Jun 2, 2012 - Tehran

6-2 Last bus ride in Iran through Damghan where we saw lots of pistachios for sale in stands along side the road. The countryside was quite green around Shahroud and through Damghan perhaps due to a better than usual amount of spring rains in this region. Further S. where we traveled earlier in the tour to Shiraz they've been experiencing drought for the past 5+ years. Semnan was next and I did feel the increase in altitude (to 1,138 meters)...I get a toothache where I had my tooth capped 3 years ago. We see the Alborz mountain range all...

May 30, 2012 - Day Trip to Neyshaboor

Wiki Info Nishapur Wiki Info Toos/Tus 5-30 From Mashhad we take a day trip to Neishabour and Tous after a short stop at the bus station for tickets to Shahroud at 7 am tomorrow. In Neyshabooor we visited the tombs of Omar Khayyam, Wiki Info Omar Khayyam philosopher, poet, teacher, mathematician, and astronomer 1067-1123 AD. Very influential for me especially due to the wide spread rediscovery of his works by the 'hippies ' of the 60's. In the same area we visited the tomb of Faridodin Mohammad ebn e Ebrahim or Attar, mystic, writer,...

May 29, 2012 - Mashad

Wiki Info Mashhad 5- 29 Still in Esfahan: First we visited Jame' Mosque, oldest in Esfahan and largest in Iran. Next, to the Armenian church/museum which had on display - besides much about their history (including details of Turkish genocide of 1909-1st in 20th century w/ 1+ million murdered), -the tiniest book in the world - Lord's Prayer in 7 languages plus the 1st psalm printed on a human hair with a diamond point 20 x smaller than the hair! Our last tour visit here was the singularly unimpressive shaking minaret of mausoleum of Amu...

May 27, 2012 - Esfahan

Still in Yadz: We walked thru the bazaar visiting the famous gallery of Mustafa and son Ali Fotowat miniature artworks. A great pleasure and honor to meet them both and see Mustafa at work! Our lunch was at Bastini Traditional Restaurant in the bazaar ...a huge place with tons of Iranians having their main meal of the day. After a long afternoon rest we headed for the Zayandi River and the famous bridges which cross it. In the eve we continued our walk in the bazaar stopping at several carpet shops. After wishing James (UK guy) a happy 30th...

May 26, 2012 - To Yazd

Wiki Info Yazd 5-25 Still in Kerman: The morning was somewhat frustrating in that being Friday, our planned excursion to the oldest working bazaar in Iran ran into closures at every turn. This was our own fault since what should have been our first tour day in Tehran we were so exhausted we slept. Therefore, we should have been to the bazaar yesterday in the original itinerary. As it was the Ganj Ali Khan Sq hammam and Jameh Mosque (from 1349) were both closed as well as many shops. It was fine with me especially since there was an old...

May 25, 2012 - Caravaseri/Yazd

5-25 Still in Kerman: The morning was somewhat frustrating in that being Friday, our planned excursion to the oldest working bazaar in Iran ran into closures at every turn. This was our own fault since what should have been our first tour day in Tehran we were so exhausted we slept. Therefore, we should have been to the bazaar yesterday in the original itinerary. As it was the Ganj Ali Khan Sq hammam and Jameh Mosque (from 1349AD) were both closed as well as many shops. It was fine with me especially since there was an old lady fortune...

May 24, 2012 - Day Trip to Bam, Rayen, & Mahan

See News of 4-16-13 Earthquake...Biggest in 40 Years 5-24 - Day Trip Wiki Info Bam Wiki Info Rayen Castle Wiki Info Mahan Today we went to Bam, Rayen, and Mahan, towns which are up to 3 hours away from Kerman. Ban is the mud building town completely destroyed by an earthquake in Dec. 2003 which killed over 31,000 people. It leveled the mud brick citadel, the largest adobe structure on earth, which dated from 300 BC more or less. Much has been rebuilt but with modern materials in the town and the citadel is a UNESCO site which is being...

May 23, 2012 - Kerman

Wiki Info Kerman 5-23 Mehdi came to our hotel with his friend, Hosen, our driver of yesterday who then drove us to the bus station. Hosen is a football coach/instructor...would have liked to talk more with him but he doesn't speak English though I think understands a bit. The bus is a VIP one, very cushy with wide, spacious (3 across) but very uncomfortable seats. The travel time was 8 hours to Kerman and took us through a wide variety of terrain including a mountain pass, but first we passed Lake Bakhtegan a huge salt lake that looks to...

May 20, 2012 - Shiraz

Wiki Info Shiraz 5-20 After flight to Shiraz - that included dinner! - and Arg Hotel (arg means citidel which is nearby), we settled in our room it being 10pm. Still not knowing what comes next other than breakfast 7-10 tomorrow, ha! 5-21 Met Medhi, our guide, at breakfast 9am who told us he tried to get us last night but phone was not working. We quickly finish our food - scrambled eggs, flat bread, jam, butter, cream chez, fresh tomatoes and cucumber, and tea. Off we go to pick up others on today's tour - 3 Iranians & a Swedish woman...

May 19, 2012 - Tehran

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehran 5-20 Second full day in Iran was GREAT! Great largely because our guide, Ata, epitomized the Iranian spirit...gracious, giving, generous, and most informative. He admits he has a great job, loves it, and it shows in his enthusiasm and desire to please. At one point, Bonnie's glasses ended up on the ground in the street where we were trying to cross. As 'luck' would have it, I only noticed them when a motorbike drove over them right in front of us making a crunching sound. Ata said we were lucky! He went...

May 18, 2012 - Fly to Tehran, Iran

5-18 Most of the day just getting ready, doing internet, and getting to the airport...all went fine. Both Qatar flights served some food, second one (1am-4am) a full meal! 5-19 Bon had not written an answer to the tour company's last email requesting our arrival time so after finger printing (a reciprocal deal since US now does it to every foreigner coming in as well - no other country we've visited does this!), we sat waiting/hoping they got Bon's email on Friday - of course, they're closed on Friday's. We waited 'til 9 then asked the...

Sep 20, 2010 - Abschied vom Iran

Morgen abend geht unser Flug und beamt uns in eine komplett andere Welt: nach Kathmandu. Nachdem wir völlig unerwartet ein super günstiges Flugangebot nach Nepal bekommen haben verlassen wir den Iran hier in Shiraz. Aber das Land wir uns noch lange Beschäftigen. Die Menschen hier haben uns immer wieder gebeten der Welt über die Wirklichkeit und Realitäten im Iran zu Hause zu berichten. Das werden wir auf jeden tun. Wir werden die unbeschreibliche Gastfreundschaft und Schönheit des Landes nicht so schnell vergessen.