Travel Report: Iran
Date of visit: April 2017
Recently, someone was asking for recommendations on TripAdvisor for his trip to Iran. One of the first answers I read was “you want to go to Iran? Are you crazy?! Isn’t this a country full of terrorist, where people from the Western world get beheaded?”
Unfortunately, this is the image that many people in Europe have of Iran. They think that Iran is a second Afghanistan, a failed state and a country that is almost impossible to travel around because it’s too dangerous. This couldn’t be more wrong.
Believe it or not, Iran is one of the safest countries in the world. Iran may have one of the strictest governments, but the country is free of war and terror. Even the crime-rate is low, probably even lower than in many European countries.
Planning the trip to Persia
Nevertheless, Iran is a country that demands a bit of planning before you go. First, this country is still sanctioned by many countries for its nuclear program. The most important factor for travelers is that Iran is cut off the international payment. That means you cannot use your international credit card or ATMs in this country. Cash is king and you have to bring all your money in dollars or euros.
Second, most traveler need a visa for Iran. Since 2016, a visa on arrival is available, however there is the possibility that authorities refuse you at the airport. So applying for a visa on arrival at the airport is riskier than organizing the visa in advance. Anyway, I am a risk-taker and opted for the cheaper option at the airport. As I did not have a definite route yet, I booked the first night in the cheapest hostel of Tehran, as you have to let the authorities know where you will be staying.
Third, you need to know a bit about the culture of the country. Iran is a conservative country and has some customs you should be aware of, unless you want to upset the locals (or even worse: go to jail). Iran is an Islamic Republic and yes, it’s a country with Sharia Law. Women have to wear hijabs to cover their hair and alcohol is strictly forbidden. Even as a man you have to dress modestly.
Fortunately, I have some people around me who know a lot about Iran. My mother traveled to Iran twice, while a colleague of mine is married to an Iranian and has been to Iran several times. My friend Mike, who was in Ukraine with me later that year, traveled to Iran half a year before I did. Actually, seeing him traveling in Iran on Facebook got us back in touch again.
Moreover, I read the book of a German journalist, who traveled to Iran for two months and never booked a hotel. Instead, he used couchsurfing, where you sleep on the couch of a stranger. I wanted to do the same thing.
Funnily enough, Mike was inspired by the same book and couchsurfed through Iran too. When Sahand, one of Mike’s hosts, was in Zurich during his Euro trip, Mike introduced me to him. It was approximately two month before my trip. Sahand also offered me that I could stay at his place in Tehran, as his family has an apartment there. Sahand lives in Isfahan though. Cool, now I didn’t have to look for a host anymore.
Two months later, I was sitting in my hotel room in Dubai, ready to go to bed. It was 9 PM and my flight to Tehran was in the next afternoon. Suddenly, I got a call from Sahand… he told me that he wasn’t in Tehran and couldn’t host me there but in his hometown Isfahan, which would be my second stop. Last minute changes suck so that I opened the couchsurfing app. I explained to ten people who I was and asked if they could host me. Five minutes later, a guy named Pazy answered back. His text was: “Come :)”
Entering the Islamic Republic of Iran
I arrived in Tehran on a Tuesday afternoon and got my visa on arrival within 30 minutes. After buying a local SIM Card, I was sitting in a taxi heading to my unknown host’s apartment. It was a long drive from the airport to the city center and the taxi driver desperately wanted to talk to me. I apologized for not speaking Farsi, but the taxi driver didn’t give up. He continued explaining things with his hands and at one point he said the word arkadaş, which means friend in Turkish. I answered that I understood this word, as my father is Turk and I know the basics of the language. “Do speak Turkish??” he said in Turkish. It was the beginning of a long friendship. The guy was full of joy: “I had no idea how to communicate with you! But you speak Turkish!”
Honestly, it wouldn’t have been a problem to be silent for 45 minutes. But now, I had a new best friend and he wanted to be entertained. He wasn’t Persian but Azeri. Azeris are Turkic people and the second largest ethnic group in Iran. He told me that he was 28 years old, but he looked more like 45. After changing the CD, Turkish music came out of the boxes and he expectantly looked at me. “Ibrahim!” he said. “Ibrahim Tatlisez?” I asked. Ibrahim Tatlisez is one of the most famous pop stars in Turkey. “Yes!!” he answered enthusiastically. However, asking this questions was like asking if that was Michael Jackson when you hear “Beat it”. It was a stupid question.
