Iran 2002 - End of trip notes

Notes from 2002 Trip

• While I was here Bush stated on the news that the Iranian government needs to be changed.
• The Religious Police arrested 140 participants at a speech that "offended the clergy". They warned a high-ranking speaker to discontinue "providing assistance to the enemy".
• My wife's father's driver side mirror was broken off by a bus driving too close. It happened at a spot that had lots of police handy. When they told them to move their vehicles a little up the road, the bus driver sped off. The police told Pedar "oh well, he will be caught some day".
• Five or six times the neighborhood water supply was either cut off or cut back to a trickle in the evenings for rationing. This happens weekly on rotation during the - 100 degree heat with no water, air conditioning, toilet, etc. This time of the year, Mashhad is at its peak population due to annual vacations and pilgrimage to the Harram.
• Thousands rally in Tehran against the USA for Bush's written statement about Iran.
• At the same time, thousands rally in Tehran against their own Iran government.

My Safety

With the exception of traffic and deteriorating conditions due to sanctions and poor maintenance, I am completely safe in Iran. I've never been anywhere in the world so open, warm and welcoming. I am greeted everywhere with respect and consideration. This includes common people, youth, old, everyone.

Traffic

This is a complex subject. The traffic in Iran is an example of public anarchy. There is almost no attention paid to right-of-way or basic safety rules, especially concerning pedestrians. Autos converge in mass at intersections with 5-inch space between them, and a strong show of vehicular intimidation. Everyone is very focused on where they are intending to go. Most traffic issues get by with a little honking, but patience is measured in seconds, and everyone gets out of their cars after 20 seconds to see what-the-hell is the matter. Three, four, five or six cars side-by-side share a single-lane left turn lane, as the cross-traffic light turns yellow, cars behind you begin to beep and encourage you to move into that cross-traffic. Motorcycles ignore red lights and as traffic lightens, so do many autos. In the middle of all this, pedestrians (including children, but always with adults) migrate across the street knowing that oncoming cars will not stop, but will veer left or right around them --  to cross the street you advance five feet/wait, advance five feet/wait, etc. Fortunately, the traffic is mostly under 30 MPH. Seat belts are seldom worn and are unavailable in the back seat. Child seats are neither required nor used. It is common to see five or six people stuffed in to a subcompact, or a family of three-four on a 125cc motorbike. (When it is four, I notice it is always child, father, child, wife - with the father driving the bike and each parent holding a child in place). Almost all of the cars are the Iran-made compact called the Paykan (Farsi for "Arrow"). The uniform size and performance of all vehicles is the only reason there are not more injuries or deaths in traffic. The driving habits are exhibited by all classes of people, from blue-collar to professional.

OK, so why is traffice so bad? Here are several reasons given to me during my visit:

1. A lot of drivers are recent-villagers who do not understand how to drive (many of them are taxi drivers); others are forced to drive the same way or never get anywhere.
2. Drivers disrespect even the simplest of traffic controls as an infringement of their freedom. These "freedoms" were won at the Revolution where the people believe (rightly or wrongly) that they overthrew a tyrannical dictator (the Shaw and CIA).
3. Drivers are acting passive-aggressive, using traffic as a message to the government that they do not believe they are properly addressing their needs.
4.  The driving habits have become a "culture" and are now inescapable.

Taxis

The busiest streets of Iran are full of taxis. I would guess 15-20% are acting as taxis. Where events are to start or end, they back up for a mile, honking and jockeying for an inch better position. There are "official" taxis, but the overwhelming bulk are ad-hoc taxis, as if you or I drove around town and picked up passengers. Unless prearranged, Taxis in Iran do not take you door-to-door, they run like busses along specific routes. So you might need to catch two or more taxis to get to a specific place. Since there are no meters, price is normally whatever is most commonly accepted for a given route - for a Westerner it pays to ask someone else about price before getting in a taxi. The volume of taxi usage is partly driven by the lack of parking (I heard lots of complaints about this), the sheer danger of driving yourself, and that most spouses are left without a vehicle when the other goes to work. Then again, I am told that many people commute to work via taxi. The common practice is to lean out from the curb and mouth your destination to an open window passing by. If the driver agrees, they stop otherwise they drive on. Also, taxis will pick up as many people as the car will hold along its path. The biggest danger from these drivers is that they may spot a potential passenger and dart from the left lane to the right across all traffic to pick them up. If you ever ride in one of these cabs, bring exact change because somehow you never get any back for various reasons beyond the drivers control!

