Tabriz to Shiraz - 25 Aug to 3 Sep

25th August 2008

Summary: border crossing to Iran, bus to Tabriz

Notation/conversions: $ = USD, $1 is approx 10,000 Iranian Rials (IRR)

Our early morning start was unnecessary as we sat about for 1 hr waiting for the minibus to fill up before it left for Gurbalek. The shoe shine kids were pestering G constantly. We were expecting the bus to be full of backpackers but aside from us it was all locals heading towards but not across the border. We were very glad we were crossing on foot as we past a huge queue of trucks. Walked along a road with fences on either side, pestered by a money changer the whole way offering us 4000 Rials per Turkish Lira, and later another one offering 6000 (spot is 8250). Luckily our hotel had told us we'd get a better rate on the Iranian side, so we ignored their assertions that this was our last chance to get rid of our Liras. Had our passports checked and stamped and were amazed to get into Iran so easily, only to realise a few minutes later we had only left Turkey. And it's true - there is a duty-free shop selling grog in no-man's land. Kept walking along the road and finally made it to the Iranian checkpoint. Stood by 2 huge adjacent gates. Slowly one opened up and then the next. We were ushered through to an office where a very friendly English speaking man asked us a few basic questions and welcomed us to Iran, got waved straight past customs, and we were finally in! Managed to change our leftover Lira at a rate of 7800. The largest note is $5, although we got mostly $2 notes, so ended up with a huge wad of cash, counting it in broad daylight with lots of people milling about. Did some hard bargaining from $4 to $2 for a 15km taxi ride to Maku. Once we got in the driver stopped again and said he would wait for more passengers unless we paid him another $1, so we changed cabs (hey it's the principle...). Had lunch at Maku bus station while waiting to leave for Tabriz. We were already starting to develop celebrity status. A couple asked to take a photo of us and G took the opportunity to practise his Farsi with them. Later on I asked two girls for directions to the WC in Farsi, failing miserably. They were a little shy of G but when he disappeared to find the bus they beckoned to me to sit in between them and we had a short chat despite serious language barriers. Had my photo taken again, and they said they were "very happy" to speak with me (I think). Scenery to Tabriz was fairly similar to that in Turkey, dry though with some cultivated fields (sunflowers!). Unfortunately a $1.30 bus ticket (for a 4 hr trip) doesn't buy air-conditioning so it wasn't the most comfortable of trips, especially as it was my first full day of conforming to the hejab dress code (headscarf, shapeless long sleeve top covering bottom, long pants). Tabriz is a large sprawling city and there was a nice vibe on the streets - lots of women (mostly cloaked in black) and children (and men) were out and about. The hotels were surprisingly busy due to a trade fair and we only managed to get into our 3rd choice. Went for a wander around town and to the tourist office who were very helpful, including telling me that Iranians weren't the Taliban so I didn't have to wear my headscarf quite so tightly. Experienced 3-4 blackouts during dinner.

Practicalities: 30 min minibus to Gurbalek (leaves when full), short taxi ride from border to Bazargan (50c - think we got ripped off), longer taxi ride to Maku ($2 + 50c tip), 13:30-17:30 bus to Tabriz ($1.30 each). First two hotels we tried were full so ended up staying at Morvarid Hotel, room 16 ($27). Despite the ridiculously cheap prices we can't go too beserk as Iran (and Central Asia to follow) is a cash-only economy and we didn't want to carry too much, so on a fairly tight budget...

Food: shared a kebab and Zam Zams (local soft drink, just like Coke/Fanta) ($4), chicken rice and meat and veg at a fancy restaurant in Tabriz ($10), soft drinks seated at a cafe (30c each), fancy pastries from a fancy pastry shop (15c each).

26th August 2008

Summary: Bazaar, Azarbayjan Museum, Blue Mosque, Kandovan, overnight bus to Rasht

There is such a serious lack of tourists in Tabriz that the locals seem to see us as a novelty rather than a money-making opportunity. Evidence of this is that we walked through the bazaar, including aisles of carpet shops, and the only person to speak to us was the sheep fat vendor. He asked where we were from, welcomed us to Iran, and fortunately did not try to sell us his wares. Lots of shops stocked relatively skimpy women's clothes, yet didn't see a single chador or even headscarf for sale. The bazaar was a tad warm and airless and I started feeling woozy as I was still acclimatising to my hejab outfit. Popped into the Azarbayjan Museum which contained artefacts from pre-Islamic Iran (eg. stone handbags) and the unused Blue Mosque. Had a one hour drive out to Kandovan - a town vaguely similar to Cappadocia where the locals live in caves. Felt like we were intruding as we wandered around the narrow paths. A lady invited us in to her house (for a fee of course) - just a single smallish room with a pile of blankets in the corner and a few cupboards around the edge. There was a small park where a lot of visiting Iranians were hanging out.