Be prepared for Taroof
I was exhausted when we arrived at my host’s apartment. Speaking almost an hour in a language you barely know takes energy. Moreover, I was tired by the driver’s crazy driving style. He missed a street once and didn’t mind to drive backwards with 100 km/h for 400-500 meters. Traffic is the biggest threat in Iran. Thousands of people die every year in car accidents and I could see why when I was sitting in the car of my new friend. But there I was, somewhere in East Tehran, standing in front of a block. My taxi driver asked me to visit him and meet his family in the next days, and I told him that I would contact him. When I wanted to pay him, he refused the payment…
This behavior is called taroof! When you offer someone something she or he will refuse it first. After you have offered it the third time, their answer is definite. In this case I had to offer the taxi driver the money more than once. If he hadn’t accept it after the third time, it would have been a free ride. It’s the same with presents. You give someone a present, but you only hand it out if they don’t refuse it after the third time. This works vice versa. If someone is offering you something, you first say no! Because most of the time giving it to you is not even their real intention. Only if they offer it more than twice, you can be sure that they really mean it.
This Iranian custom helps people not to lose their face. For example, if someone doesn’t have money, he still has the possibility to offer you a gift. However, he expects you to refuse the gift. It’s almost impossible to visit Iran without experiencing taroof at least once. Taxi drivers will refuse taking your money. Just don’t ever leave without paying!!
Couchsurfing in Iran
Pazy, my host for the next three nights, welcomed me at his cozy apartment. The apartment consisted of one living room, a bedroom and a bathroom. 45-50 square metres I guess. Pazy is three years older than me. He lived in Malaysia for several years working at famous Zouk nightclub. He was basically the guy who booked the DJs from all over the world. His voice had a soft tone and his English was without an accent. Actually, he was too international for being a representative Persian. But he was a very likeable person. One of the first questions he asked was whether I prefer Vodka or Whisky. Alcohol is strictly forbidden in Iran, but many people have their own mini bar at home. The government doesn’t care that much about drinking, if you do it in a discrete way…
It was already evening, and we went out for dinner. My first Persian meal shouldn’t be a traditional one. “Iranian fast food is the best in the world!” said Pazy. My mother already told me that burger restaurants are almost everywhere and Iranians love to eat fast food. Due to the sanctions there is obviously no international fast food chain like McDonald’s or Burger King, but the Iranians definitely know how to make their own fast food. You’ll find almost everything from Cheese Burgers to French Fries. Pazy wasn’t lying, the fast food was indeed world-class. The only thing I missed was bacon…
It was already late when we got back home. Pazy owns a company and was able to from home the next two days. He was even so kind to offer me his bed instead of the couch, while he slept on the couch. First, I insisted to sleep on the couch, but I had no chance. The Persians are too hospitable.
Sightseeing in Tehran
While Pazy was working the next day, I decided to explore Tehran by myself. Tehran is a gigantic city, one of the 20 largest in the world. It’s not a beautiful city and actually a huge concrete jungle, but it’s the heart of Iran, rich of culture and history. What many people don’t know is that Tehran, although a Middle East city, is just a few degrees warmer than cities in Central Europe. The summers can be unbearably hot, but the winters are chilly and sometimes even freezing. Therefore, April was a good time to visit this city. It was warm during the day, but I needed a sweater in the evening.
Needless to say that the city is not walkable due to its size. A taxi got me to the Grand Bazaar and of course the driver didn’t want money from me. Sometimes I wondered how many travelers fall victim to the taroof… After paying him, I walked down the souks of the bazaar. It’s one of Tehran’s main attractions and actually a market place similar to others in Middle East countries, just bigger. I like places like that and spent about an hour there checking out the stalls.
Navigating this city by yourself can be tricky and I felt a bit lost after a while. Before I traveled to Iran, Mike recommended a tour guide named Mohammed. Mike was on the road with this dude and told me that he had been satisfied with him. I called the guy therefore. It was almost 2 PM and I asked Mohammed if he had time to show me the city. He agreed but said it would take some time due to traffic jam.
That wasn’t a problem. Golestan Palace is another attraction of Tehran and it’s very close to Grand Bazar. It’s a complex full of beautiful gardens and royal buildings, and a great site to spend some time. The detailed ornaments of the buildings were my personal highlight. I am not much into ancient crafts, but some of them exhibited inside the buildings were very impressive. All in all, it was the most beautiful of the historic sights I’ve seen in Tehran.
