The Bicycle Journey from Yazd to Arak (Part One)

On a lovely morning, we start our journey by bicycle from Yazd to the village of “Shahneh” for the first day of our trip. Unfortunately, we are unable to find a place to make breakfast bread as we leave the city. Despite fasting, we push on forward and embrace the twists and turns of the road. The road towards the shahneh is relatively short, and we eventually enter a side road from the road to “Nedushan”.

The road is long and winding, devoid of any notable landmarks except for the occasional car passing by. Despite the homogeneity of the terrain, pedaling on such roads is challenging, and the sunshine only adds to the difficulty. As we inch closer to noon, the weather becomes hotter, and the road becomes more challenging. With no trees, walls or shadows to take shelter under, we press on.

At noon, we come across a structure spreading its shadow of mercy across the earth, and we gratefully rest in its embrace. Our stomachs are empty, and the journey has taken a toll on us. After an hour of rest, we set out again, determined to reach our destination. The road is straight and stubborn, and the silence is almost deafening. We pause at the side of the road for a few minutes to take in the silence and gaze at the mythical mountains. It’s a moment of pure joy.

Finally, after covering a distance of seventy kilometers, we reach the quaint village of “Nyuk”. We freshen up with some cool water and purchase bread and dinner necessities. We stop a few kilometers up next to a large mosque to rest and spend the night. After dinner, we sit down and chat while enjoying some tea. The mountains, plains, starry skies, and silence surround us.

The next day, we wake up at 6 o’clock in the morning and decide to set up ovens to cook a spicy breakfast to avoid the hunger we experienced the day before. After breakfast and tea, we prepare our bicycles and continue our journey. Fifteen kilometers later, we arrive at the city of “Nedushan”. The entrance sign of the city proudly proclaims it as the Geographical Center of Iran, and we take a photograph to commemorate our visit before continuing on.