Above:  View of Tehran from Park-e Jamshidiye. Bazaar I had to conserve water when I woke, since I couldn’t get any last night. I walked out of the hotel to get a fruit shake for breakfast but it wasn’t open despite being 0850 already. The bakeries had queues. I settled for a super-cheap Caprisonne-style pomegranate […]

Above:   Back at the Naderi Hotel in Tehran; the lobby area. Leaving early After breakfast, I asked the hotel man about making an external phone call. I didn’t think he understood me but shortly after he had patched me through correctly to Iran Air. The airline said it wasn’t a problem to have me fly […]

Masouleh Having slept early last night, I woke about 0400 but lay in bed till 0730. At breakfast, I met the Japanese girls I had seen in Yazd. They flew here and are headed to Ardabil. I have a very empty sad feeling today, from having left the wonderful people I had met in Yazd. […]

Above:  At Mehrabad Airport. I had breakfast with Ada; we drank lots of tea and chatted for a while. It’s funny that I’ve taken an instant liking to her, Jan and the others. We’re so like-minded. Like I said, the more “strange” the destination, the more you’re gonna find in common with the travellers you […]

Travel admin The clocks went back one hour last night with daylight saving finishing, so I woke “early”.  I chatted with an Australian man who had a zinc mining business near here, and his Iranian wife. I needed some more Iranian rials.  Banks here open at 0730 but it was still early.  I went to […]

[Edit:  I repeat this daytrip thirteen years later.  In the age of the digital camera, I capture a lot more in pictures. You can read about it here.] Excursion to Kharanaq I started with a good breakfast of fried eggs, cheese, various kinds of bread, coffee and fruits. Today I had organised to join a Dutch […]

Leaving Mashhad It was a short and interrupted night sleep.  I woke at 0515 and showered.  Prayers at the mosque were on and it was busy.  I settled my bill with the hotel and was pleasantly surprised that it was less than expected, partially because I didn’t take breakfast today. I got to the airport […]

Above:  Imam Reza’s shrine takes up quite an expansive area, as you can see from the two photos stitched up above. I felt shattered today and slept till 0800.  I decided to have the day off.  I couldn’t handle another day of long bus trips especially if the sights were only so so.  I took […]