Ispahan-Kashan-Tehran-Mashad

During our 30 days in Iran we visited 9 towns. We took 8 long distance buses, 13 city buses, 2 modern trains, 4 Tehrani metros and… 22 taxis (including 6 savaris, shared cars).

We ate 20 chelo kebabs (with rice), drank 18 delicious fruit shakes, tens of litres of water, dozens of cays (local tea).

We sent 7 postcards (did any of them arrive?), spent 15 hours on the Net, gave 3 international phone calls (after 7 unsuccessful attempts).

We managed to avoid the way of 2 rats and spotted 5 cockroaches during a home stay.

Maïté had 3 scarf warnings by the Guardians of the Revolution while J-F spent 1 dollar for his new haircut.

Most of all we made countless Iranian friends and we can tell that the country’s hospitality is not a myth…

Some other remarkable facts and figures about Iran:

-Men and women are separated in the public buses.

-During an overnight journey, a train would stop twice for the prayer and everybody would have to leave the carriage to join the station’s prayer room…

-1 liter of oil (0.1 USD) is twice as cheap as 1 litre of water (0.2 USD), some other prices: loaf of bread 0.025 USD, metro ticket 0.075 USD, double room 8-25 USD (depending on category), restaurant for 2 person 3-10 USD…

-The proportion of women at university is 65%.

-Iran is the 4th biggest oil producer in the world and detains the 2nd largest oil and gas reserves. Still the country is importing 40% of its oil products due to the lack of refineries (worth 5 billion USD a year).

-7 million cars pollute Iranian roads half of them in and around Tehran.

-Tap water is drinkable almost everywhere (in opposition to all neighbour countries).

-Iran is the 1st pistachio producer in the world.

-The National Jewels Museum of Tehran houses the Darya-ye-Nur a pink diamond of 182 carat which is said to be the largest uncut diamond in the world.

-Each year 12 million pilgrims go to the Holy Shrine of Iman Reza (8th Iman of the Shiia) in Mashad, North Eastern Iran.

-Persepolis a 125,000 sq metres site built by Darius and his successors during the Achaemenid Empire was burned to the ground during Alexander the Great’s « visit » in 330 BC.

-About 250,000 Iranians live in California where they have their own TV channel. The mayor of Beverly Hills was even an Iranian.

View from the hill surrounding Mashad, North East of Iran: