Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Yazd, Shiraz, Tehran & Home

I'm gonna compress my last 3 stops in Iran into one, especially because towards the end for me it became more about the people than the places.

So from Esfahan, we went to Yazd, where we looked up a guide from our LP book and as luck would have it, Moj Taba came into our lives. A pleasant congenial chap, full of stories, entrepreneurial, and funny. He took us on a ride to Kharanaq, the Silent Hills of the Zoroastrians and even helped us get our first water pipe.

From Yazd we made our way to Shiraz to gaze on the ruins of Persepolis. It was disappointing, especially coming from seeing Hieropolis in Turkey. Not an awful lot to see honestly, a 1/2 day is more than sufficient.

We also celebrated New Year's in Shiraz with some mates we met on the road. We started with a nice dinner, then some shisha, non-alcoholic beer and then sparklers. It was good, it was also the most sober New Year's ever for me, which was a nice turn.

Then Tehran round 2. Only this time it was so much more meaningful and fun thanks to Javad and the Tizmaghz family. From dinner, to the flea market, to the family lunch. We were family, for that I'll always be eternally grateful. There was no better way to end our trip in Iran.

Iran gave me a lot more than I gave her. I made friends for a lifetime. The country redefined beauty and humility for me. It's hard to put it all into words but it's embedded deep in my soul. I'll end here with a big thank you to both Iran and Turkey. Much love.