Persian Perambulations

Well, our Persian adventure has come to an end and I feel rather sad.

It was a holiday in which: I almost lost a a daughter and gained a son; I realised what a young country we are here in the UK; and I was touched many times by the warmth and care of a diverse community.

On our arrival we were stopped at Iranian passport control. The official disappeared into a back office before re-appearing with a box of sweets which was offered to each one of us as we entered the country; and then had our first taste of local Iranians asking us where we were from, why we were there, what we thought of Iran and then shaking us warmly by the hand whilst welcoming us.

Our group consisted of: Nine people; two families; aged from 12 to 53; and included two young ladies.

In short we stayed for eleven days, were well looked after and had a wonderful time. You can view some photos here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/...s/72157645941842415/

In this short report I will examine:

1. The Practicalities of visiting Iran;

2. The Place;

3. The People; and

4. The Politics.

The Practicalities of visiting Iran

In this section I will discuss:

1. Arranging the visit;

2. Clothing;

3. Ramadan; and

4. The costs.

Arranging the Visit

I have wanted to visit Iran for decades, since I shared a lab with Iranians and Iraqis in a laboratory at Sussex University, when it still had a first class Molecular Science faculty.

My friend Andrew was also keen to visit and so we discussed it in 2013, I started to research the trip in December of that year. We had agreed that we wanted to minimise flight costs, and give us a plan B in case we were refused visas or entry at the border.

The visas for UK residents are not straightforward and are expensive. Due to the lack of an Embassy in London we had to go to another country as, in common with the US, we cannot fly to Iran and apply on entry. This has to be done in advance and we require an invitation. Also, in common with our American cousins, we need to be escorted within Iran, which dictated using a tour company and a guide. Frankly, I would have done this anyway, it is too easy to offend without meaning to in a country where there are, perhaps, limited shared cultural touch points. We elected to collect the visas from Dublin, which involved the 'Heads of the Families', Andrew and myself, flying to Dublin with forms, photos and money. The man in the small office next to the Embassy gate was helpful, but the opening hours are limited and the visas took a few hours to complete and add to our passports; however, there is a nearby coffee shop where we bought some nice cakes.

We decided to fly to Van in South Eastern Turkey and enter Iran via one of the two nearby boundary points. This gave us the option to then holiday in Turkey in case of any issues. The flights were via Istanbul, and included internal flights. On the return this meant that we had to change from the Sabiha Gokcen airport to Ataturk international airport in Istanbul. This was straightforward, with one bus change.

I researched online using various travel blogs and made a short-list of three Iranian tour companies. I sent them the same email explaining our situation and needs, and asking for their availability and a rough order of costs. Two replied and one was especially efficient at responding to the original request and follow up questions: Arian Tours (tours@arian-tour.com).

We wanted to be met at Van airport, assisted through customs and immigration and then escorted around Iran. We had decided to stay on Iranian Azerbaijan, not on the main tourist trails, but near the North Western border.

The FCO has designated Iran as a place to only visit if absolutely necessary, which made getting Travel Insurance difficult ...and therefore expensive. I had decided that the greatest risk we faced was from traffic and so insurance was a must for me.

A visit to our GP was required for our Rabies booster and other jabs. The advantage of the Rabies jab(s) is that as well as extending the time to get medical assistance it means that you can be treated with further vaccine, not immuno-globulin, which is far easier to store and so more likely to be available.

Clothing

I had read a number of blogs and was confident that we were not entering compulsory Burkha/Chador territory, unless our female contingent wanted to dress like that.

My wife took my daughters to Tooting were they were sold black voluminous robes by helpful, but misinformed, shopkeepers.

I emailed Maryam, one of the two primary contacts I had with Arian Tours. She sent me back a VERY amused email advising me that I had the completely the wrong idea about Iran and to get our money back. I didn't protest my innocence but discussed it with my wife, we kept the 'black stuff' but also bought a series of tops that covered the ladies backsides and white light cotton trousers, together with scarves to form Hijabs.

When in public the girls all wore their scarves as Hijabs. When in the van or hotel rooms these were dispensed with.

Here are some links with photos showing the range of clothing:

http://www.humansofnewyork.com/tagged/iran
http://bigtrip10.blogspot.co.u...iran-june-15-17.html
http://www.heartmybackpack.com...g-solo-through-iran/
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g293998-i9139-k6458849-http://Travelling_in_Iran_Our_Travel_Blog-Iran.html

Ramadan

Due to school and university commitments we had to travel in July and during Ramadan. We fully expected to have to abstain from food during the day, until Iftar, generally about 21:15.

In the event we had no issues getting food and eating. Out of politeness we did not wander the streets eating and drinking but hotel restaurants and shops were open.

The Costs

The Tour £570pp

(pp = per person)

This included our van, guides, driver, hotel rooms and lunch for ten days.

The Insurance £70pp

Immunisations £50 per rabies jab

Flights £400pp

Sundries £150pp

This included fees, dinner, drinks and gifts.

Visas £142pp

Visa Visit £190pp (For Andrew & I)

Overall a cost of approximately £1430pp.

