Blogs from West, Iran, Middle East

Na ubytku pohodlna postel, uz len ranajky chybali. Vonku ziadne otvorene jedlo. Nakonec nachadzam jednu pekarnicku, kupujem dva plnene chleby, take placky. No nez sa do nich pustim, vidim kopu ludi v malej miestnosti ako do seba nieco tlacia. Omeletu. Hned teda objednavam. Cakacka kym sa uvolni miesto, potom cakacka na pochutku. Prinasaju mi ju v malom hlinennom hrnci, k tomu chleba. Chut genialna, som si spomenul na maroko tam to bolo rovnako dobre. Napraskany pochodujem k severnemu bus terminalu (asi 5km). Minam istanbulsku branu. Nic extra. Taktiez nic extra po ceste. Akurat sa ku mne pridava mladik, co tlaci tacky. Na nich dake lahke mechy. Ang nevi ale co som vyrozumel pozyva ma na disco kde je aj alkohol a kurvy. Tez sa nemohol zjavit vcera. Furt cestou mele to iste, disco, znazornuje tanec. Velebi ... read more

Wednesday 1 November We arrived in time to relax for a while before going out to start exploring this amazing city. For a start we walked down to the Se-o-e Pol (33 arch bridge), a fabulous sight and popular with tourists and locals alike. We realised that we were going to start seeing other European tourist groups for the first time. Luckily the city is big enough and the numbers small enough so that this is not a problem. After this some of us went to the Shahrzad restaurant and had possibly the best ever plate of lamb chops followed by a shared dish of the local speciality, khoresht-e mast (google it). At the end of the dinner the waiters plied us with local nougat (gaz). Thursday 2 November Esfahan A day of sightseeing in this ... read more

Roam abroad in the world, and take your fill of its enjoyments before the day shall come when you must quit it for good. – Sa’adi Arrived in glorious Isfahan, only a four-hour bus ride from Yazd, in the early evening. The jewel of ancient Persia and one of the finest cities in the Islamic world, according to the guidebook, and famous for its Persian-Islamic architecture. The most well-known Persian saying about Isfahan is “Esfahan nesf-e jahan,” or Isfahan is half the world. A wonderful city to explore at leisure, drinking tea and wandering the bazaars, if you can manage it. Amazing mosques, fabulous palaces and elegant bridges, and shopping which will empty both your days and your pocketbook. We stayed at the lovely and atmospheric Sunrise Traditional Hotel, a bit far from the Naqsh-e-Jahan Square ... read more

HAVE INTERNET, HOPEFULLY SOME PHOTOS WILL LOAD!!... read more

Our first full day in Esfahan began with a visit to the 40 Column Palace. Kurush, our new guide, gave us the tour of the place and pointed out historic references among the paintings decorating the walls. Outside, a vista of foliage could be enjoyed by visitors. We walked among the gardens for a bit. The next stop was an old mosque known as the "Shaking Minarets". While outside, Kurush bought us this blended carrot drink with ice cream. This mosque was built in the 14th century over a tomb and is famous for, several times a day, having a person climb into one of the minarets and shaking it excessively. This, in turn, will cause the others to shake. While waiting for the show, I met a man who had come from another part of ... read more