As I was planning the trip everyone was trying to convince me it was not a good idea. For most people, Iran is not an obvious destination. Most would think it's dangerous, difficult to travel in, not worth the effort. Getting there wasn't the easiest of the tasks, but it was worth all the long days it took me to get the visa.
Two visits to the consulate, fingerprinting, moments of despair when I was ready to drop the whole idea and go somewhere else, and in the end a gamble to try to get in with a visa on arrival. Worked!
As a result of the gamble on the visa on arrival (which according to some government sites existed, according to other sites didn't exist, and on some sites was described as limited to only three weeks) I'm waiting in a line since 11:30 PM till 4:30 AM. Can only get better now.
Before going to the hotel I needed a little bit of money. Turns out I'm a millionaire.
First walks in Tehran, whole walls covered by intricately designed tiles.
Street food in Iran is interesting not necessarily because of the food itself. The problem is that random people would want to pay for the food you just ordered and it's very, very difficult to persuade them you'd rather pay yourself. My first experiences with taarof
I quickly fell in love with the works of Mahmoud Farshchian while visiting his gallery. Culturally Iran is incredibly rich, even if today this is not as visible as it should be. Cinema, paintings, music, legendary Persian poetry - there's a lot to discover!
There are also more unique art pieces, like calligraphy. Apparently, it's possible to read this, but even after studying the language for some time, I'm failing miserably.
The last look at the greenness of northern Iran - in the evening I'm catching a night train towards the desert in the south.
It's impossible to suffer thirst in the city. Water distributors, like this at the train station, are everywhere. Some of them are even designed for handicapped people.
The hottest place on Earth
Upon arrival in Kerman, on the edge of the desert in the southern part of the country, I ended up joining my new friend - Reza - for a tea in his traditional house.
Reza is a retired professor of philosophy living in Toronto and visiting Iran every year. He's also a retired hippie (among many other things). A couple of hours of listening to seventies music from tapes pass quickly. We'll meet again.
Meanwhile, I'm having a walk through the city. Traditional measurement devices used in caravanserais haven't been super-precise.
Kerman Bazaar with mountains in the background.
Watermelon season has started!
Naming pharmacy ISIS wasn't the best idea.
My new friend Mili is a natural-born guide and knows the best spots in the city.
But we're not going to spend the time together in the city. We go to Kalout desert, which by some measures is one of the two hottest places on earth along with Danakil in Ethiopia. A night in the "basecamp" and before the sun rises we leave.
Short night. After three hours of sleep, we go to watch a sunrise over the desert.
Shoes are not needed here. The rock formations in the background are in fact no rocks. It's all sand.
Welcome to the moon. And this slience!
Kilometers and kilometers of nothing
Once in a while fortresses used in ancient times to collect water.
If one knows where to look (obviously it wasn't me, Mili did) one can find an entrance to underground aqueducts of which there are hundreds of kilometers in the area.
After the desert, we're having a meal in an old common bath redesigned as a restaurant. Did I mention that Mili knows the best spots in the city?
More local treats. In the Towers of Power, Zurkhaneh, something that to my unaccustomed eye looks like a mix of gym, dance, singing, and an atmosphere that reminds sumo.
Apparently seeing this is very rare. Most of my iranian friends claim never to have seen it live.
A couple of hours out of Kerman is Meymand - a village inhabited for thousands of years with all the houses being caves. Everything that changed over the years is the addition of electricity and cars.
Overnight in a cave? Of course!
My cave even has light. No WiFi though.
There's a little modernity popping up here and there.
But in general, life flows slowly here.
Back to Kerman and I'm meeting Reza again. He decided to drop everything he was doing in Kerman to show me his country. Tomorrow we're taking a long-distance bus and going to Shiraz where we'll be staying with Reza's family. As it happens, in the past Reza was also a professor at the University of Shiraz and knows everything about the city and its history-rich surroundings.
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