Sri Lankan Embassy for the Rescue !!!

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Woke up at 6:30am and hurried to the Bank Melli Central branch only to find out that they don’t change TC's.

Well now my only hope is the good old Sri Lankan embassy. Mehdi had the address in his diary and we went there. To see they have shifted. They had shifted 2 years ago but information wasn't updated in the Tehran direct inquiries.

Then we stopped by at the Syrian embassy and asked them if they knew the new address of the Sri Lankan embassy. I figured that if an embassy is to move they should at least notify the embassies nearby. Fortunately they had the new address and telephone numbers and it was nearby.

I went to the embassy and I spoke to the 2nd secretary Mr. S. Dawulagala and he was kind enough to lend me USD50/= and I promised him that I will get Colombo to return it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as soon as possible. This is not something an embassy would normally do but as most Sri Lankan are extremely hospitable and helpful they helped me out. Thank you to the Sri Lankan embassy and its staff.

But for the record, anyone who visits Iran should carry sufficient funding in cash and not be dependent on your embassy to help you out....they are not obligated and if they refuse you cannot blame them.

I was too tired and had no intention of getting on a 40hr bus today to travel 2600kms. By the time we got to the Azad bus station it was 2:15pm and the buses were just leaving to Istanbul. Mehdi managed to negotiate a bus for IRR200,000/=.

We were going back to Mehdi’s place and in the train met one of Mehdi’s friend’s an Iranian girl who could speak English and it was good to talk to her to get a female view point on Iran and its restrictions on them. As with all Iranian hospitality we agreed to meet her later on as she was from the same area as Mehdi.

As I was about to get off the train due to habit, I gave my hand to shake hands with her and she reminded me that we are in Iran....that’s when it struck me oops this is not possible here.

Went to Mehdi rested and later on went to a shopping complex with Hassan and Mahdieh.

The shopping complex was fully built from outside but the shops were still being done from the inside.

Got home at about 11pm and Mehdi made a superb tuna curry with potato.

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Photos

Vaj enroute to SL Embassy
I would have been stuck in Iran if not for the Sri Lankan embassy who helped me out....Thank you SL embassy in Iran

Me, Mahdieh and Hassan
Me, Mahdieh and Hassan in shopping mall in Karaj area....