–> http://g.co/maps/4jdec

km today: 369

When I wake up in the morning I recognize I have a bad cold. I already felt yesterday and took a pill in the evening but it didn’t help that much. I fix my stuff quickly, pay for the parking and search for a petrol station. Then I leave direction Batman. Today the landscape is unbelievable beautiful again. I start in the dessert and climb up to a maximum of 2238m above sea level. Sun is shining and people are waving and greeting all day again. Every day a little more. When I arrive at lake Van the road is blocked. I take the last place in the queue and a view pictures. When I get out of the car people tell me to drive on. So I drive to the front end of the queue and see the road is blocked. Big rocks from the earthquake are being removed from the street. The view is as breathtaking as the altitude.

Lake Van is more than 1600m above sea level. The place where I sleep tonight (in front of internet café using their wifi) is little less than 1800… Van is great. The earthquake damaged some houses pretty much but most of them are still ok to live in. All nearly business as usual here. Iran border is less than 250 km away so I will cross it tomorrow or the day after. Not so many stories to tell today. I am astonished by the view all day and enjoy music and driving a lot. I arrive in Van just before sunset so the timing is perfect.

The internet possibilities in turkey were really great! I don’t know yet if it will be possible in Iran to post as regularly as I did until now. Anyway I will keep writing down my experiences every evening so you can enjoy them as soon as I get Internet.