People and hospitality (they go together)

Other than the traffic mentioned above, the Iranian people are the most hospitable and generous you will ever find. At every opportunity they smile and greet you placing a hand over their heart and a polite nod. It is heartfelt and not at all faked for any concealed motive. Some of this was directed at me because I am a visiting American, but I also saw it expressed in general at the least opportunity. I should say that, as a non-Iranian, I normally had to acknowledge a strangers stare, before they would go through these motions. I began to see this as a sign of respect, not to interrupt me. At every (each and every) social gathering, tea is served before and after a meal, along with various fruits, cold sweet drinks, Coke-a-Cola, etc. In a home it is the husband or an older child that normally presents the refreshments. Oh, and they are never simply set out for you, they are offered to you in a way that allows you to refuse. However, this initiates an other common practice among Iranians called the "Tarouf". Here the host offers something on a gold or silver platter held by two hands, bending from the waist and nodding to the items. The guest politely says no-thank you. The host persists and this goes on several times until the guest either does or does not take an item. If the guest does select, say an apricot, the host invariably turns the tray and suggests a complementary item such as grapes or cherries. Some hosts are really, really good at this and it is marvelous to watch from a distance.

Refreshments fall into distinct categories:

1. Tea and on the side, sugar or "ghand" which is rougher cut and less refined
2. Mellon - green "Mashhad'e" melon, watermelon, honeydew, etc.
3. Cookies or sweets or assorted nuts
4. Assortment of fruits - apricots, cherries, peaches, apples, and the requisite Iranian cucumber
5. Ice cream or Jell-O - the ice cream is either sherbet or tri-color creamy with walnuts and pistachios

I have had this generosity expressed to me at the bank, at the jewelers, the music instrument shop, at every home including my wife, the University Deans and Chancellor's office, Zoohr Khoneh, and each of the half-dozen companies we visited. I also have had countless silent encounters with strangers on the street who, acknowledging that I am not from Iran, wait for a sign from me (they do not express before I do), then nod, mouth Salaam, and put their hand to their heart. It is a very beautiful and heartfelt symphony.

The same thing happens at doors where each parleys for the position of the most humble by encouraging the other to go through first. It often becomes a pleasant point of humor to everyone.
It amazes me the lengths they go to to show their honor to a guest. When at one my wife's companies, I was to join the VP for lunch in the company cafeteria. Although I noticed no phone calls, when we arrived at the dinning hall, a place was set for us with real china and sliver. In general, refreshment at public places appear as if from nowhere by a willing servant.

If, as an American, I speak a little Farsi, they are overjoyed and full of praise. It is a culture where pubic expressions of emotion are subdued and anger is never expressed. From my observation, this is true and it makes being here a delight. (Again, the rules get a little fuzzy in traffic).

  

Our Shiraz Guide

Akbar Afkar: Many of you have read or heard of the book "Searching for Hassan". Through absolute divine intervention (and some help from my wife) we had the same person that served as guide for Terence Ward in this book. What a great man! He brought out the best of Shiraz and the Iranian people for us. If you have read this book, please let us give you his contact information so you may drop him a line or better, make a visit. We do, at any cost, plan again to visit Akbar.

  

Local Police

Useless except for directions or if you actually have an accident with injuries. There is no "911" service.

  

Religious Police

I am told they are not very active in Mashhad, but exceedingly active in Tehran. Apparently they are not to be fooled with, even for a curious person like myself. I would not suffer much harm, but it could be expensive for my wife's family to get me home, etc. More on this later.

