There are two ways to get to the border. One is the usual route from Tabriz via Jolfa. These guys have described how to use it quite well.
Or, you are as crazy and stupid as I am and find yourself a host in Tabriz who tells you about some nice mountains on the way to Kaleybar. You get far too drunk on homemade wine the night before and go hiking the next day before continuing to Kaleybar. Hitchhiking to Kaleybar, you get picked up by a guy who decides to do a tour through the backcountry of East Azerbaijan province with you just because he feels like it. In Kaleybar, you find a hotel owned by a German-speaking Iranian who gives you a very nice room for almost half price, which allows you to stay a day longer and visit Babak Castle. Then, you ignore all the warnings about the road being too empty and choose an even emptier one but with a better scenery, you have two last picnics with Iranians you just met a couple of hours before, and at last have someone organise a place to stay for you in a village close to the border where you stay for two nights before it’s time to really leave the country. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to say good-bye to this marvellous country.
Colourful Mountains
In the middle of the colourful mountains in Iran. 
Enjoying the deep red of the colourful mountains in Iran. 
Colourful mountains on fire.
The colourful mountains as they call them are close to Khalej. I had to hire a driver to get there as my host didn’t have a car and I didn’t want to waste too much time hitchhiking. It also allowed me to store my bag in the car so I didn’t need to go hiking with it. It was a short but rewarding walk through a red, yellow, green, and orange wonderland. Once again Iran surprised me with its landscape.
Getting to Kaleybar
I didn’t even need to find a spot to stand for finding a ride. A car stopped before I made it to the street and the guy inside asked me where I was heading. First I thought I could only go with him to the next town, but I found out he was going to the same city as me and he offered to take me all the way. On the junction to Hurand though, I asked him if it was beautiful over there and he got so enthusiastic that he decided we will do a little detour to Kaleybar. It was the nicest detour I had in my life I think. The landscape is beautiful, the villages pretty, and the roads full of nomads, farmers, and shepherds. It was already late when we finally arrived in Kaleybar; a green, beautiful town in the middle of mountains.
Babak Castle
Kaleybar itself didn’t have much to offer, but the castle a little outside of town is just stunning and well worth a hike. There are three ways – one is very difficult and leads through the forest and some ill maintained path to the top with a very steep hike at the end. The second is a very easy one. You drive by car to the beginning of some stairs leading you all the way up to the castle. I chose the third option, the medium difficulty. Behind the old and now ruined Hotel Babak, you can find some stairs leading towards the mountain. Following the stairs will result in a bigger field, the path most of the times visible or at least imaginable. When I started to worry if I was still on the right track I noticed two guys coming up my way. It didn’t take long for them to catch up with me. The older one seemed double my age, but climbed the mountain with triple my pace. His son followed and together they decided I’m part of their group now and led me to the castle. The father with his walking stick up front, sometimes pointing to some interesting points and explaining the area, his son following him and always making sure I can keep up with them. I don’t know how Iranians do it. It’s like you get a tracker with you once you arrive in Iran and when you might get into trouble, it’s setting an alarm and people swarm out to see if you are alright or they can help you.
The way I chose had another advantage. Once you passed the last mountain before the castle, you have an amazing view of the landscape and see the castle in the horizon. When we arrived at the castle I just enjoyed the view for a good two hours before I decided to go back down. The father and his son didn’t want to wait so long, but gave me their sweets before they left so I will not starve. On my way back down I met some nice Iranian students who invited me for a picnic and who am I to say no to that. We finally found a good spot, the Iranians had everything ready (of course) so they just needed to fire the barbecue and prepare the kebab sticks. At the end of the day they didn’t want to leave me without a present so they bought some sweets in a supermarket and didn’t want to let me go before I take them.
Qulan
The next day, I went with the trust and confidence only a traveller of three months in Iran can have to one of the emptiest roads I hitchhiked so far and started going. I had to walk a little before the first car stopped and took me to the next village (I paid with a picture they took of me with their family). It was going a bit slow, but I had enough time and wasn’t worried. At the end, a nice family who was on a day trip through the province picked me up and I accidentally invited myself to yet another picnic. Iranians don’t have it that much with Ramazan as I began to realise. After the picnic, they drove me all the way to Qulan where I would spend my last day in Iran. It’s a nice, small village very close to the border and was the perfect spot to say goodbye to the country. There wasn’t that much to do, but I did have a nice walk along a creek behind the village and around the area. At the end, my host drove me to the border and it was finally time to cross the border.
