The road east from Isfahan goes on for a long time without a great deal to look at, and Kuhpayeh is one of the places that breaks the journey. The name means foot of the mountain, and it is an old oasis town in Isfahan province where the Zayandeh river's last water and a network of canals have kept orchards and fields alive at the edge of the desert, with low brown hills behind.
The Zayandeh is the river of Isfahan, rising in the Zagros mountains and flowing east across the plateau, and the people of the region have depended on it for centuries. Its fate is a modern worry, because irrigation and drought have left it dry for long periods, and the great marsh at its end, Gavkhuni, shrinks and expands with the years. Farmers on the lower stretches have seen their water dwindle, and a visit in the dry season shows the cracked bed and the ghosts of old channels.
For a rider, the highways of this region are fast and straight, lined with truck stops, with big views of salt flats and ridges. Wind is common, and the sun on the road can be punishing in summer. The best time is spring, when the orchards flower and the desert air is clear, or October, when temperatures drop. After dark, trucks, animals and unlit vehicles are hazards, so aim to arrive in daylight.
Fuel is available at stations along the main highway, but it is worth topping up in Isfahan and again at any station you trust, because queues and supply problems do occur. Roadside restaurants serve grilled kebab with rice and grilled tomatoes, with raw onions and a glass of doogh, and the owners may offer a mat in the shade to sleep on at midday. Pistachio and dried-fruit stalls sell by the kilo. Carry water and sun protection, and plan your day so that you are not riding in the heat of the afternoon.