Rip off artist Mohammed
It was 4 PM when Mohammed finally arrived. He apologized for being late and told me again about the bad traffic in the city. He was maybe 3-4 years older than me and he looked like a simple man. We went to his car, a real jalopy that looked like it would be breaking in two very soon.
When I asked him about the price for a short city tour he said 100 Dollars. Damn. Hiring that guy was a mistake. Now, he already spent two hours in traffic (if that was true) in order to pick me up, and it was too late to tell him that this price was too expensive. 100 Dollars in Iran is actually a impudent rip-off. I asked again and he said that this was his price for a full day tour. Well, it was 4 PM and the day was almost over. I said that I needed him for maybe 2-3 hours. Consequently, he wanted 40 bucks. It was still a lot of money considering the fact that I only had 700 USD with me and it was the first of ten days in Iran, where you cannot get money from the ATMs.
Our first stop was the former US embassy. Have you seen the movie Argo? Yes, THAT embassy! The guy at the counter asked Mohammed about my nationality and I think that they wouldn’t had let me in when the answer was ‘American’. The former US embassy is now a propaganda museum and I think I will let the pictures speak for itself…
Although the United States interfered a lot in Iran’s politics in the last century, I haven’t seen a country openly showing hostile feelings towards another country anywhere in the world. That was the only time I saw THE Iran the Western mainstream media shows you. I am not sure if the Iranians are proud of this propaganda museum installed by the government, however it’s quite interesting and unique to visit something like that. In all fairness, all the Iranians I’ve talked to didn’t speak bad about the USA itself. They criticize the US government, but don’t seem to have a problem with Americans.
Mohammed drove me to the next and last sight on our tour. Tabiat Bridge is a 270 meter long bridge that connects two parks and offers a great view over Tehran. It’s not a bridge you pass only but actually a place to spend some time. Definitely a nice spot and a haven in hectic Tehran.
Our tour was over and I wasn’t sure if I should go back to Pazy or have dinner first. Mohammed pushed me a bit to eat something and I paid for his dinner too. When he took me back to Pazy’s apartment, we were on a tour together for a bit less than 4 hours. He was actually a nice guy and I gave him 40 Dollars and 10 Dollars tip on top of that. That wasn’t enough for him and he suggested 80! I was baffled. So baffled that I gave him another 10 before I left the car. Just a few seconds later I realised what a rip-off that was. I gave him 60 Dollars for less than 4 hours work including a dinner, which I paid and which took a quarter of the total time.
Pazy just shook his head and told me that we could have done all this together the next day. Apparently, Mohammed increased his rates since Mike was with him. I was upset. Not only because of the rip off, but also because I only had 640 Dollars with me after that. And that was my budget for nine more days. At this point, I really worried that I didn’t take enough money with me to Iran.
I later found out that it was more than enough.
Dating & Football in Iran
This day in Tehran was only one of two sightseeing days in Iran. I was rather experiencing the daily routine of my hosts. Pazy was a huge football fan. And he liked women. Therefore, he didn’t mind to combine having dinner with me and going out on a date with a girl at the same time. 🙂 Or in other words: he invited me to his dinner date. The girl he was meeting was super cute. Unfortunately, I forgot her name, but the three of us went to a traditional Persian restaurant, where you have dinner while sitting on the floor.
I ordered a typical Persian meal: chicken kebab skewers with rice. What I got was a big plate full of rice, a small piece of butter, grilled vegetables and the chicken skewers. I started eating a few bites of the meat first, then some vegetables, after that rice… “what are you doing???” the girl asked. She looked at me like I would look at someone who eats the traditional Swiss dish fondue with his hands. “You have to put all the food on the plate with the rice, mix it together with the butter and then you eat it.” Persian etiquette 101.
It was a nice evening, we had a lot of interesting discussions and Pazy didn’t let me pay for my food of course. When we left the girl I told him that he absolutely had to see her again! I believe I was probably more in love than him. 🙂
Pazy had also another passion: football. The last championship game of Iran’s football league took place while I was in Tehran. 80’000 people fit into Tehran’s Azadi stadium, women are not allowed. The champions of that season was a team from Tehran and therefore I asked Pazy if we could go watch the game. Unfortunately, it was difficult to get tickets. In the end, there were more than 100’000 people in the stadium from what I heard.
