West Asia

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Exploring out of town

We had arranged for a tour to Chak Chak and a few other places today.  We have Mikel and Puri, plus Sophie, the Australian girl that I keep running into through my trip.   The pick-up was supposed to be 0830 (but with a hint of 0900 in the discussion) and Said (same driver as yesterday […]

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Around the old mudbrick town

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) […]

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To the Heart of Zoroastrianism

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 […]

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More of Esfahan

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 […]

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Exploring Esfahan

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 […]

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Abyaneh en route to Esfahan

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 […]

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Kashan’s historical mansions

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 […]

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Moving south to Kashan

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 […]

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Arriving in and exploring Qom

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 […]

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Resting up before the night flight

I had a flight from Antalya to Algiers at 2350. I wanted to do “everything” that I wanted before it got too hot, then rest before the night flight. It seemed the right idea to go for a walk while it was still cool, before breakfast. I wandered into the old city. There was nothing […]

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