Iran

The bus was released and continued its journey through Iraq to Bagdad. After Bagdad we travelled by cars and bus across high plans (where it was cold at night,) eventually arriving Iran. When we got to Tehran booked into YHA to rest for two days.


After the first night George went to use the toilet, as he was sitting on the throne when he suffered great pain in his stomach, he was in agony. What do I do? The warden came and with his help got poor George out of the cubical, outside and into a taxi. This was very difficult as George was bent double. The warden gave the driver the address of a doctor and soon we arrived at the doctor’s house. The driver and I with difficulty got George into the doctors.

After the examination doctor said George had a strangled hernia and required an emergency operation. I told the doctor we had very little money, he said he would try to get George into the university hospital for free. After he made a phone call he said “hospital will admit George” So we had to get George who was still in agony and bent double back into the taxi and off to hospital. When we arrived there the surgeon was waiting for George I was told to come back later.

Later when I returned George was awake and feeling a bit better, with little pain. I returned in the afternoon he had improved and said he was hungry I told him he will get feed. The next morning he was much improved but very hungry. I said you have had a stomach operation that is why you are not getting food; this went on for a week. George was suffering from hunger. I could not find English speakers to explain why George was not getting feed. I found a French speaking nurse; George had some French I asked her to speak to George. George told me the treatment was free BUT NOT THE FOOD! George was a little angry with me because outside the hospital there were some kiosks where you buy food for the patients in the hospital. I had passed the kiosks every time visited George. When George was fit to be discharged we found an English speaking doctor who informed me George should not lift or carry any weights, “you will have to carry his rucksack.” “Deserves you right” said George for starving me. I donated a pint of blood as payment for George’s treatment. I had to put my arm through a hole in the wall so I hope they only took a pint.

At that time America donated ex school buses to Iran they were very cheap to travel on and as I had to carry George’s rucksack we decided to travel from Tehran using the old American school bus to travel to the ancient city of Mashhad from there we would travel to Afghanistan.
Afghanistan
We had no trouble travelling from Mashhad to Afghanistan. When got to Afghanistan we stayed in a hotel with interesting toilet facilities. The hotel was three storeys high the toilets were stagger under each floor as the toilets were a hole in the floor with a drop straight into the cellar, and each morning a man with a barrow and a shovel cleaned out the cellar.
We bought some Indian rupees at half price and a genuine forgery of an International student card for $1 USA all it required was the attachment of a passport photograph and rubberstamped by the forger and we would get half price travel on Indian railways after we pass through Pakistan.
The road to Pakistan called The Kibber Pass is spectacular; parts of the read are laid onto concrete supports embedded into the rock face and tunnels through outcrops. We travelled though Pakistan by bus with no problems, till we got to the Indian border. It was closed Pakistan and India were having a dispute. We were informed that another border crossing was open but it was 20 miles away and very little traffic and no bus used this road. It was too hot to walk and I was still carrying George’s rucksack. We hired a pony and cart. Halfway the driver asked us for half the fare as he wanted to buy grass to feed the pony. So we had a break, while the pony had a feed we made ourselves tea. Eventually we reached the crossing point with India and made the crossing with no problems.