Exploring Isfahan

We made an early start to walk the streets of Isfahan. The local guard let us into the Madrase-ye Chahar Bagh (entry is usually only allowed to Muslims).

We walked up and down the main drag, Chahar Bagh Street. We paid 500 rials for a used cardboard box for Ahura. bought gaz and tape.
We visited the Palace of 40 Columns (Chehel Sotun), the reception hall of Shah Abbas and saw a “tear holder” in the museum”.

Next, we headed to the Friday Mosque (Masjed-e Jame), one of the most impressive sites, representing over 500 years of Persian religious architecture (from 11-18th C) In one mosque, you could see all 3 divisions of Islamic architecture (brick, stucco and tile).

We blew off lunch and took a taxi to a woodworking shop.

We had 3 guys leave their lunch and make a pair of Ahura Mazda legs for us for $1.00.
Late lunch at Shahrzad Restaurant.
We visited the Armenian Quarter and the Cathedral in Jolfa (Vank Cathedral).

Then it was on to one of the many bridges in Isfahan.

The Pol-e Shahrestan – the oldest, built during the Sassanid period
The Pol-e Khaju – constructed by Shah Abbas II in 1650
The Si o Se Pol (Bridge of 33 Arches).

Teahouses are located beneath the bridges.

We smoked hubble bubbles and had tea with a group of high testosterone teen-age boys. Lots of laughs, lots of photographs. All the boys kissed John and I got my butt patted by an 18-year-old.

On the way to the hotel, we met a group of Iranian students studying German who walked us back to the hotel.
Dinner without the group in the beautiful hotel restaurant.

Yazd to Isfahan

We dubbed ourselves the “Mosque-eteers” and started to sing to the tune of the Mickey Mouse Club…
Drive to Na’in—and saw a Seljuk mosque (Masted-e Jame).
Drive to Ardestan and saw the Jame Mosque.
We had tea by the side of the road 15 miles outside of Isfahan.

It was so frustrating to be able to see the city while we stood by the side of the road drinking tea and inhaling truck fumes.
We finally arrived in Isfahan and found ourselves staying at a converted caravanserai, the Abbassi Hotel…at last a real bed.

We blew off group dinner at the hotel and found an Indian restaurant with hot, spicy food.

Yazd and Taft

In the morning, we visited the Aleshkade, a Zoroastrian site with a sacred flame that has been burning since 470AD

Then we visited the Old Bazaar in Yazd and watched the local Iraqi Arab’s hanging around.

Then it was on to the former governor’s house and learned about Wind Towers.

And then, another Jame Mosque… we escaped from the group and walked around town on our own.
We caught the bus and headed to the restaurant from last night.

* We separated the group into “Knowledge Peacock” (the ones that always want to challenge the guide and show how much they know) and the “Belt Notchers, a.k.a. “Been There”.
* Courtship: The girl sends a pumpkin to the guy to say “No”

On the road to Taft, a Zoroastrian village.

We saw “Ahura Mazda” in their original fire temple and managed to walk away with their wood carving for a donation of $10.00. It needs a little work and a replacement leg….
Sunset at the Zoroastrian “Towers of Silence” – we climbed to the top.

The Zoroastrians, believing in the purity of the elements, would not bury their dead- they believe it pollutes the earth; and would not cremate their dead- they believe it pollutes the air, so they left their bodies at the top of their “Towers of Silence”. The local priest watches over the body as the vultures devour the flesh. If the vulture eats the right eye first, you’ll go to paradise, the left eye, to hell.
We climbed down to share tea with a local guy and his donkey and watched the local kids try to get their motorcycles to the top of the hill.

We got a few hours in the bazaar. John and I tried to find a local restaurant. We christen Yazd “The town with no restaurants” and reluctantly joined the group for dinner.
As part of the “Kebab free Iran” program, we ordered fried fish. It arrived, uneatable. As we were stuffing our fish into our dinner napkins for cat food, Edgar projectile vomited at the table. We escaped in the confusion with our cat treats. Outside, we found a cat and tossed it a piece. Immediately, the bushes rustled and 30+ cats, obviously well fed from the remains from the restaurant surrounded us.

Kerman to Yazd

Kerman
Gombad-e Jamaliya Mosque.
* The peacock = happiness
* Thumbs up = the finger
We wandered through the bazaar.

While we bought a brass “Fatima”, we had a crowd of 30 people helping us with the negotiations.

We wandered into the Afghani refugee section of town and did some serious people watching.

We shopped for an Afghani outfit. When we told them we were American, their face dropped (John s said, “It’s like I farted”). We finally bought an outfit and started telling people that we’re Canadian.
A local guy invited us into his teashop, a true local Afghani dive.

Then it was time for group lunch at the Tea Room, the former public baths (Chaykhune-ye Bakil).

