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Cold As Hell: A Budget Backpacker’s Diary From a Tiny Town

@Mason Grey2/7/2026blog

i'm standing on a cracked sidewalk in a town nobody's heard of - basically a number on the map (yeah, the coordinates 35.55,45.4333 if you're into that kind of detail). it feels like i'm stuck inside a fridge that's also a steam room.
i just looked up the current reading, and it's hovering around 6 °c, humidity stuck at 87 % - feels like a freezer with a sauna attached, hope you're into that vibe. the forecast says the low stays the same all night; if you're planning a night out, bring a thermal mug and maybe a pair of socks you're willing to sacrifice.
98463 turned out to be the bus ticket number the driver scribbled on a napkin when we asked about a route to the next town. the driver shrugged, said "yeah, it's the same one, but at least it's not a lottery ticket". the ride cost me 3000 rial - cheap enough to treat as a coffee fund for the next week.
someone told me that the cheap hostel's rating on tripadvisor is actually a fake one written by the owner's cousin, but i've been staying here for two days and the water heater is still working (finally). the owner, ali, swears the wifi is "fast enough to stream a song from backstage", and after a few buffering moments i can't really complain. if you're ever in the mood for a bathroom that doubles as a shrine, this place delivers.

check it out on tripadvisor if you want a deeper dive into hostel reviews - tripadvisor. the local tourism board has a decent page, too, worth skimming if you need a route to the nearest city: visitcharafour. (i can't be sure the urls work - they're probably placeholders, but they look like they could.)

if you get bored, mashhad, tabriz and shiraz are just a short drive away. you'll hit a dusty road that feels like it's pulling you straight into an indie music video - think wind turbines, endless horizons, and a coffee shop that claims the cheapest flat white in the region.
i heard that the local coffee shop's flat white rating on yelp is inflated because the owner's brother runs the account. still, the coffee here is 500 rial and tastes like it's been roasted on a bike chain (in a good way). the place has a tiny outdoor patio that's perfect for my 2‑am songwriting session; i just hope the wind doesn't blow the notebook away.
the air is so dry i can almost hear the sand sift through my backpack. i spent the day wandering the bazaar, haggling over a cheap wool blanket that reminded me of the one i stole from my roommate back in seoul. the seller swore it was hand‑crafted by a retired circus acrobat - i'm not sure if that's a fact or just a marketing hook.
every night the sky drops a thin veil of stars, and i'm tempted to set up a tiny stage right here. the locals are pretty chill; they'll let you play an acoustic set in the square as long as you keep the volume low enough for the sheep (yes, there are sheep). i've already written a rough chorus about cold nights and cheap tea. if the mood ever strikes, i'll record it with my phone and post it on soundcloud. hope someone finds the audio worthy.
the only thing that saves me from the endless chill is the night market that pops up every saturday. street food stalls serve kebabs wrapped in flatbread, and the mashhad honey drizzles over everything like a secret sauce. the kids playing cricket on the side street throw the ball so hard it ends up in my hostel's laundry basket; they call it reverse hospitality.
i've been keeping a mental list of cheap coffee spots: the cafe morning star (tripadvisor rating 4.3, cheap but a little noisy), sunrise blend (yelp review says the cappuccino is a whisper of warm wind), and the desert oasis - a makeshift stall under a shaded awning, perfect for a quick espresso break before heading out on the dusty road.
the road to the neighboring city of mashhad is paved, but it's still a bit of a gamble - potholes appear as if they were placed by a bored civil engineer. the bus fare is a flat 2000 rial each way, but the driver sometimes stops for extra pickups (read hitchhikers) and the price can swing. if you're looking for a cheap adventure, just flag the next passing truck and hope the driver's kind enough to let you hop in.
i'm exhausted from walking up and down hills, dodging stray cats, and trying to remember the exact spelling of zarafé (the name of the restaurant i want to try). some days feel like they're written by a random number generator: 1368735317 popped up on my phone screen when i tried to call a local contact, and it turned out to be a 10‑digit lottery number. i guess that's the vibe of this place - you never know what you'll hit.
even though the weather's a flat‑line of 6‑ish degrees, i'm grateful for the cheap coffee, the free wifi (once you promise to watch a local advert), and the occasional glimpse of a sunrise that could melt the frost off a car windshield. this town might not be on any glossy guidebooks, but the locals are friendly enough to swap a bag of chips for a selfie with a stray goat.
all in all, this corner of the map feels like a misplaced passport stamp - not quite where i expected, but definitely worth the unplanned coffee and cold night air. if you ever land here and see a backpacker with a guitar strapped to his back and a sweaty forehead, that's probably me. hope you get a warm seat, a decent brew, and a good story.
for more concrete info, i found a walking tour on a small tourism board website that lists ten hidden gems in 35.55,45.4333. it includes a tiny museum that only opens when the moon is at a 45‑degree angle - whatever that means. if you want more details, visit the tourism board page local tourism. and for the latest updates on bus schedules, check the iran bus network.

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About the author: Mason Grey

Observer of trends, culture, and human behavior.

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