Iran - a country of paradox

In beginning of September, our standard traveling crew, enriched by Eva, visited Iran - a very controversial country with extremely nice people and a beautiful landscape. The biggest controversy is the strict Muslim political regime, which gives a lot of restrains on society (especially women) and has created only enemies outside its borders. On the other hand, Iranians are probably the nicest people in the world. They are also very educated, open-minded, well informed and live a completely different life within the walls of their houses. Iran is also a very vast country, with deserts, high mountain ranges, lakes and even lush jungles at the Caspian coast. Below are a few snapshots of our colorful trip.

Teheran, with a population of almost 16 million people, stretches all the way to the Albroz Mountains. The highest is Mt. Demevand (5610m), which is not far from the capital.

We were hosted by Bahram and his wife Sudi. My father met Bahram exactly 32 years ago, on his hitchhiking trip to India. With shorter and longer pauses, they stayed in touch over the years.

In northern Iran we were hosted by Bahram's family and friends, who were all very hospitable. Also note that all Iranian apartments and houses have a huge but lightly furnished living room, which can easily be transformed into a practical dining and sleeping area for relatives and other guests.

Iran is ethnically very diverse, while the government gives relative freedom to different religious and ethnic groups. Above is a photo of a Kurdish wedding in northern Iran and a modern Zoroastrian temple in Isfahan.

We climbed Mt. Sabalan (4811m), which is located in northern Iran. The mountain is an extinct volcano and has a small lake on the very top.

Even though there are no classical bars to hang out and alcohol is strictly forbidden, Iranians are very social and often prepare picnics in the open, many times lasting late into the night. Saturdays and Sundays are working days, while Fridays are free.

As I mentioned, Iranians are very open minded and west-oriented, when it comes to  their lives at home. Many of them have western furniture, satellite TV and they spend a lot of time on the Internet. They also love to organize parties, with homemade alcohol and western music.

Isfahan is a magnificent historical city, about 400km south of Teheran. Despite very beautiful attractions there are almost no foreign tourists.

Overall I can say Iran was something completely different from what we expected, however, worth every single day that we spent there. When I someday return, the political situation might change.. yet I'm sure the breathtaking landscape and the kind people are there to stay.