Into the east
I have been travelling for nine years now,” relates Britisher Will Hatton, popularly known around the world by his travel blog The Broke Backpacker. “I started when I was 19 after a permanent injury ended my plans to join the Royal Marines. I wasn’t sure what to do with my life, but I was determined to make the most of it and get on the road even though I had no money.” Nine years later, Will found himself travelling through Iran and Pakistan, two countries that would make a deep impression on him.
Falling in love with (and in) Iran
“The country simply blew my mind — the colours, sights, people and the incredible Islamic architecture,” said Will. “It’s safe to say that Iran changed my life.”
That statement holds true especially considering that he met his wife, Nina, in Iran. “We met on Tinder,” relates Will talking about the dating application used the world over but which is blocked in Iran. “We had to use a VPN to be able to use it,” he laughs. “We chatted for about two minutes and arranged to meet for coffee.”
Coffee turned into lunch which then turned into Will asking Nina if she would ‘hitchhike’ around Iran with him. He soon discovered that post-revolution Iran is a deeply-conservative country and ‘open’ mingling of the sexes, especially of the non-mehram kind is not allowed. “We ended up getting a temporary marriage (mutaa) a couple of days into our trip as we had the odd run-in with the police,” relates Will. “Ten months later we got married again — I returned to Iran for a big Persian wedding. I have now converted to Islam, which is more of a legal requirement than a spiritual one, and my Islamic name is Reza.”
After hitchhiking through Europe, Will Hatton came to Iran and Pakistan. And fell in love twice.Of the two things he fell in love with, one he married and the other he hopes to call his (annual) home
Iran doesn’t exactly get a lot of foreign tourists. Did he meet any? “I met two hitchhikers,” said Will, “The country is known for having very strict rules but the situation on ground is not quite as strict as people make it out to be. There are a lot of underground parties. I went to a couple and they were crazy.”
Top places he recommends in Iran: Shiraz and Esfahan. But what captured his heart was Hormuz. “The most beautiful place I have been to in nine years of travelling is the volcanic Island of Hormuz, off the coast of Iran,” says Will. “Chemal is an incredible place to go hiking and Persepolis really took my breath away.”
On what lies on ‘this’ side of the border
“Pakistan is a country unlike any other,” said Will. “I had already spent 18 months in India and I thought it would be similar. How wrong I was. The hospitality I encountered in Pakistan is simply the best in the world. I can honestly say that most of my close friends are Pakistanis.”