  

Newspapers

I read two newspapers daily; the Iran Daily and the Tehran Times. They are from the political left and right, respectively. News presented in either might be the exact opposite interpretation. For example, Bush has been pressuring Russia to not provide nuclear technology to Iran (in the form of a power plant). The Daily said Russia agreed to discontinue the support, the Times said Russia was defiant against the meddling USA and would provide support anyway. I believe the correct answer is that Russia will deliver work in progress, then stop to reevaluate. I saw now "editorial" pages and I get the impression that you cannot really freely write as you wish without some retribution. I saw a few instances of this where a paper had to retract a statement because it offended the government. In general, the papers do not go into much detail on an issue and the papers are between 10-20 pages in size, about the same as an American sports section. The Times is very narrowly written to support the religious cleric rulers. The Daily does contain arguments from both sides and BOTH papers contain massive amount of discussion of international issues. The Times condemns Bush at every turn and speaks in dogmatic hyperbola while the Daily seems to express opposing viewpoints.
I think the image we get at home about Iran is directly from this political hard wing side - they speak like they are being attacked and they immediately rebuke every action as a threat against Islam and their authority. At one point during my visit, the editor of the Daily made a remark that he had to recall because the clerics felt it slandered the ruling class.

  

In general, the newspapers ridicule Bush and our foreign policy. Actually that is not complete; they also run AP articles published in Europe about the USA that are very informative about our policies and the opinions of the other half of the world. I dare say, these opinions never make our news.

  

Internet/Satellite TV/VCR's

Everyone has access though the government has tried to prohibit access. Local TV is all government sponsored and controlled. Very boring according to the locals.
Technology resources
I am told that lack of access to higher technology stems from these root causes:

1. US sanctions make capital investment from other countries difficult. Iran has access to the technology, but can not afford to purchase, support or maintain it for lack of investment from countries that possesses the technology. Universities are able to study newer technology, but not able to obtain practical experience for the same reasons.
2. ALL systems in Iran are of substandard technology - Finance, Information Systems, Construction, Manufacturing, etc. It is difficult to upgrade one technology while the other areas remain incapable of integration.
3. The government does not support or encourage corporations to advance their technology. Evidence of this is everywhere from simple traffic control to inferior autos and safety practices in manufacturing plants.

Restrooms

The Middle East toilet is different than that of the West. Without going into detail, it is designed such that no part of the toilet comes into contact with the body. In all restrooms, cleaning yourself is accomplished by a water spraying mechanism (like a European bidet) and/or paper. Again, the overall concept is cleanliness and this is a paramount concern in Islamic life. Fortunately for me, most hotels and homes are equipped with an "American" toilet also. When asking directions to the restroom, it is often funny to be directed by a gracious host to the "proper" room, cognizant of my non-Middle East heritage.

  

What they think of W. Bush

This was surprising! They are in agreement with the majority of Americans in that they think Bush is an inexperienced fool-hardy warmonger that insults and demonizes nations rather then encouraging dialog or specific action. However, in relation to the Middle East, he is "their kind of guy" as one Iranian said. "He actually is the sort of president that can accomplish what is needed in places like Iran, we just wish he would push harder." In his capacity as President of America, they look to him to push the ruling class in to some sort of action and to partly rescue them from their current situation. And because, in his own way, he is moving this task forward, they like him. They, as do I, hate his blind stance on the conflict between Israel and Palestine. And, it was a pure accident that Bush ended up between restrooms and money on this commentary section.

  

Money

Everything is in cash in Iran. Residents do not have credit cards, though some larger business try to provide this to tourists. The basic monetary unit is the Ryial ("ree all") which is valued about 750R to one dollar. It costs 1000R for a glass of coke, about $1.30. The largest bill is 10,000R, so larger purchases require stacks of cash. Banks pay significantly less for a US Dollar than the black market. This alternative market is not "hidden" as dozens of money changers roam the streets near the banks with wads of cash in their hands. Lack of credit causes interesting situations. Many items are 'pre-pay'. For example, internet access at the home requires someone to physically go to the provider and pay an advanced amount for them to turn service back on. Utility bills do come to the house, but residents pay their electric and water bills by again physically going to the bank. I am told that a credit card system is impossible in Iran because there is neither enforcement infrastructure nor culture to support such a responsibility.

