Our outlay so far has included a new water pump, two new brakes shoes, a new steering linkage (which cost exactly 300ml or half a pint of blood) and a new tyre as well as sundry brake seals, bulbs etc so I don't think we're being too extravagant. I suppose that's one advantage of selling the Wave we won't incur any more bills on its behalf. So far we haven't used the brand new tyre, and if by a stroke of great good fortune we can get away with only the 3 remaining remoulds and the 2 town and countries (which may not prove easy) we might be able to sell that brand new one at a profit. Also, of course, we still have a brand-new water pump - the "temporary" repair outside Paris seems to have been singularly successful, even the "hammered" bearings have now stopped singing to us.

Heinz left us about 1:30 saying he was going to bed so that he could get up and write letters on the morrow. We invited Barbara in for coffee. What a case that girl is (she likes our Christmas "cake"). She spent a long time explaining just how independent she now is after being left here by Josh, and how great the way she and Josh hit it off together was. She's amazing. She rarely stops talking. She produced various bits of poetry - her own and Josh's, which left me cold. They were, I suppose, mediocre of their kind but they've all been done before. She nattered on, we had tea, the cocks had attacks of crowing (I'd like to have an attack of bumping them off) and soon it was 5am.

Barbara then decides to write a letter to her dearest Josh, which she does here, and finally departs about 5:45 and we went to bed. Earlier I had a little walk round the hotel. It was a fantastically clear night - Orion's Belt was plainly visible in the sky. A feeling of deep depression descended towards the end of the evening, perhaps because it was so late.

Surfaced about 10:30, to find, to my amazement, that Brian was already up, and the tripod was lurking in a corner. He came in a few minutes later to say that the best way to get from here to India was to go to Mashhad by train, to Zahedan by bus and to Quetta by train. Hmm! 3900km to Lahore, about 1000km more than via Afghanistan. It seems that he didn't/couldn't go to sleep so had got up at 7:30 and been out on a photography expedition. And had since been talking to an American and a Pakistani, one of whom said Afghanistan was really rather cold, and the other suggested this off-beat route.

Brian then went and got some bread and we had the inevitable brunch. Spent the afternoon packing my "KWC Scouts" kitbag and rather hazily going through my brief case and other papers pruning. Even to the extent of going through a bank statement and heaving out the old cheques.

Then we dashed out to the camp site to see if anyone wanted to give us a lift on, heard of 14 seat yellow Mercedes minibus looking for passengers - alerted two lads in A35 van to ring us if anything turned up - and left notices of intentions. Returned to Tehran to Alan and John's boozer for a "pint". While Brian started dinner, I was despatched to get soups - met Ian Way of "Overland Safaris" near the office notice board. They have places available on Bedford bus to Delhi at $US80 or near offer.

Contact John Fenwick tomorrow when we've seen the guy who wants the car. Bus due to leave on Wednesday 12th. Until then it is going to Isfahan. Pity we can't do that as well! Meal of lightly curried corned beef with Smash and beans, followed by Christmas pud with brandy custard - which didn't taste of brandy at all. Never mind, the Xmas pud is excellent. And a Happy Christmas to all our readers.