(November 1999)
Old city of Jandaq, our starting point. It is the birthplace of the poet Yaghma-yi Jandaqi (1781-1859). The tranquility and modest beauty of this desert city, memorably mentioned in the books by Dr. Alfonse Gabriel who toured the area in 1928 and 1933, is threatened by present-day buildings. |
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Our caravan heading for Rig-e Jenn. Ali Heydari, of Mesr village, who provided the four camels, is leading the convoy. Behrouz and 'Haji' Heshmat follow. |
Navigating with maps and a GPS device. |
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We used camels for carrying our loads, but for a few kilometers we rode them, too. |
My Garmin GPS 12 showing coordinates of our last stop before entering Rig-e Jenn. GPS was an indespensible device and actually acted as our 'local guide' in this trip. |
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Behrouz walking on a sand dune in Rig-e Jenn. Such sand dunes cover most of the area. |
A view from a salty plane in Rig-e Jenn, with sand dunes in distance. |
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View from atop a clay dome in Gaud-e Mahmood, on our way back from Rig-e Jenn to Jandaq. Dr. Martin Jackson kindly noted that these are called 'inselbergs' (mountain islands, in German) formed by erosion. |
Three days into the trip and already looking less like a city person. |
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