My First Backpacking Trip - To Khalkhal-Asalem Road

Well, here's how it all really started: Masoud said "I want to go to Khalkhal-Asalem road to backpack and I'm going to take you (meaning me) with me!" Me, being a positive person, agreed. I have always loved the idea of adventuring and this was a dream coming true. I googled the place and was astonished with the beauty it promised. Needless to say, all the promises were kept. My first backpacking trip has always been, in my mind, the best, although, if you ask Masoud, he might not say so. I was cranky during the most of the journey since, well, since because I was out of comfort zone. Terribly terribly out of my comfort zone. But the haunting feeling of being totally lost in the disturbingly huge wild nature of the north of Iran has never, not a moment, left me.

 

On the bus, Masoud is taking up the space for three people.
That is rude of you, Masoud!

I don't even remember how we got to the road. It all happened really fast. But there we were... on the golden road to heaven...

Just starting up...

In retrospect, I don't know how I managed the trip with the kind of backpack that I had. It was awful, and totally not suitable for a three day backpacking trip. It could, barely it could, keep the food for three days inside it. How it didn't tear completely apart, leaving me stranded in the forest is a mystery to me.

The best part of being on the road is, in my mind, that a lot of things happen, a lot of good things, when you least expect it. And this one was full of it.

Who woulda thought we'd be offered breakfast from an old couple living in
an old lonely cottage?

Look how lonely, but majestic!

We knew we're going to be walking on this road for two days, so we took our time enjoying the little beauties around us.

Like this lovely little cow family!

Or, like this lazy sheep family, taking a rest from the sun!

I'm writing this after two years. I might miss some things, but there are a lot I remember. I remember the sun, and I remember the tall trees, and I remember all the good people we met on the road.

We might have gotten tired sometimes...

...but we never forgot to smile! 

And there were times when we decided to role-play. 

Sometimes I was Robin Hood...

And sometimes, Masoud.
He was a better Robin Hood than me! He knew the Robin Hood Whistle.

As I wrote before, there were many times when I would get cranky. For many reasons. I would just be bitter and hard to talk to. But make no mistake, there wasn't a time where Masoud didn't cheer me up. He's an expert in this area!

Look at hist stupid smiling happy face!

But I haven't got to the most important character of the story yet. I think both Masoud and I agree on the fact that one of the most memorable part of the journey has been meeting with Sexy! Yes, her name was Aexy and she was a.. wait for it... dog! Yes, a female dog. Now let's not get the wrong idea, we're not attracted to animals of any sort, nor any of us is a zoophile. Although I am merely speaking for myself! ^_^

Sexy was a dog that we met on the first day's evening, and he came along with us on the road for the following day, until a ride on the back blue Nissan truck would put us apart. You might wonder why we chose the name Sexy. I wonder the same. All in all, Sexy was the best dog anyone could have. She was caring and, fast, and ready to defend us from other hostile dogs who barked at us from when we got too close to their village. I am writing these sentences in the past form because Sexy is dead now. The next year when we came back to all these places we heard from locals, that the beautiful dogs has died. She was sick, and we didn't know that. I'm going to put up some pictures of her, but I'm doing it with a sad heart. 

Here's she is...

And here we are...

The next morning, and she's at our service!

A close-up selfie! 

Back then we didn't know that she's sick, and looking back, I think that is a good thing. Because knowing that such a good dog is sick would definitely make us sad.
Anyway...

On the second day, we had more time, so would enjoy the nature much more.

We swam around...

And enjoyed the cool water!

Not a care in the whole fucking world...

yum yum...
(needless to say, our hands were bloody red afterwards)

There are many more picture to upload here, but I guess these are enough, and they do the job. Backpacking on this golden road was...where me and Masoud found our friendship. This was it. This is where we thought, well, now, we could take the world. And we knew that we would and someday, we will.

Miss you, you stupid fucking idiot. Let's travel soon.