Day 2 - Tehran and travel plans

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Well, we've made it in one piece. Journey out with Air France went smoothly, and immigration was much quicker than last time - we landed at the new airport, which looks good. A driver from Firouzeh Hotel picked us up. The hotel is ok - clean (enough), cheap (240,000 per night for the twin room including breakfast) with an en suite shower though toilets are shared, and mostly squat. The manager/receptionist has been extremely helpful, booking our train tickets, next hotel etc.

Our lack of pre-planning has hit us slightly, as we appear to have arrived just before a holiday, and transport to Shiraz is not possible. So we are heading for Isfahan first, tomorrow. We will be staying for the first night in Iran Hotel (286,000 rials for twin room with breakfast and en suite inc. toilet - hopefully western!) If it turns out to be decent we'll stay 2 more nights, then take an overnight bus to Shiraz (urgh - long journey). I'm still trying to get in touch with Narjes to arrange to meet in Isfahan.

We've thus far failed to get postcards, as the museums seemed closed and we couldn't find the post office. However, they will get sent eventually - hopefully from Isfahan, which is prettier anyway.

We had a nice lunch in a restaurant in Park-e Shar: I had kebab, Mike had chicken, and we finished off with a very sweet peach drink and some sweet rose-water ice cream. Lots of tea, of course.

It is seriously HOT here. I'm hoping the rest of the country won't be this warm. Also the roads are as mad as ever, which means we've repeatedly diced with death in order to cross them. However, we're doing pretty well: visited the bazaar, a park, and managed to get into one section fo the national museum.

Well, that's all for now: may not update again in the trip, as am on free internet in hotel, which is an unexpected bonus. See you later!

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