Nevertheless, we didn’t forego the football and watched UEFA Champions League in Pazy’s apartment. I heard a story before my trip that Iran’s government considered banning football, as it isn’t compatible with the Islamic Republic. “They could never do that,” claimed Pazy. “People here love football. Taking that away from them is crossing a red line.” Football is indeed very popular in Iran and the people can’t wait to see their team playing the World Cup in Russia in 2018.
Darband
The next day, Pazy’s friend Mona joined us. She is from Mashhad, Iran’s second largest city, and visited Tehran for a few days. As it was my last day in Iran, Pazy wanted to show me something beautiful and we took a cab to Darband, a neighborhood in Northern Tehran. It’s one of the richest neighborhoods in Iran’s capital. The more North you go the wealthier the neighborhood. The more South the more poor.
Darband was amazing. It’s very close to the mountains and it’s quite chilly up there. But the scenery is fabulous. It’s one of the most beautiful parts I have seen in Tehran and an ideal getaway from the concrete jungle. We had lunch in an amazing restaurant. The waiter came to our table and asked about my nationality before putting a Swiss flag on our table. Again, the Iranian hospitality was outstanding.
As Pazy paid almost everything for me, I insisted that I will pay this bill. Pazy didn’t accept that of course but I insisted. Pazy said that I could invite him when he visits me in Switzerland, but I also felt obligated to spend my tourist Dollars in Iran. Ironically, I left most of my money in Pazy’s apartment and couldn’t even pay. However, I gave him the money as soon as we were back at his place.
Nightlife in Iran
Iran is a strict country with no alcohol, no bars and don’t even think about nightclubs. Nightlife is strictly illegal in the country. Does that mean the Iranians aren’t able to party? No! They just do it secretly. There is a big underground party scene in Tehran, but you need to know people to be part of it. Anyway, this was on top of my to do-list: raving Iran! In Iran, the weekend is on Fridays like in most Muslim countries. Therefore, Iranians do party on Thursday night. My last night in Tehran was a Thursday.
Pazy told me that a party was going to take place at a friend’s villa. Usually, 20 people attend these parties, sometimes even up to 100 people if it’s a big party. Alcohol is being smuggled into the country and costs about the double price we pay in Europe. I was excited, but unfortunately the party was cancelled in the last minute. As a consequence, we made our own party at Pazy’s apartment, just Pazy, Mona and me. We listened to house and electro music, emptied almost three bottles of liquor and had a fantastic time.
To be honest, I am making this up, as alcohol is strictly forbidden in Iran, so nobody should get into trouble by the Iranian government…
The next morning, I had to say goodbye. I spent three nights in Tehran without seeing much of the city. The combination of the big size and traffic jam make it difficult to see the whole city in three days. But it didn’t matter. I met amazing people in this city and can’t wait to come back.
Getting around in Iran: the road to Isfahan
Isfahan was the second city I visited. Iran is the 18th largest country in the world, so traveling around can be time consuming. However, Iran has a very good and efficient bus system and the buses are luxurious, as you get a bed in many of them. Flight fares are pretty cheap too in Iran. As my time in Iran was limited, I traveled to Isfahan by plane, although the bus ride wouldn’t had taken longer than 5-6 hours.
The only problem is that websites like Swoodoo or Skyscanner don’t list most of the Iranian airlines. I am not quite sure if this is a result of the sanctions or because most Iranian airlines are not FAA/EASA certified (which means that they cannot enter American or European airspace). Most Iranian airlines don’t have websites in English. So booking a domestic flight can be a bit challenging. Fortunately, Pazy took care of that. By the way, Iranian airlines are definitely internationally sanctioned and they sometimes have trouble finding spare parts for their planes. That’s why the crash frequency is much higher in Iran than in other countries.
Mehrabad is the name of the small airport in Tehran. Most domestic flights depart from there. After checking in my luggage, I proceeded to my gate. “Which country?” a soldier asks me after I pass security. “Switzerland,” I reply. The soldier shows me thumbs up. Generally, the thumbs up sign means the same in Iran as the middle finger means in the Western world. However, this changed a bit in recent years and many Iranians use it like we do.
