Author archive
10 June 2018
I had a late start today. It was 0940 by the time I left the hotel; more than an hour after my usual start time. I tried to stay in the shadow of the buildings as I wandered around the old town. I made two stops during my walkies, namely Lari House (and old mansion) […]
9 June 2018
The Imam Mosque on Naqsh-e Jahan Square had been closed during the last two days, meaning that this morning was my only chance of seeing it after 15 years. I left the hotel by foot at 0830 for the 0900 opening and I seem to be getting faster each time by knowing the route and […]
8 June 2018
I can feel myself piling on weight from all the good food and the yummy-but-not-so-good food. I vowed to eat less today and took an egg and some bread from breakfast. The idea was to get a side salad to go with it and call it lunch. I set off at 0830 by foot across […]
7 June 2018
Today I get to visit Naqsh-e Jahan Square’s main sights by daylight. After breakfast, I walked along the shaded tree-lined paths to get to the square. Even around 0830, it was already preferable to be in the shade and I was lucky that all my routes here are adequately shaded. Getting to the square, I […]
6 June 2018
Our driver with a really bad hairpiece showed up on time at 0900. We had arranged for a transfer to Esfahan via Abyaneh and Natanz for EUR30 per car. With Mikel and Puri, it was a convenient sum of EUR10 per person. The ride took just over an hour and we were in Abyaneh by […]
5 June 2018
I woke at 0400 and fell asleep again till I heard faint tinkling of my alarm. I readied myself for breakfast at 0800 before leaving the hostel at 0900. It was hot already but there was no point starting too early as various sights open at 0900. First up, I wanted to visit Hammam-e Sultan […]
4 June 2018
I woke early due to the time difference and headed downstairs for breakfast. It was a disappointing first breakfast in Iran as I was looking forward to the usual tomatoes and cucumber. Upon check-out, I walked to the nearby taxis to Haftado-do-tan roundabout for transport to Kashan. There were supposed to be buses and taxis […]
3 June 2018
I'm starting to think that lesser known airlines like Mahan Air (Iran's second airline) are a worthy alternative to the well-known favourites. Posted by Alex Chan on Saturday, June 2, 2018
3 June 2018
Flying to Tehran With the aid of a sleeping pill after supper, I slept for around 3h30 and rested for another 30 minutes before opening my eyes. The entertainment system (marked with Olympic Airways who kindly specified thick wide sumptuous seats with plenty of legroom) was not utilised. A snack of a very good quality […]
2 June 2018
Leaving family After 9 nights in Kuching, I leave today for Kuala Lumpur connecting to Tehran. It was great to meet my step-sister for the first time since childhood. We worked well together on various issues facing our elderly and deteriorating parents … her dad with dementia and my mum who had suffered a fall […]