EP-7 Iran As I Knew it: Bus journey from Mashad to Zahedan….the last leg

By Colonel V K Bali, Retd

Now we were about to reach our new home at Zahedan. Enroute till now, there was not much time for personal care and hygiene matters like getting clothes washed and dried etc. it was 22nd day of our journey since we left Delhi for Zahedan via Bombay- Persian gulf- Khorramshahr-Tehran and Mashad.

We were all excited due to the fact that this long interesting but also quite tiring journey would end by tomorrow evening.

It was time that me and sis also began missing our mother who had been left behind at Delhi.Her move plan was to come over to Zahedan after dad had set up our new home. She was to fly from Delhi to Tehran by British Overseas Airways Corporation ( BOAC) by a Caravelle jet liner recently introduced by the British and then from Tehran to Zahedan she was to fly by Iran Air service aeroplane.

We were carrying along the heavy baggage for home and that’s why we had to move by ship…in other words we were the advance party to set up our home at Zahedan and then call her up.

Our bus left Mashad on a Southern route to Zahedan early morning after breakfast and the drive was at a fast speed. The landscape began changing quickly and by lunch time we were traversing arid regions of the South Eastern Iran…..the sun shone bright and at times a there was a bit of discomfort too.

The road was also not broad and smooth as that of Tehran to Mashad. This was kind of backward region,the villages enroute became sparse and were not as good in appearance as in the north. The vegetation was mostly grasslands with dry brown mud patches.

By 8 pm the driver stopped the bus at a local small hotel and told passengers that the route ahead was not good for traveling at night and also because of cases of robberies lately. The robbers were said to be non Iranians from Afghanistan area across the border. This was a bit unsettling for us because we would be reaching Zahedan next day late evening instead of afternoon.

The driver was a middle aged and an experienced person. He was a bit curious about us being from India. He spoke to the hotel owner and then to my dad. Following this we were led to a small room at the rear of the hotel which had two cots and there we slept comfortably for the night.

Next day morning we resumed our bus journey but for hours we did not see any habitation. The landscape turned from arid to dry brown desert as we were traveling through the province of Sistan….no trees to be seen…there were only brown rocky mountains and an odd shepherd only somewhere far away.

It was soon late afternoon but there were no hotel or an eatery enroute….only vast landscape and the winding road which had become quite bad. The bus ride by now had turned bumpy and uncomfortable. The driver let out some cuss word now and then while battling with the steering and changing gears. We were all carrying water to drink as we had been warned about no water enroute.

The driver stopped now and then at the best possible spot he could manage for the passengers to relieve themselves and freshen up. Around mid afternoon, there was a wave of excitement amongst the passengers and most were pointing out ahead in the distant.

The point of interest was a clump of three trees which had generated so much excitement. The bus was stopped and all stomped out quickly to sit down in tree shade…there was loud talking and laughter all around as the driver informed us that Zahedan was just about three hours from there across a low mountains range.

The bus soon zig zagged through the rough mountain road and descended into a valley. The bus stopped at a bend on the road and this gave us a good view of the Valley. The driver pointed to a lake in the distance but it was not a water lake but of black crude oil which had gushed out of earth about six months back and had been just left like that. Wondering about the oil lake we drove on the final stretch and the evening felt stunningly beautiful and amazing.

As we crossed the mountain range,a vast plain bowl like expanse of land came into view. We were staring down at Zahedan visible as an outline on the horizon. There was an orange glow on the sky line which seemed to mingle seamlessly with the brown desert land.

There were some grassy area and trees at places and as we drove further a small hamlet appeared in our view. Smoke arose from the hamlet and a trail of dust followed the herd of donkeys heading to the hamlet with some village boys chasing them. Now the road had become better and broader. The bus too picked up speed and soon we entered the town outer limits lined with some odd shops and scattered homes. These were followed by wide black topped road with street lights.

At last we were at Zahedan and the bus stopped astride a ground near the local market place… it was quite neat area. As the bus stopped, the passengers rushed out and everyone seemed to be very relieved and joyfull.

Then a station wagon car with the Indian flag drove up to the bus and the driver came up hurriedly to us and saluted dad. The Indian Mission driver spoke to the bus driver and the latter nodded. Our bus was to follow up our car to the Mission building for unloading of our luggage kept on its luggage roof rack.

At last our car reaced and stopped in front of the Indian Mission at Zahedan. The whole lot mission staff seemed to be present to receive us. There was also a crowd of local Indian diaspora to welcome us. After some speeches,we were led to our would be home,furnished and with a boy servant in attendance.

At last we were in Zahedan!!