There’s a handful of ADV authors I’m partial to, and Lois Pryce rides the top of that list. Her latest work, Revolutionary Ride, is one I’ve anticipated since learning of her multiple visits to Iran. Leave it to one of our own to go poking around where we “shouldn’t.” As enlightened travelers consistently remind us, what we’re led to believe about some parts of the planet, and what actually is, are often polar opposites.

Lois’s story was especially curious to me because many years ago I’d spent a couple of months, mostly in the Iranian outlands. At the time, I’d been unexpectedly but pleasantly overwhelmed by a culture far from what a Westerner would have expected.

Lois originally planned her ride during a time when relationships between her homeland, the U.K., and Iran were tense, bordering on hostile. Britain had just closed the Iranian embassy in London and sent its staff packing. So, what would possess anyone, a gal no less, to solo into the land of the hijab and burka?

Because she could… well, just barely. Obtaining a visa proved next to impossible. But persistence and a crafty bit of bureaucratic sleight of hand paid off, eventually allowing Lois and her travel-worn Yamaha XT225 Serow to enter the Persian empire.

Lois Pryce in front of a mural in Tehran.

For many overlanders there’s a burning need to discover for themselves what’s out there. Lois is an adventurer whose travel credentials include a significant number of diverse world cultures. So, it’s not that she deliberately set out to put herself in harm’s way. Rather, she followed an insatiable curiosity—to see for herself rather than simply accept the opinions of others, especially those nurtured by corporate media.

In Revolutionary Ride, Lois takes us along, sharing the day-by-day fear, excitement and wonder into a misunderstood land Westerners know so little about. Although her time there wasn’t entirely a bed of roses, her story illustrates just how the attitudes of the people can differ so wildly from their government—or what we might expect.

Roadside shisha break with some new friends.

Those interested in traveler tales into foreign cultures are in for a treat. Gathering points of view outside of the mainstream, by those who don’t have an agenda, shows us worlds contrary to those we’ve imagined. Consider Revolutionary Ride mandatory reading, whether or not you ever intend to visit Iran. I wish our politicians would.

★★★★★

{gallery}ARTICLES/Media/Lois-Pryce-Revolutionary-Ride/Gallery{/gallery}