Have had the most epic time crossing Iran. Many highs. A couple of lows.

Having entered Iran we were told (2hours too late) that there was not a single cash machine which accepted a European bank card in the entire country. Visit to the Iranian Embassy today thus ensued (having spent the past couple of days rationing food/water sip by sip, bite by bite!) Driving has been in 49degree heat, though 'Little Turtle' has been holding out admirably...despite still being a little greedy with her fuel, the hungry little thing. No worries though-petrol in Iran is just 5p per litre. We are considering filling up our jerry cans here and attempting to stow them in the overhead compartments as handluggage for the flight home.

People here are INCREDIBLY kind. The sort of kindness which deserves an entry in Chicken Soup for the Soul' for restoring any lost faith in humanity. In a time of particular financial difficulty we were donated an entire tank of petrol by a LOVELY Iranian man, as well as breezing through numerous toll bridges without having to part with any Iranian rials, by enthusiastically shouting that we were English and were trying to get to Mongolia. Despite huge amounts of friendliness here we did spend some of the afternoon today walking round the 'Den of Espionage' (old US Embassy) and reading somewhat less-welcoming messages on the wall: 'Down with America' 'Make the USA face a severe defeat' 'The only way to defy the wild wolf of Zionism and the transgression of the Great Satan the USA is sacrificial resistance' ...etc...

Tomorrow is another early start as we try to get to the Eastern border to spend a night there in preperation of a potentially epic border crossing to Turkmenistan.