Practicalities: 09:00-06:00 overnight bus to Rasht

Food: yoghurt with honey and bread near the bazaar, hamburgers at the bus stop

27th August 2008

Summary: Masuleh, bus to Tehran (including 2 hrs sitting by the side of the highway)

Got little sleep on the overnight bus ride, then had a long cab ride out to Masuleh. According to Lonely Planet, Masuleh is a stunning mountain village where the locals invite you to stay over. We loitered about for 3-4 hours with not a single room offer, even the hotel tried to ignore us. In terms of scenery it was nice, but not enough to justify the trip. There were a lot of Iranians camping there. Had a nice chat with a teenage girl and her mother, from Tehran. They expressed their concerns over the misconceptions that foreigners have of Iran. While waiting outside the hotel we met some other travellers - Tom and Anna-Rose from England who were on a 2 year trip, and Alberto from Peru. Finally someone - an Iranian with excellent English in a kiwi accent, though sounding somewhat stoned - came to show us a room. It was OK but by then we had already decided to cut our losses and leave, while the others took the room. Got dodgied by the taxi driver back Rasht who dumped us at the edge of town, indicating that the bus terminal was nearby, only to realise we were still miles from the station and had to get another cab. Hopped straight onto a bus to Tehran, which promptly broke down 30 min after leaving Rasht. We waited on the side of the highway in the baking sun (45 degrees plus) for 2 hours as the driver tried to fix the bus. This gave us the opportunity to speak to more locals. Eventually a replacement bus came to pick us up. We weren't expecting the mad rush for seats on the replacement bus and were left standing (5.5 hrs to Tehran). The two girls I was speaking with earlier squished over to make room for me, while G was seated on the fold-down seat near the front door. There was then heated discussion and the girls were arguing for us (tourist status seems to get you a long way in Iran). The driver turfed out some guys and G and I ended up with two seats to ourselves. Finally on the road again, the landscape changed quite dramatically from fairly green to barren an rocky. Finally made it to Tehran and cab'ed through horrendous traffic and pollution to our first pick of hotels, only to find it was no longer a hotel. Our taxi driver spoke only a little English but was fantastic, driving us around to other hotels, calling them up, waiting while we inspected the rooms, and only leaving us once we had found a room.

Practicalities: 13:30-21:00 bus to Tehran (meant to arrive around 19:00), stayed at Ferdosi Grand Hotel, room 606.

Food: really thin but large piece of bread baked before our eyes (2.5c each), simple hotel buffet which the staff started clearing away 5 min after we sat down (a death stare sorted them out)

28th August 2008

Summary: rest, US Den of Espionage

Had a fairly quiet day recuperating from the previous day's adventures. Did some admin and changed hotels to a nicer one in the embassy district. Went for a walk near the hotel in the afternoon in search of food and to check out the area. Walked past the US Den of Espionage, the former US Embassy, which had a series of disturbing anti-American murals and slogans outside. By complete chance we stumbled across a Catholic church almost next to our hotel, which was only open because a wedding was being held. Behind the tall gate was a little non-Muslim retreat, with headscarf-less women and a girl in an extremely frilly wedding dress. A man there told us there were about 2000 catholics in Tehran (total population 14m) and G found out where to go for Saturday vigil mass.

Practicalities: stayed at Escan Hotel, room 306.

Food: Iced coffee and espresso at a cafe frequented by "intellectuals and arty types", pizza and fruit. Discovered I like non-alcoholic beer. It tastes nothing like beer, more sparkling pear juice (there are other flavours too).

