J106 – 4/2/2006

In good form this morning, Serge left the camp on his own.  We joined him a few kilometers from the camp.  The start of the stage was rather hilly and the scenery today is different from what we have had lately.  We saw many herds of sheep near the road and some scattered villages.  It was a very sunny, summer day, with temperatures above 30° Celsius during the whole stage.  We went towards Sarakhs on a country road with almost no vehicles, which we left after some 35 kilometers.  The most important incident was a 15 minute volleyball game Serge played with some Iranians.

Today was the 13th day after the Iranian New Year and following custom, everyone in the country left their house to go to the countryside.  To say at home was unlucky.

This afternoon, Serge ran between the desert and mountains on a road made unpleasant by all the trucks coming from the border with Turkmenistan, which is about 110 kilometers from where we are.

Tonight we will set up a rather rough camp about 500 meters from the road, between some pipelines and a customs post which is manned by soldiers.  Serge finished the stage with a head on wind about which he said “I hope that going up to Uzbekistan I won’t have to fight what seems to be a prevailing wind from the North.”

Today’s log is signed  Benjamin