We’re in Esfahan for one more night, before heading south to Shiraz, our final stop in Iran. I can tell you we are getting excited for Thailand. I’m not sure we could find a more stark contrast between two countries: from an Islamic theocracy to the sex tourism capital of the world. Ta da! Anyway, I thought I would put up some shots from the last couple of weeks. The heat here can be overbearing, and we’ve been hitting the pavement to do a lot of sightseeing and just walking around. Generally we can’t get more than about 100m without meeting someone new who is curious about where we are from or just wants to practice their English. It’s been a unique experience, but that in itself can get very tiring. Two days ago, it took us something like four hours to get across Esfahan’s main Imam Square to get…Continue Reading
Road lines are more like abstract paintings for drivers to admire. People simply do not pay any attention to them. What would be a three lane road back home becomes a five lane, or six lane road here.  This is an observation quickly made seconds after stepping into a vehicle in Iran. Following the advice of our Iran Lonely Planet travel guide, Chris and I decided to hire a taxi to take us from a city called Zanjan to an archaeological site called Takht-e-Soleiman for a couple hours and then on to a small city called Bijar. We found a driver and agreed with his cost of $50 US dollars for the trip. When we came into the mountainous part of the drive our taxi driver started cutting corners.  He would drive in the wrong lane on blind corners, on winding mountain roads that were marked with solid double lines. …Continue Reading
It sure is getting hot wearing my head scarf and the knee length “manto” (a.k.a. thin jacket). It is the law for me to wear a head scarf. I have some other ones you’ll see me modeling in future photos.  Cultural pressure and local fashion make me feel like I should wear the manto. People sure stare as us a lot with curiosity. Many people say “hello” as we walk by or they stop us on the side walk to say “Hello. How are you? Welcome to my city and to Iran. Where are you from?” They are the most friendly, curious people I’ve ever encountered. My favorite things here are the fruit shakes and the baked goods. They are both delicious. The other night to help relieve some of my culture shock I searched Chris’s computer for some up beat music. I found Michael Buble! Ah, love that guy. His voice and…Continue Reading