29th August 2008

Summary: Bazaar, Golestan Palace

Woke up early to listen to Obama's nomination acceptance speech. Interesting to note we have access to CNN and BBC news websites but the SMH (Australian newspaper) website is barred, as is Facebook. Unfortunately the guidebook (Lonely Planet) neglected to mention the bazaar is closed on Fridays (weekend is Thursday/Friday in Iran) so we wandered through an almost completely deserted bazaar. Golestan Palace was open and contained a number of ornately decorated buildings used by the Shahs. One contained an ethnographic museum and another an art gallery. Changed $300 - the guy wanted to give it all to us in $1 notes, we asked for $5 notes instead. Returned to the hotel as G had to do a telephone interview. Managed to score an invitation to a "Heaven and Hell" party at the British Embassy which gave us a fascinating insight into the lives of expat consulate staff and their Iranian friends, getting a glimpse of what goes on outside of the public eye. Met about half of the Australian Embassy and tried hubbly bubbly (quite nice, fruity, "suck, don't blow"). Left as a congo line started forming around the swimming pool, navigated our way through the maze of security gates and could still hear the booming music after leaving the complex.

Food: hamburgers, more non-alcoholic beer, iced coffee, espresso, chocolate cake, apple pie (as you can see the legume diet has gone out the window), G had some more potent malt beverages at the party

30th August 2008

Summary: chores, Jewels Museum, Iran Museum, overnight train to Esfahan

Did some chores in the morning. It is incredibly difficult to get anything done in Tehran - some post offices do not post boxes, some photo shops require a 7 day wait for passport photos, and the Chinese Embassy was shut despite the hotel insisting it would be open. Finally got around to some sightseeing. First stop was the National Jewels Museum, an un-marked museum in the underground vault of a bank, containing an incredible amount of jewels, including a jewel encrusted umbrella and world globe. Next up was the National Museum of Iran which had a small but interesting collection, in particular "salt man", a 1700 year old skull with hair and beard still intact, and some artefacts from Persepolis. Had an unsuccessful search for the location of Saturday vigil Mass. Stopped in at Krishan's place briefly before heading to the train station. Bumped into Alberto, who we met in Masuleh, who was boarding the same train. He ended up staying in Masuleh another 3 days and had a great time - duh! Our 6-person sleeper cabin was full of Iranians. We broke the ice by practising our Farsi with them which lead to a lot of laughter. The conversation rapidly got more serious, covering everything we shouldn't such as politics, religion, and women's rights. It appears to be far more controversial to be agnostic than Catholic here, so I think I will be Catholic for the rest of Iran to stay out of trouble. Lighter topics included the young electronics student who wanted to move to America because he loved Michael Jackson. He even demonstrated some dance moves.

Practicalities: 22:45-06:30 overnight train to Esfahan

Food: pizza, nachos (potato chips not corn), pomegranate "beer" - there are surprisingly few restaurants in Tehran (at least around our hotel), it is all fast food - honestly! Horrified by our recent diet we had vegetable soup, salad and steamed veggies for dinner (discovered it on the hotel restaurant's menu).

31st August 2008

Summary: Imam Square, Imam Mosque, Vank Cathedral

Caught our first glimpse of Imam Square from the cab from the train station - a huge square with trees, grass, a fountain and a couple of stunning mosques. Strolled through it shortly after when we decided the first hotel (Sadaf) was overpriced and uninspiring. We were much happier with our next choice. Caught up on sleep then met up with Alberto for lunch. First stop after lunch was Imam Mosque, claimed in LP to be one of the most beautiful mosques in the world, and it may well be right. It is covered in blue and yellow mosaics and it was extremely peaceful inside the courtyard. Couldn't figure out where all the tourists were. Wandered across the river to Vank Cathedral, an Armenian Church covered in frescoes, with attached museum. Strolled through the riverside park and back across the Si-o-Seh Bridge (33 arches). It was blackout time back at the hotel and we used our headtorch for the first time. The giggly young man at reception armed us with some candles though couldn't find any matches, so we sat in the lobby (emergency lighting) until the power came back on.

Practicalities: Safir Hotel, room 108

Food: legumes, meat and rice, barley soup, omelette, lamb kebab.