Products or services that involve significant labor are the most inexpensive compared to the US. Dry cleaning for example is around $0.50 per item. Newspapers are around $1.20.
Gasoline is a scant $0.20 per gallon, heavily subsidized by the government. I am told they plan to raise this over the next few years to something more reasonable. I imagine this will ruin the ad-hoc taxi business.
Business bank loans are around 25% making it near impossible to obtain or pay back a loan. Again, business is conducted in cash, you sell this apartment complex to purchase that piece of land, etc.

  

Food

Here are some of the meals I had while in Iran:

• Chelo kabob
• joojeh kabob
• Shishlick (lamb chops) - I would fly to Iran just to have this again
• ghormeh sabzi
• kangar (similar to Karafs)
• Albaloo polo
• baghali polo
• bademjan
• fesenjaan
• gheimeh

Traditions

Leaving for a long trip: A member of the family holds the Koran over the head of the traveler, who passes their head from side to side, kisses and then touches his/her forehead to the book. As the auto is about to depart, the ground behind the vehicle is wetted with water. Water represents life. There are variations to this tradition; when Pedar left for Tehran we were rushed and ill prepared, and simply hosed down the driveway. I noticed over my shoulder when we left for the airport ourselves, my wife's sister-in-law poured water from a glass behind our path. This reminds me of the several times someone has passed smoldering tin of herbs either over my head or around my body. This happens on the streets or at stop signs by strangers.
Shop merchandise

I have mentioned earlier that Iranians love French furniture, silver and gold finery. To accomplish this within such difficult financial conditions, many of the shop items are made in Iran as exact copies of French originals. The workmanship and materials are a magnitude lower than the original, but so is the cost. The lower workmanship is only visible when you get within a few inches.

  

What they think of Americans

Read this entire page, the answer is obvious.

Dreaming in Farsi

Dreams with Farsi: I had my first dream that included Farsi. My language ability has greatly improved - I am surrounded by written and spoken Farsi at every move. This dream also included several aspects of our voyage. Without going into too much detail.... I was in a building shaped like the classic Persian garden, an ornate fountain in the center, and hallways leading off in three of the four directions, as if forever. I had a clandestine objective that required me to subdue the staff that occupied this building and, as in most of my dreams, I had a secret accomplice. The accomplice knocked out most of the staff and tied their hands. The hallway to the back was completely dark and though not the initial objective, was to be the final objective after preliminary issues were solved. I walked among the subdued staff, gracious to the other guests (oblivious to the events) and found my way to the center of the operation. Here I tried to subdue the remaining staff with sleeping potion-tipped needles. I had problems with the liquid that would not stay in the rubber pouch attached to the needle. The staff were all dressed in Hajib, but with more of a Catholic appearance than Islamic. As they overcame me, I remember speaking as best I could in Farsi, but then apologizing that I could not explain what I needed well enough. Any psychics out there?

Mashhad - carpet factory

Large scale, hand-made carpet: I visited the 2nd largest mass carpet factory in Iran. The only larger facility is in Tabriz, the most known location for carpets. This particular location only makes carpets for the Haram in Mashhad. There are five long rooms with about 40 workers in each. Each person is responsible for about a meter width of carpet and following a colored schematic, quickly tie individual strands of wool, silk or cotton in place. Even at the lightning speed the work, the progress is very slow. At this stage, the carpet does not look very attractive, but once they trim the strands to the proper length, the real beauty stands out. Hand made carpets are far more resilient than machine made carpets. But this hand-made industry is suffering because of the proliferation of machine made carpets, and from design theft where some other country copies a traditionally regional design, and passes it off as a hand made original. The business owner said they have a warehouse of carpets destined for the US, that are still sitting unshipped due to the 9-11 attacks.

Surprise deluge of rain: I had never seen such a ferocious, immediate rain storm. It materialized in an hour and only lasted for 15 minutes. But it sent us scrambling through the house putting buckets under the ducts of an overwhelmed air-conditioning systems. Windows also flooded as the rain was too much for the gutter system. Pedar says the last time he remembers it raining like this, was 30 years ago.