Isfahan, city no. 2
Isfahan is like an oasis if you come from Tehran. It’s obviously the much smaller city but also the more beautiful and less hectic than the gigantic capital. Moreover, it’s also the greener city having a lot of trees and parks, while Tehran is more a sand colored and dusty city. Actually, Tehran looks like many Middle East cities. Just bigger than most of them and with mountains in the background.
It was time to meet Sahand. A taxi took me to his apartment, which seemed to be in an upper-middle class area. It was a block full of houses protected by security guards. I could see Sahand from afar coming to the entrance gate. He has a vivid character and is one of the most likeable people I’ve ever met while traveling. The welcome was very warm, as we already were introduced to each other in Zurich a few months ago.
After (late) lunch, Sahand took me to a cafe where the young people meet. When you don’t have bars, you go to cafes instead. The coffee tasted terrible there (it’s by the way hard to find good coffee in Iran, this is not a coffee nation), but we soon met Sahand’s friends there, all of them girls. Not all of them spoke English. One of them whose English skills were almost zero worked as a English teacher though. The one I liked the most was Mahtab, also a very lively character. She relatively quickly wanted to introduce me to her dad…
After taking dozens of pictures with all the guys, Sahand and I headed to his grandmother, where we would spend the night. Before we entered, he told me that I should wait until his grandmother put on her hijab. ‘Well, forget that’ the grandmother apparently thought, as she didn’t wear it when I entered. We weren’t the only guests. Sahand’s uncle, his wife and their daughter were there too. So, there I was, sitting in the middle of Sahand’s family, following the family discussions in Farsi. And after a while, we went to bed.
Sightseeing in Isfahan
Isfahan is a compact city, although not a small one, as almost 2 million people live there. Anyway, it is not as sprawling as Tehran and most of the sights are located close to each other. Sahand took me to the most important site of Isfahan: Naqsh-e Jahan Square. This square is in the center of the city and it is one of the largest in the world.
There are several sights attached to this square, but the masterpiece is without a doubt the Shah Mosque. It’s one of the most beautiful mosque I’ve seen so far. It was praying time when we were there. Out of respect I didn’t enter the mosque although I could have. However, I don’t see it right to stare at people who are praying. They should be left alone.
Mahtab and her sister joined us too. Together we went to a restaurant next to the square. I still don’t exactly know what I was eating, I think it was minced lamb, but it was the only dish I didn’t like in Iran. “Like it or love it?” Sahand usually asked when I tried something new. Neither of them would have been the answer this time, but fortunately Sahand didn’t ask. 🙂 Generally, I absolutely enjoyed the food in Iran. The country has one of the best cuisines in the world in my opinion.
The people in Iran
When I buy a Lonely Planet (what I don’t do anymore by the way), I first check the author’s highlights on the first pages. In the Iran edition the author ranks “meet the people” as the best highlight of the country. And I absolutely understand why. All the people I met were incredible, but sometimes a misunderstanding made things complicated…
Sahand and I were sitting in one of the few places in Isfahan where you can get decent coffee. Suddenly, a musician (actually a beggar) enters the place and comes straight to our table. The two Iranians start chatting and the beggar asks Sahand about my nationality. When Sahand told him that I was from Switzerland the beggar asks where that is. He then starts playing a song for me with his mini-guitar. When the song was over I ask Sahand how much I should give the man and Sahand said “give him 10.” So I did. The beggar curses and leaves the bar.
What went wrong? The currency in Iran is the Iranian Rial. However, the Iranian call their currency Toman, which was the name of the currency before the Rial was introduced. If you hear Toman, you have to deduct a zero, as 1 Toman are 10 Rial. When Sahand said 10 he meant Toman. Instead, I gave the poor guy 10 Rial, which are worth about 10 Cents.
This was a bad example though, as almost all encounters were more than pleasant. Especially with Sahand’s family. Sahand lives together with his parents and his two older brothers. All of them were lovely people. But whom I liked the most after Sahand was his father. Very educated and humeros, always making jokes and of course also a very hospitable man.
Nevertheless, sometimes I forgot the country’s customs. There was a situation when I was in a car with Sahand’s (girl)friend(?) Nelly and a friend of hers while Sahand was doing something else. I was sitting in the back of the car, when Nelly suddenly stopped and asked if I want to sit in the front seat. “Sure, why not” I said and moved to the front. A few minutes later, the two girls mentioned that their culture is very different from mine. I didn’t understand first, but then I realized that it was a taroof. I should have rejected the offer at least twice before accepting it. Although I was longer in Iran than one week, I already forgot these customs.