A group of students surrounded us with questions.

Back on the bus to Yazd…driving through Rafsanjani, home of the current President of Iran and we had another tea stop at a caravanserai en route.
Hotel “Safaiyah”.
We dumped our bags and found the English speaking restaurant owner in the hotel. He told us that the food isn’t that good in the hotel…. but could get us a taxi to a good local place. He sent us to “Hamid Shadmanfar Restaurant”, a traditional Iranian restaurant. Taxi costs us 3000 rials, one way ( $ .75).
We were saved by a lovely Iranian couple who helped us with ordering and invited us to join them for dinner. He learned English 15 years ago in high school and still did pretty well. He has 2 jobs (a TV/radio repair job from 7:00-1:00, then works from 2:00-8:00 as an accountant. Then, he goes home to do house chores while his wife watches TV. She’s a student studying water purification and is “very clever”. We bought them dinner—4 huge dinners for $25.00.
Back to the hotel…yet another state run facility…boy scout beds again.

Kerman and Bam

On the road again…to Jabel-E Jabaleye – “Mountain of Stone”. No date or use can be determined for the building- it’s believed to predate 2C AD and may have been Zoroastrian

Bam

Then it was off to Bam, a perfectly preserved medieval city molded from the red clay of the desert.

We made it halfway to the fort and christened the small soda shop, “Palace of Zam-Zam”

Lunch wasn’t kebabs- but eggplant, salad, yogurt and soup.
Dorothy again entertained us with her tales… this time the story of her tour in Bavaria. A guy died- his wife said, “He died here, we’ll bury him here”. so the entire tour group attended the funeral.
We drove to Mahan, the final home of the Sufi saint and poet, Shah Nemotollah Vali, who died in 1431 and was the founder of the dervish order. We visited the Mosque and walked around town.
We stopped at the tearoom and had tea with the locals.

Dinner was at Bagh-e Tarikhi Gardens, summer home for the Prince of Ghajar Beautiful grounds…but it must be state-run. The food was awful. . Once again, the standard, soup, bread, yogurt, salad, meat kebob…and for dessert, a cellophane wrapped muffin.
We started to call the bus drivers “Silk Foot and Lead Foot”.

Our Drivers

* They have male and female doorknockers…also made doors designed to force you to bend to enter.

Shiraz to Kerman

We headed off to Kerman. We stopped at a caravanserai on the way. The “keepers” used flashing mirrors to signal our arrival so they could get their entry fee.

On the way, we passed an Iraqi refugee camp, a square area about a mile on each side, filled with military tents lined up in a grid formation. Room for thousands of Sunnite Iraqis from the enemy side seeking shelter from their Iranian Shiite enemy. A high wall surrounded the place and you could see children playing soccer inside. The camp was in the middle of the desert.
It’s strange that Iran is the home to thousands of refugees from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, plus Kurds from all over. These people find Iran a better bet than the places where they were born.
We stopped for a picnic lunch then had another rest stop for tea in the afternoon.

Cyrus talked about adultery. For the 1st offence: 100 lashes; 2nd offence: another 100 lashes, 3rd offence: the judge can hang them –but, you’ll need 4 male witnesses. If the adultery is with a family member…. it’s a stoning!

We had a brief stop at Negriz and had to deal with kids begging for pens. Cyrus called it this behavior “the pollution of tourism”.

Cyrus continued his stories by telling us of his 2 years in the Iran/Iraq war as a tank gunner. He was hit in the leg. Cyrus’ view on the relative merits of American versus Russian tanks: the tank itself is not the important variable…it is the desire of the crew to fight. He relates a terrifying example of this concerning how his tank platoon got behind an Iraqi tank roadblock covering a gorge through which he had to pass.

We arrived at the hotel in Kerman and once again, we ducked the group dinner and headed for a local restaurant.

* We determine that Khomeini, meaning “comes from Quom”, actually is based on “Quom- meanie”
* No dogs in Iran…except with sheepherders….dogs are considered dirty… cats are, too. Birds are OK.
* Metaphor for Iran—the bird in the cage.

We found a wonderful little restaurant and met the owner, Reza. He spent 6 months in the US, but his wife hated the US so they moved back to be with her family in Kerman. He’s planning his 3rd restaurant…pizzeria’s are big in Iran.

* Reza calls the Afghani’s our “Mexicans”—they “drink Pepsi, eat bread and work hard”.
* Tells us that their women are like compressed springs….they hate the chadors.
* “They’re always talking about paradise and the girls and the gardens…. I want it now”.
* “The restaurant business is tough…no one goes out to eat.”

We had salad, bread, soup, kebab and steak, plus sampler pieces of tah-chin, cokes and coffee…for $10.00
We noticed that as you go from west to east, from Shiraz towards Kerman and towards the Pakistani border, respect for law and order declines.