Exchange rate: 50,000 Rial = £1.

The Place

In this section I will discuss:

1. The Boundaries;

2. The History;

3. Distance and time.

The Boundaries

I won't spend too long here, I am sure you can read a map at least as well as I but, just to emphasise, this is a BIG country.

We had a number of discussions as I was keen to visit Isfahan and Persepolis. However, this would have both increased the cost, as a flight into Tehran would have been required, and removed the 'plan B' option. We therefore stuck with plan A, which involved a tour around Lake Orumieh. This took us down the part of Iran bordering with Iraq, and used as part of the battleground in the 1980s. This part of Iran is known as Eastern Azerbaijan, or Southern Azerbaijan in Azerbaijan.

The History

Well, this is why you really should go. This is a land steeped in history. As we feel towards the peoples of the USA the Iranians can rightly look upon the European and even the Chinese.

I won't even try and present my ill informed and formed ideas here. Just to say the names and peoples I have read and heard about seemed to leap into some form of reality in these places. The tragedy is that peoples often feel obliged to destroy what came before when they sweep into power, especially the Mongols. What is left is a patchwork that hints at much while robbing us of resolved detail. What is beyond doubt is the civilisation that has existed here for millennia before even the Egyptians. It was fascinating to read of the bloody nose delivered to the Romans, both in classical and Byzantine times.

Distance and Time

This is a topic that I would advise any potential traveller to this region to pay particular attention. Looking at the distances on a map I believed that the journey times would be reasonable. In the event although many of the roads were well metalled when approaching sites we frequently had a couple of hours on poor roads, this extended the journey times so that much grumbling was heard. Here Ali came to the fore as we discussed the possibility to change the itinerary. My fear was that the agreed route would be non-negotiable, but Ali had no such concerns and things were changed on-the-fly. This meant we saw less, but the feel was less of a route march and more of a holiday. My misreading rescued by Arian Tours.

The People

In this section I will discuss:

1. Our guides;

2. Commercial staff; and

3. The Iranian People.

Our Guides

I cannot praise Ali, Hesam, Amin and Maryam enough, they were truly hospitable. They cared for us, acted as hosts and ensured that everything went to plan, even organising a van to take us to an Armenian church in Turkey on our way home. My feeling was and is that these are good people, not simply professional. My current plan is to return to Iran in a couple of years, and I will use their services again.

Commercial Staff

The staff at the hotels, the restaurants and in the shops were all friendly and helpful. If they spoke English then questions and conversation would quickly be sparked.

The Iranian People

When walking through small towns and cities there was no doubt that we caused heads to turn, and Hesam and Ali were questioned. I was not aware of any negative connotations. I was addressed directly on walks and struck questions which I answered in a straightforward and personal way. The topics included: Where are you from? Why have you come here? What do you think of Iran? What do you think of the USA? Why do you not like Germans (keyed by the current issues in the EU)?

Another topic, that gives some insight perhaps into the cultural differences between some Iranians and some in the UK, was my wife and I. Juliette was adopted in Hong Kong and bought up in the UK by her parents who were serving in the Royal Navy in the late 1950s. One young lady commented that we in the UK were obviously, 'A very tolerant people'.

Generally the people I spoke to were more positive about the USA than the UK.

On one occasion our vehicle had a problem, a passing van stopped and assisted us, following us after the issue had been fixed to ensure we were OK, and then stopping and sharing honeydew melons with us. This is a people who are truly caring. I have no doubt they have their fair share of bigots and crooks, but all I met with was interest and goodwill; and on one occasion an offer of marriage to my elder daughter! This came from the potential groom's mother who offered her a flat, a car and relatives in New York.

I did discuss ISIS and the current problems in Iraq, with the increasing independence of the Kurds. Our hosts saw the Kurds in Iran as Iranian first and Kurdish second. The population in is mainly Persian but there are a range of peoples within its borders. Coming from a country where our own unity is being examined & challenged I will not comment, except to say that in a world where resources may become increasingly rare can it be a good thing to fragment peoples into ever smaller groupings?

The Politics

In this section I will discuss:

1. Rules; and

2. Enforcement.

Rules

It was explained to me that Iran has soft and hard 'No's.

A hard no would include male and females swimming together.

A soft no would include binding a Hijab closely to your head and showing no hair.

My advice, get a good guide and be advised by them. If you choose not to do this then I hope this briefing may assist you.

Enforcement

The religious police are currently a thing of the past. However, there is still oversight of the tourist. Not to the extent of North Korea, but still exists. On one occasion we came down for breakfast to find the police had been in the previous evening and the required Ali to present himself at the station at 0900, as they claimed he should have registered there the previous day. Ali went early and got permission for us to continue with the driver whilst he worked his way through the bureaucracy. In due course the Police Commissioner made himself known and apparently apologised for an over-zealous officer.

Conclusion

I am saddened that something long planned and looked forward too is over so soon, but consoled by the warm memories of some genuine and friendly people. My memories are not of the historic places as much as of the people who I enjoyed sharing too brief a time with.

Thank you Ali, Hesam, Maryam and Amin.