Beyond Europe
School teacher Johanna Clark ventures to Iran on a Triumph Bonneville in search of a different land
I LEARNT TO RIDE a motorcycle in Indonesia while I was there teaching English as a foreign language. My parents were against the idea so I didn’t tell them until later. Back in the UK I bought a Triumph Bonneville and for my first trip ventured into France and rode around the Alps. I’d always been interested in seeing the world and the following year I fancied going a little farther, so I quit my job as a secondary school teacher and headed East. My destination was Iran.
I went on the Bonneville because that’s the bike I had and it was the bike I liked riding. Like most people, I was carrying far too much stuff when I set off. I had a tent, sleeping bag, spares I didn’t need and tools I never used. I ended up shedding much of it as I went along and, by the time I’d made it down through Western Europe, I was down to the bare essentials.
The trip lasted for six months with the highlight being my month in Iran - it was so different to anywhere else I’d been. The people were really friendly and couldn’t do enough to help. Cities such as Tehran were far more westernised than you’d think, while rural areas were much more conservative. I was wild camping much of the way and I never had a problem. People often offered me a place to stay for the night if they saw me setting up my tent and I was constantly being invited in for tea with strangers in Iran.
By comparison I had a really hard time in Turkey. I’d been compelled to explore the southern region of Kurdistan, which borders Syria, and I was there just as a political coup was attempted in Turkey and it caused a lot of tension down in the south. A car bomb went off in the town I was staying in and I was told to leave the area for my own safety. This was harder than I hoped it would be as I was repeatedly stopped by road blocks and treated with suspicion, especially as I was wearing what they thought were military boots but in fact were motorcycle boots.
The process of getting a visa for Iran is tricky so you do have to be determined. The relationship between the Iranian government and ours has always been volatile and anyone with a British, American or Canadian passport is required to employ the services of a state-accredited guide, who has to ride with you or be in the vicinity the whole way. It can cost as much as £200 a day for this, which makes exploring Iran very expensive. People from any other country can travel freely but to do so on your own bike you’ll still need a Carnet de Passage (issued in the UK by Cars Europe: www.carseurope.net).
Iran clearly isn’t for everyone, mainly because of the cost and hassle involved in gaining access to it. Which is a shame as it really is a beautiful country and also a hospitable one. Easier to get into are Georgia and Armenia which are spectacular, friendly and easy to travel through. On my trip I also passed through the Balkans, which are equally safe and easy to explore by motorbike. If you’ve travelled a lot in Western Europe and are feeling the urge to go a bit farther then I’d
“A car bomb went off in the town I was staying in”
definitely recommend heading east.
In terms of travelling solo as a woman, I don’t think you’re any more vulnerable than a man. People tend to think you’re incapable of causing any harm so don’t see you as a threat and are more curious as to where your husband is than anything else. The main thing is to be respectful of local cultures and customs and also be vigilant, just as you would be anywhere else.
My plan is to return to Iran this spring, riding a Yamaha Serow 225 instead of the Bonneville, mainly because it’s lighter and more manageable. My plan is to make it all the way down to Pakistan. I’m lucky as I have an Irish passport so can avoid all of the guiding costs in Iran. I just wish more people could get to see the place.