INTRODUCTION

Last winter I travelled over land from Istanbul to Delhi through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
I left rather unprepared and there were some safety concerns, but I usually received a very warm welcome wherever I arrived and felt generally quite safe. There were some exceptions in Afghanistan and Pakistan where I was lucky to get away unscated.
I enjoyed an astonishing mix of gorgeous landscapes, wonderful people and fabulous historical sites.
Between the Nemrut Dagi and the Jamah Masjid in Old Delhi I was met with the beautiful greeting 'salaam aleykum' (peace be upon you). All men wore either a modest muslim cap, a dirty handkerchief or an exuberant 15 meter long turban. The women were generally hidden behind various types of robes, ranging from a simple headscarf to a black chador or burka that reavels nothing.
The food was terrible. The menu consisted mainly of mutton and chicken. Vegetables were scarce during the cold winter months. Being a vegetarian in these countries, I lost a lot of weight.
Overall, it was, of course, the best trip of my life...