Down and out in Tabriz (or Ash gets a virus)

The morning of leaving our camp spot outside Marand, we were low on water so I filtered some from the irrigation system which watered the allotment gardens where we had chosen to camp. I didn't think anything of it at the time, although a few days later I started to wonder about the wisdom of it. The filter does everything but viruses, and some say it stops viruses too, because viruses must attach to particles larger than the filter will allow through.

Anyway, why was I pondering the filter? Because I fell down pretty sick on my first day of "R & R" in the city of Tabriz, which had welcomed us with its enormous park and fighter jets. I will get to the details of my illness a little on down the page, as it were.

On arriving I noticed a bike shop and diverted our attention there, where after tea and biscuits, the owner led us on a bit of a hike all over town in search of elusive 700 C Presta valve tubes for off-road tyres. There are an enormous number of bike shops, and cyclists, here, so I've no doubt they exist, but we started to have more pressing concerns such as changing some currency and finding a hotel. The friendly owner didn't want to let us go, and suggested hotels, banks etc. We got a very favourable rate on changing our money in an arcade full of money changers, although I don't know if it was any better than anybody else in the same arcade was offering. The hotel though, was a bit steep, and by chance we bumped into Nasser of the local Tourist Information Office and he delightfully pointed us in the right direction.

We sampled some of the local foods, dates that were a little dry for my liking (I'm sure better examples exist), helva, yoghurt and honey. Then I went walking around town and checked out the lay of the land, found the bike shops again, etc. I sped back to the hotel to meet Leigh and Charlie when I remembered we were to meet Nasser, and made it in good time. He took us to a CaffeNet and showed us a place serving cheap bean dishes and a soup-like dish called 'Ash'. We opted to try both dishes each, and I had trouble to finish and started to notice I was feeling weak and starting to shiver. We walked back to the hotel, picking up some smoothies on the way, and I was freezing and starting to feel a little weak by the time we reached our room.

I managed to stay awake to watch Mulholland Drive with the boys. Charlie was a bit perplexed and left unsure of what to make of the film, which I guess is what David Lynch is aiming for most of the time, and Leigh fell asleep during.

Then I fell asleep too, and wouldn't properly wake for more than 30 minutes at a time for most of the next 36 hours or so. A little difficult to blame that solely on caffeine withdrawal, I think! I had real difficulty going up and down the many steps to reach the loos, which made matters worse. My ankles crunched with each step.

Charlie and Leigh had agreed to stay on an extra day in case I recovered, which was very kind of them, but I was certain no recovery was coming so soon.

The next day I was again bedbound although able to stay awake for longer periods. And so it continued with gradual improvement each day until yesterday, where I first ventured out of the hotel again (of necessity as I had no food left!). I could only contemplate fruits and soups and perhaps some bread, certainly nothing fatty or rich. A signal from my liver perhaps?

Today I have been out most of the day, and have some energy again. I am getting used to taking it easy and enjoying the soup with barley and vegetables. I have just decided on a likely illness: probably one of the less common variants of Hepatitis, such as E (I was vaccinated against A & B back in France, assuming the vaccinations worked.

I seem to have all the symptoms of a strain of Hepatitis, in any case.

This has caused me to rethink the wisdom of cycling through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrygystan, China and Tibet in mid-winter with Leigh, although I have still not ruled it out. Right now I am leaning towards flying from Tehran to somewhere in India and finding a nice Ashram or similar and chilling right out for a very long time...