right back close to the ice cream shop where we started…a huge circle. The teenager pushed his motorbike the while way and his friend eventually hailed us a cab and negotiated the fare. We have found Iranians to be the most friendly and honest folks we have ever met.
We are on the bus to Isfahan right now and the tour guide gave us a lecture on maintaining a low profile when out and about in the city. He told us to be smart about what we take photos of and minding our manners. He also told us not to go out in Isfahan until he got the proper approval from the local authorities. Although he was addressing all of the folks on the bus, I think he was speaking to us three Americans on board. Oh well.
Singers at Chak Chak
