Blogs from Iran, Middle East - page 56

On the bus to Dogubayazit I met to not so young guys speaking german. I haven't met anyone speaking german since ages! Quite soon it was clear that I had met two of Jehova's Witnesses. So I got the usual discussion and the brochure... But still they were very friendly and did not insist on to much talk about my fate. So I shared a room with them in Dogubayazit. The next morning I left quite early when they where still sleeping. In the minibus to the actual border I met my first iranian friend, a young guy who was very helpful. With him the price for the minibus droped from 10ytl (~7$) to 2.5ytl, later the border crossing was hassle free and the ongoing taxi quite cheap. Maybe to cheap. During the ride to Maku ... read more

Before coming to Iran, a lot of people told me this story about a traveller who, upon seeing an anti-western demonstration in Tehran (flag burning, etc.), goes up to the most angry looking demonstrator and introduces himself as English (or Inglistan as they say here). The angry man's face softens, and he gives the traveller a warm smile and handshake and says 'you are very welcome in Iran'. As it happens, this actually did happen to John Simpson of the BBC. If you want to get a visa for Pakistan in Iran, forget it. For many, Iran is the end of the road for the Istanbul to Kathmandu trailers. I have met many of the biker community in Esfahan with their sooper-dooper BMW beasts, many of whom have had to turn back. A British or French ... read more

We leave the Laleh in the middle of the night and Mr. Hoseyn drives us through the quiet streets to Mehrabad Int'l Airport where we must bid farewell and enter the departure hall (men to the left, women to the right). Wanting to exchange my remaining rials I realize too late that I have packed my currency exchange receipt into the checked in bag but am told that I should give it a try anyway. Walking up to the counter the clerk's head suddenly disappears from view as he bends down putting his head on the desk and muttering something. Before I realize what is going on it comes back into view again for a short while only to disappear again. I cannot make my mind up if he is praying or dozing off. As he ... read more

Starting early morning we are departing Esfahan which I feel is not a moment too soon. We are looking at a drive of roughly 400 km to reach Tehran. First we will be going north to Kashan, then northwest to Qom before reaching Tehran in the evening. We make an early stop in a small town near Esfahan to look at the local mosque, and Mr. Bergman buys yet another little souvenir in spite of the protests of his wife. The next stop is a slight detour from the route to Kashan via the village Natanz. This name is nowadays (2005) closely associated with the Iranian uranium enrichment program, but to us it is simply the home village of Mr. Hoseyn, and when he invites us to have some tea at his mother's place we are ... read more

Our first destination is the most obvious of the local tourist traps, the gigantic Naqsh-e-Jahan Square. A roughly 500 meter long plaza surrounded by a slew of interesting buildings, dominated by the imposing Imam Hoseyn Mosque (a.k.a. Abbasi Jame Mosque) to the south, the smaller and more exquisite Sheikh Lotf Ol-lah Mosque to the east and the cryptically christened Ali Qapoo Edifice, a palace-like structure built under Shah Abbas I as a place for his audiences to the west. Most of the square is occupied by a big park with fountains, and tourist minded carriages are making their way around the square in circular patterns. The Grand Imam Hoseyn Mosque with its 52 meter tall dome looks great, its decorated walls shimmering in the morning light, but as with many mosques its disposition makes photography very ... read more