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Proud. We are looking at the mountains of Iran, and we have cycled here over the Caucasus. Two years ago this was a dream. Now it is reality, and, cycling up a 12% slope in the snow and hail I laughed. I am here. Now.

Meghri pass

Today was not a day of admiring the scenery. It was hidden behind the cloud. Today was a day to climb from 800m to 2535m and down the other side to 600m. And the climb was going to be steep. My music cocooned me in a sphere of self-contemplation. Music that has accompanied me while preparing this trip.
While cycling in the arctic in northern Sweden, I was listening to ‘Alive’ by Krewella, and a shiver ran down my spine. Here I am cycling to the North Cape in Norway, through the tundra, and I had got there by bike. This trip was amazing, and, my next trip is going to be even more amazing. I was going to cycle back home. I cried with joy. I had made up my mind.

The planning of the trip took two years, and a lot of music accompanied me. My three months for Philips in Boston was a time where the trip planning took concrete form. My playlist today was full of those numbers.
‘Under Control’ by Calvin Harris and ‘Shewolf’ by David Guetta remind me of the final phases of planning in Eindhoven. And, ‘Let’s Go’, by Calvin Harris is just raw energy. Man, I was happy, rounding every hairpin bend, passing piled up snow, watching the snow turn from being flaky to consisting of small pellet-like balls. And then I watched the hail. I was here, now, doing what I had chosen to do, and what I love to do.

Snow mound

Iran is in sight

Coming down, the hail and snow turned to rain, and then cleared. The last kilometres into Meghri had good visibility, and we saw some beautiful mountain landscape.

Iran in the distance

Meghri valley

We even ran into a couple of Dutch touring cyclists – a rare sight in these parts.

Cycle tourists

Oh. I lost my voice today. I feel fine, but sound awful. I’m sure I’ll be fine tomorrow, when we enter Iran. We’re so excited!