1st September 2008

Made our first attempt at carpet shopping. We were a bit overwhelmed by all the information and patterns, finally decided on one we like but we were a little hesitant to buy a carpet from a young Iranian wearing a Paul Smith t-shirt, and his price was more than double the ball-park figure we got from a previous shop. While we were waiting for Alberto we started chatting with Mohammed, a 19 year old Iranian who liked to hang out at Imam Square chatting with tourists as "they are the best entertainment". He had quit his accounting studies at university as he was pessimistic about job prospects and was planning to join the military as they would look after him. We ended up spending the rest of the day with him and Alberto, learnt lots of interesting facts about Iranian life, and tried to convince him to continue his studies rather than join the army. After lunch we strolled through the bazaars, made an unsuccessful bid for the carpet, and popped into Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque. I think I preferred this even over Imam Mosque. It had beautiful, intricate blue and gold patterns. Families were chilling out inside. The local bus out to Manar Jomban was a cultural experience in itself. Luckily Mohammed was there to explain that I had to get on at the back while the boys got on the front. There was a row of chairs right across the middle providing a physical barrier. I was worried G would get into trouble for voyeurism as he kept turning around to check on me. It was very bizarre, especially as long distance buses and even our 6-person sleeper cabin on the train was mixed. I chatted with one of the ladies about it, I did not ask her explicitly what her opinion was but her tone implied she thought it was ludicrous. Despite the culture shock the stop buttons were identical to those all around the world (I am doing an informal study on this). They even had "STOP" written on them in English, without any Farsi translation. Manar Jomban (shaking minarets) was a pretty poor excuse of an attraction - on the hour an attendant climbs one of the minarets and shakes it for a minute or two. Bells attached to each minaret demonstrate that they are wobbling. Great. Could not believe the guy on the train (the one opposed to my agnosticism) insisted we see it. Still, it was worth it for the bus experience. Also chatted to some nice ladies at the teahouse while we waited for the minaret-shaking, and had our photo taken again. Back in town we wandered around forever trying to find a restaurant around Imam Square - amazingly difficult!

Practicalities: local bus (3c each) to Manar Jomban.

Food: same restuarant and food as the previous day for lunch, chicken curry and a local dish - chicken with a walnut and pomegranate sauce (can't remember the name...), rockmelon juice - yum.

2nd September 2008

Summary: Ramadan, Bazaar, Jameh Mosque, Chehel Sotun Palace, overnight bus to Shiraz

Today was the first day of Ramadan (known locally as Ramazan) in Iran. Unfortunately our hotel breakfast offering was pretty dire (same as all the other mornings) so we couldn't really fill up on it. The official rule is that we may eat and drink but not in front of the locals. Ramadan had opposite effect on us as we were constantly obsessing about food. There was lots of food for sale but none being eaten. We bought some bananas and got permission to scoff them down at the back of the fruit shop. We were planning to go out to Mohammed's town, approx 35km from Esfahan, but after a lot of faffing about (eg. bananas) we decided we didn't have enough time so Alberto went by himself. We started getting worried about lunch prospects when the "Tourist Restaurant" was shut. While we were searching a Muslim cleric came to chat to us. We wished him a Happy Ramazan and said we were off to find lunch (JOKE). We ended up back where we had dinner the previous night, and were pleased to see lots of locals dining also. Wandered through the bazaar to the Jameh Mosque, the biggest in Iran. Popped into Chehel Sotun (40 columns) Palace which had a series of frescoes depicting palace life and battles. The human figures looked quite oriental. Sat in our favourite spot by the Imam Mosque to watch the sun set over Imam Square. This was the perfect place to meet locals - firstly two female university students, who, after the usual chat about where we were from, our work etc, asked G to pick which of them was the prettiest. We then had a funny conversation with some carpet sellers (one of which was a Josh look-a-like), who were moaning about the lack of business and asking us what they could say to entice more customers into their shop. They only sell about 1 carpet every 1-2 weeks at the moment, but expect more tourists in a month's time. One of them had actually been told by Paul Smith that we were looking for carpets so asked shyly if we would like to come to his shop - they explained that the carpet sellers are a bit like the mafia. They offered us some bread. We pointed out that it wasn't sunset yet, we were outside a mosque, and there were police with batons nearby. They said we were tourists so no one cared. We only ate some after one of the locals did also. Had a relatively comfortable overnight bus trip to Shiraz.

Practicalities: 22:30-05:30 bus to Shiraz

Food: yellow split pea stew, okra stew, "spaghetti bolognese" (pasta with lamb mince), grilled chicken at Abbasi Hotel - the fancy hotel near our not so fancy one.

3rd September 2008

Summary: lazy day in Shiraz

Arrived in Shiraz at 05:30, two hours earlier than we were told. Managed to save 10% by meekly asking for a discount at the hotel, even got upgraded to a suite later in the day. Decided to boycott some of the mausoleums and mosques as I had to dress even more conservatively than I already was. Wandered through the bazaar which contained a nice mix of tourist and regular shops. Again we were left alone by the carpet sellers. Caught up on sleep and got frustrated by the erratic internet service at the hotel (as with all the hotels in Iran so far).

Practicalities: Aryo Bazan Hotel, room 408

Food: bread, bananas in the hotel room