Day 137 Meghri - Jolfa

I am in Iran!
On my way to the border I was stopped and controlled by some russian soldiers - just checking my passport and asking if I had any narcotics on board.
Leaving Armenia was easy - onceI was shown the right way through the border post and a very domina-style young russian lady appeared to check my passport. She eventually turned very friendly, laughing at my red face - yep, yesterdays freezing descent is still visible. Only later I realized that this might have been the last time in a long while that a girl smiles at me like this in public.
Entering Iran was just as easy. Passport control took about 10 minutes and a customs officer asked me to open some of my bags - clearly just because that is what he is supposed to do, not because he really suspected to find anything illegal.
I exchanged my last Armenian Dram and was surprised about the good rate I got - I know that there is a difference between official rates and street rates, but I would not have expected to get the latter in the border post building. The iranian side of the border is in the middle of nowhere, so it took some time until I met the first Iranians (appart from border staff). My way went through the Arax valley which is strikingly beautiful, especially near the Armenian border where it is very narrow - sorry, no pictures, it is a sensitive border area with watchtowers all around, so I better did not give it a try. Unfortunately it also works as a very good wind channel, so I had to fight against a strong headwind all day. I take this as a good sign: today I went westwards while my main direction in Iran will be eastwards (there would have been a more direct way to Tabriz but this would have involved another 2400m pass - after yesterdays experience I rather felt like taking the detour around the mountain).
After about 20km the country on the other bank had changed to Azerbaijan (or exactly the exclave of Nakhchivan) and I came to the first town where I was immediately questioned about my whereabouts by several men. I had to go all the 75km to Jolfa until I saw the first Iranian women. Most of them with a headscarf that still exposed most of their hair. I don't know if this is a border area thing or if the hejab-by-law is generally not very strictly enforced anymore. On the way the street signs already gave me a chance to relearn the arabic numbers (different from our numbers, even though we call ours arabic). In the evening I practised my first Farsi and successfully managed to order a vegetarian meal - though very simple: soup and rice, but filling. During a short stroll through the city I could not help trying to find out the prices of pastries and fruits - tonight I definitely won't die of hunger!