A walk through "Rock Park": Rock Park is an amusement park and shops nearby my wife's home. The grounds are crisscrossed with rushing waterways, ponds and fountains. There are park rides, Ferris wheel, peddle boats shaped like swans, ice cream, coffee shops, and gift shops. Even with its 10 or so-block magnitude, it was swarming with families, teenagers, and retirees. People come by bus and taxi, or their own car, but parking is difficult. At the end of the evening, the taxis line up for blocks to take whole families back home.

Mashhad - Iranian Psychiatrist

Visit my wife's aunts house and other relatives: Of interest, there was a young boy at their house who was very shy at first. It was obvious he had a big curiosity and interest to communicate. I made friends with him by showing how to do particular hand tricks. We did quite a lot and it reminds me of a particularly important fact about this trip. It is that most communication is not rigidly dependant on a highly developed formal language, rather is uses face and body gestures, simple tonal sounds, and rough drawings using any object that is at hand. Although this conversation was with a young boy, I have been able to fully communicate my needs and interests, and understand that of others, using such crude tools. But I also admit that it takes a great deal of intention on both parties to want to communicate.

Discussion with Iranian Psychiatrist: One of my wife's relatives is a practicing Psychiatrist in Iran. I asked many questions about the mental health of the population. I asked him to discuss the biggest problems in terms of men, women, youth, old, and in more detail about the treatment of women in this society. Here are some of the answers:

• Biggest issue: Depression and anxiety. People that stay at home have the most depression while those that work outside the home have the most anxiety. This is fairly similar to the US and Iran prescribe the same drugs common in the US.
• Is it getting better or worse: Much worse.
• Why: Post Revolutionary Iran imposes great limitations on what a person may become. Careers are simple, even though the pressure is excruciating to enter the university. Inflation is up 800 time what it was pre-revolution, and even a good career yields poor buying power. Unemployment is rising and there is no stability in government.
• The Iranian double life: Iranians lead a double life. In the home they are proper respectable, gracious and gregarious people, they share great love between their families and friends -- I've described this elsewhere. Outside the house is a different story -- it is such an awfully busy, even torturous exercise to subsist. Schools are government run and do not allow any discussion beyond a rigidly defined memorization of statistics; never allowed to venture outside of the curriculum and never allowed to ask 'why' something is as they are told it is.
• Women and discrimination: The doctor did not feel there was any special discrimination, beyond what is common (though not to be condoned) throughout the world, including the USA. That is, they are paid less than their male counterpart, they are more limited in their careers, poor and uneducated women suffer the most, etc. In university statistics I see that women do comprise a greater percent than the males in advanced degrees.
• The youth: They want change. They hate the system and would be happy regardless of how the system was changed.
• What do you think will happen: Small incremental changes over time. No new revolution or major change in government structure. A gradual strengthening of the President position and a gradual relaxation of the hard-lined government. The reasons are mostly economic. See political climate in commentary.

Mashhad - University Chancellor

Chancellor's office of Mashhad University: We discussed a variety of topics including USA/Iran University cooperation and relationship; exchange program for professors, speakers and students; assistance in publishing Iran research papers in International journals; topics specific to BioMed and Food Science an general image building. These discussions are part of a special objective we brought with us based our our membership in the Iranian BioMed Society in California.

The chancellor gave me two gifts, two books published by the university, one was a review of Persian literature and the other on theology research. Both are in Farsi, so I had better get a tutor.

Very religious relatives: I had not seen, up close, the very religious until we visited some relatives. Just as the less-religious, they were 100% completely loving and accepting of our marriage. The father had lost his sight to diabetes but had the brightest and most happy face. Their house was full of books, reminding me of my own fathers house. The women were very covered during our visit, but bright smiles and laughter protruded from the cloth. The father and mother had been published poets, and the father recited to me his first poem. I wish I could remember it all, but it was about the penalty of locking yourself inside, shying away from love, and when you finally embrace love, you find out that all of those days in hiding did nothing to prepare you for the necessities of love. My wife translated it to me, but oddly, I knew the meaning without full translation.