Iranian everyday life
As I said, I didn’t do a lot of sightseeing in Iran but did what my hosts were doing instead. Like joining Pazy’s date. I also went to see a real estate Sahand wanted to buy. In 2018, he opened his hostel in Isfahan and I don’t think that there could be a better host than him. Anyway, I was part of the evaluation process and really want to know how his hostel turned out. He promised me the presidential suite when I come back. 🙂
Another thing I saw was an emergency room from the inside. At one point, Sahand’s father felt a terrible pain in his stomach. Of course, all the family members immediately came to the hospital to check if he was alright. Sahand took me with him. First, they didn’t allow me to enter the emergency room, but when Sahand told them that I was a foreigner they let me in. The condition of a hospital tells you a lot about the wealth of a country, and the hospital in Isfahan didn’t look bad. Not Swiss standards but far from a developing country.
Generally, I didn’t see a lot of poverty in Iran because Iran is not a poor country. Some people certainly struggle, but in my view most Iranians do fine.
Preparing for Shiraz
My original plan was traveling to Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz, where I would do a day trip to Persepolis. For me, it was clear to visit Tehran and Isfahan, but I wasn’t sure about Shiraz in the beginning. Other options would have been Mashhad, Yadz or even Kish Island. Eventually, I was convinced that Shiraz including Persepolis would be the ideal place to finish my journey.
Sahand and I went to the bus terminal to buy a bus ticket to Shiraz. It was an overnight ride, which should last 7-8 hours. The ticket price was 7 Dollars. I was looking forward to Shiraz. Not only because it was a new city, but I also needed a bit time for myself. As I was doing couchsurfing for over a week, I always had people around me. Having company was nice of course, but it was also exhausting not to have a single hour just for myself.
The next morning, I packed my stuff and got ready to say goodbye to everyone. My bus was leaving at night, so I would have one more day in Isfahan. I didn’t book a hotel in Shiraz yet, as Iran is a country, in which you only have to book in advance during Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. Nevertheless, I didn’t want to wait until the last second, so I called the hotel I preferred… booked out! Okay, bad luck. I tried the second one. Also booked out. When the third hotel told me that they were booked out, I couldn’t believe it anymore.
Shiraz ain’t happening
As Iran is not a major tourist destination, you will not find hundreds of hotels in every city. Not even in Tehran with its almost 9 million inhabitants. Usually, you find 12-20 hotels in the big cities. I found about 15 hotels in Shiraz and I called all of them just to get confirmed that they were booked out. A national holiday was the reason that I couldn’t find a place to stay. The more I called the more nervous I got. Sahand was more relaxed than me. “You will be in Shiraz tomorrow, don’t worry” he promised.
Although I didn’t want to sleep on someone’s couch anymore, I tried to find a host on couchsurfing. I also registered for a premium account, as I could only send a certain amount of requests per day with the basic membership. Only one guy replied, but his apartment looked terrible on the pictures and he also wanted money from me. I knew that it wasn’t realistic anymore to find a place in Shiraz.
Nelly and Sahand also tried to reach a few people. That was a process that was going on from the morning until the evening. Both were very optimistic and told me not to worry. However, I realised that Iranians have a different view on commitment than I do. In Switzerland, when you say something is going to happen it most probably will happen, unless a totally unexpected thing happens. In Iran, when you say something is going to happen it usually means that you have no idea but maybe it will. That was my impression at least.
That day way very stressful and I was really pissed. When I’m stressed, I need to solve problems immediately. Nelly and Sahand were more like ‘don’t worry, we’re gonna chill now but we will check again in two hours.’ In this situation I did what every male single child would do. Frustrated I sent my mother in Switzerland a few text messages indirectly blaming her for the whole situation…
Finally, Nelly offered a solution. She called a few people and a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend agreed to let me sleep at his place. However, I wasn’t sure whether I liked that solution. My first priority was having a bit time for myself. The second priority would have been sleeping at someone’s couch, but in this case I wanted to pick this person. Nelly just gave me a number and said I should call the man as soon as I arrive in Shiraz. The more time passed the less I liked the idea. Time was running out and I needed to make a decision. So, I booked a flight back to Dubai two days earlier than planned.