As gifts, they gave us pouches of "nobat", crystallized yellowish sugar and small squares of green cloth. The cloth swatches are remnants from the cover to the holy shrine that covers Imam Reza's body at the Harram. Every month they tear apart this covering, clean out the shrine and replace the cover. I do not know where this originated, but I see it is a necessity as the shrine is full of cash contributions from the thousands of worshipers that have visited each month.

Dinner with my wife's classmate's family: We met at the Homa Hotel and had a great meal preceded with traditional tea and "bastanie" (Persian ice cream). We all went back to their house afterwards and shared our wedding video, as their children also shared their talents (their son played a song on the Sitar and the daughter shared a pretty colored pencil drawing). Part of our discussion was on the cultivation and export of Saffron, one of Iran's most valuable commodity.

Iranians are proud of their homes and this one was very beautiful. The floors and stairs are all made of locally quarried marble. One of the most impressive architectural attributes of this home was the curved, all soft-white marble stairway. (Mashhad produces a significant amount of marble, and lumber is quite scarce. It is not uncommon to see the entire exterior and interior of a home wall-to-wall marble.)

The typical style for a home shares some attributes with an American home; there is a family or casual sitting room, and a more formal living room and dining room. Shoes always come off at the door and most of the walking or sitting areas are covered with an Iranian wool carpet. But in general, Iranian homes give more space to the elegant and formal side where American homes give more space to casual and comfortable living. The furniture style is influenced by their close historical ties with the French, hand painted chairs with embroidered cushions, maybe a glass top dining table with an ornate pattern below.

Curtain are given special attention and normally cover the entire expanse of the window, showing nothing from the outside. Again, they are ornate with pretty sheers, a fancy valance, and are probably part of the same French style. Then again, given the riotous and busy life outside the home, the curtain may be a symbolic separation that provides the home with much needed tranquility.

There is not much room for a back or front yard in Iranian cities, so they take on more of a 'courtyard' feeling, with high walls and tile or marble floors. Because of the climate, it would probably be cost prohibitive to have too much greenery so plants are restricted to individual beds of flowers, fruit trees and herbs. As I have mentioned before, the Iranian house is a veritable fortress with high shard-tipped "fences", double-bolted doors with secondary gates and simple security devices. The high walls are out to the perimeter of the property and all attributes are within these walls, including any space for front or back yard. In Iran, it is easy to lose what you have, very hard to get it, and therefore highly protected. The high perimeter walls make every street look like a narrow or wide alleyway. The only features on the exterior of the walls are the garage door, an iron gate that protects the front door, an intercom to the house (mandatory, else you would never get in) and various numbers written on the walls from the phone company, gas company, etc.

Mashhad - University

Visit to Mashhad University: Saw my wife's old friends and professors.

Visit to Tomato and Fruit Processing Plant: Saw my wife's old friends and workmates. I was able to ask several questions of the company president and VP. They said the most common problem is lack of access to newer technology, therefore higher production cost which means higher prices and less ability to compete. This company exports a variety of juices and pastes to Europe.
Later, in contrast, I was with the former CEO of the above company who disagreed with the current president assessment. He said technology is not the biggest factor. In fact, increasing the technology at on facility would be cost prohibitive. He said the current owners have plenty of money to purchase newer technology if they wished. The fact is that they do not because they would not know how to manage such tools if they did. The easy way in Iran is to use cheap and abundant labor rather than to automate. I would have loved to continue this discussion in to areas of worker safety, but our time was brief.

Professional wedding photos: 14,000 miles for three more photos.

Visit to Zoohr Khoneh ("House of Power"): Participants wear special clothing and use ancient methods for physical and spiritual development. This means motivating music (drums and voice), floor exercise and mock spears, shields, weights. The most interesting object are weights the shape of bowling pins that are rhythmically rolled around the shoulder for arm, back and shoulder development. It is intended to depict life of the military or sports person of ancient times. "Ali" is a fabled sportsman and fighter and is honored in this facility. During the performance (there are seats for spectators around the octagonal ring), the participants honored us by bringing tea and singing a short prayer for our health, etc. I paid my respects at the end by greeting the leaders and drum players.