Nelly was super pissed when I told her that. As she had put a lot of effort in finding a host for me, her anger was absolutely understandable for me. Perhaps, I should have made it clear in the beginning that sleeping at a random person’s place wasn’t the option I preferred. When I told Nelly that I won’t go to Shiraz, she did what every girlfriend would do in that situation: she lost her temper with Sahand. Sahand understood me though. And it wasn’t an easy decision either. I really wanted to see Shiraz. Sahand also offered me to stay three more days in Isfahan. It was a nice gesture, but I told him that traveling means seeing different places for me and I really wanted to see another place (which was Abu Dhabi in the end).
Last day in Iran
I really hate it when plans go wrong, but that’s the risk when you don’t book in advance. I had to go back to Dubai anyway, as I my flight to Iraq departed from the Emirate a few days later. However, I now had three more nights in Dubai instead of one, but that was ok, as there were still enough things to do for me in Dubai. And it gave me time to visit Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.
My flight was in the evening and I had one more day to spend in Isfahan. Sahand took me to a mall, where we had an amazing lunch. Iranian malls obviously don’t sell international brands like Nike due to the sanctions, but it’s still possible to get these brands in the country.
It was time again to say goodbye, but as most of the people I met there were studying or at work I could only text them. Anyway, I didn’t want to leave Iran without saying goodbye to Sahand’s Dad, who was still in the hospital. He was feeling better though and fortunately he left the hospital just after I left the country. The hardest part was saying goodbye to Sahand. He was such a great host and I always recommend him to other people who travel to Iran.
It was in the late afternoon, when I ordered a tap30 (the Uber in Isfahan) and left Isfahan. Three hours later, I was back in Dubai, a place full of glamour but with no soul compared to Iran.
My travel experience in the (not so) Islamic Republic of Iran
When people ask me whether Iran is a worthy travel destination or not I always say yes. However, Iran is a country for the mature traveler. People who usually do backpacking in Southeast Asia or South America might get a culture shock in the Islamic Republic. Most importantly, Iran is not a party destination. Someone who likes drinking during holidays might find his luck in Iran anyway (as I did), but it’s definitely not the same experience than in Cambodia, Brazil or Mexico, where you can hop from bar to bar.
Iran is a country for people interested in culture and history. The highlight are indeed the people. Iranians are the nicest people in the world and you will receive a special treatment as a foreigner. Unfortunately, I don’t look like a foreigner in Iran and people usually approached me in Farsi, as they thought that I was Persian. That’s why a didn’t always get the outstanding hospitality on the streets that I would have gotten when I had blonde hair and blue eyes. The Iranians do everything to show visitors that Iran is completely different from what media teaches us in the Western world.
It’s true, many people in Europe (and especially in the U.S.) still think that Iran is a country full of jihadist barbarians, which cannot be more wrong. In Switzerland, many people wouldn’t even know that the people in Iran are Persians and not Arabs, which makes me feel ashamed. Iranians are highly educated and cultivated people. I said to Sahand that Persians secretly live more or less a Western lifestyle. He said it’s not true, but what I meant was that Iranians have the same interests as we have back home: hanging out, dating, TV shows, fast food, drinking etc. Religion doesn’t have the most important role for many Iranians.
I’m still sad that I couldn’t leave Iran without traveling to Shiraz. But postponed is not abandoned. I promised Sahand that I will revisit Iran before I finish my journey to 197 countries and I am a man of my word. There are still many interesting places in Iran, which I haven’t seen yet. Moreover, I can also use Iran as a base to visit neighbouring countries like Turkmenistan. We will see…
All in all, my country no. 50 was a special one. It was the first time I did couchsurfing and this authentic way of traveling was by far the best choice for Iran. It will be interesting how Iran will be in 15-20 years. Iran now is back on the international political stage and an important force in the Middle East. The government is also not as strict anymore as ten years ago. In Isfahan, I could see a girl walking and a tattoo on her ankle was visible. Sahand told me that wouldn’t have been possible ten years ago.
Still, Iran is stricter than other countries and people who thought the country will open up under president Hassan Rouhani might be slightly disappointed by now. Nevertheless, most leaders of the Islamic Revolution don’t live anymore. It’s gonna be interesting to see if their successors will keep that heritage or if they try to change the country. I really hope the latter would happen so that I will see an open and liberal Iran someday.
Find the travel reports of the other countries I’ve visited here!