Dinner at ????: We met the parents of two of my wife's good friends (in Vancouver). The owner of the place was a very gregarious person resembling Jim Crochee. It appeared to be an Arab night out as there was a sea of black chador's in their completely-hidden style. I played pool with the owner and we shared strategy and rules between US and Iran - all without speaking each others language. Down to three balls, he scratched on the 8-ball, but in their rules, the game goes on. I missed the next shot and he sunk the 8 on the next and won. I am going back Friday to win back my money.
Our dinner hosts (my wife's friends parents) were well educated and poignant on issues of Iran. It was sad to hear them describe the current state of Iran. It was explained to me that "this is no longer their country". Not saying that the Shah's government was without fault (in fact it was very ruthless, murderous and corrupt), but the current government had ruined everything and brought corruption to every level. They could not count on police, local government, federal government, etc to be responsible for anything. Complete and forced mismanagement that trickles down to every level. The middle class, educated and professional, is forced to live as if overrun by the uneducated, pushed to the point of daily expression of agitation.

At this same dinner location I met the only other American I had seen so far. And he was a "real American". Straight from Minnesota, big as a house and wearing a Minnesota Vikings football hat, properly rounded like the pros. He and his Iranian wife float back and forth for work.

Mashhad - Imam Reza

Haram Shrine and Museum (Imam Reza): Where do I begin? Mashhad is the most holy place in Iran. The Haram is the resting place of Reza, the 8th Islamic Imam. I can't go in to it all here, but after the prophet Mohammad, they believe God sent 12 infallible Imams to guide religion, etc. Reza was murdered around 800AD and "Mashhad" means The Place of Martyrdom. Thousands of pilgrims come here each year, leaving contributions that make the Imam Reza estate among the richest in the world. The sprawling complex includes ? highly ornate shrines, and other places of prayer. It is a cemetery also, and my wife's grandparents are buried here.

My wife is a good spiritual as well as historical guide. Along with visiting the museum, carpet museum, and tourist places, we also prayed and spoke with clerics. She read the prayer in Arabic and then translated it to English. Those around us acknowledged the only American Moslem in the building with silent nods. However, absolute focus remained on the sanctity of the place and the prayer. Closest to the tomb, women were separated from men. But farther away, families attended with all members and this is where my wife and I did our prayer. I took the walk close to the tomb by myself (on the men's side). Shoulder to shoulder and hip to hip, a thousand in the small building, everyone want to touch the tomb itself. I did not get even near it, guessing an hours delay.

Not just the shrine, but the whole complex is highly ornate, mirrored or turquoise tiles cover the walls with real gold inlay. The dome of the many shrines and minarets have a skin of gold. The craftsmanship is flawless and rivals Versailles in Paris in its beauty. I loved the experience and, were I a resident, would attend at least once a month.

Interesting experience, my visit to this shrine was several days after Bush said that Iran's government needed to change. I asked my wife if I should fear being so close to thousands of the most faithful at this time. She said not to worry because all 5,000 would be praying for Bush to push the Iranian government even harder.

Wedding party for us: My wife's parents, family and friends have all gone to great lengths to make sure we are taken care of, and especially that I see all of Iran, am not bored, etc. On this night we made a special celebration for our marriage. My wife already has, and I have come to love those around me here. Paraphrased, here is what I said at the end of the evening:

• The Arasteh's have taken good care that we see the "best of Iran", the ancient monuments, museums, culture, etc.
• But the very best of Iran is the generosity and excellence I have seen expressed in each household and shop, and even among strangers.
• My wife is well loved in America by my family and friends, so they should not worry about her in that sense. She has opened my heart, and I promise that our life will be full of the love I have seen expressed here.
• Things are the impressions I will take back to our house in America.

Mashhad - Akhlomad

Akhlomad (local favorite waterfall): We went here on the Iranian only day off, Friday. So, this place was crowded. What an interesting trip. We, and about 5,000 others hiked in to see two of the supposedly seven waterfalls along this stream. Joining us were, buses, donkeys, motorcycles, autos, etc. Whole families trudged tons of picnic gear for miles. Much of the path was narrow and often mostly filled with water. At the apex of the journey, the scenery was gorgeous, but the most interesting aspect was the ad-hoc infrastructure of shops, restaurants, and vendors wedged in to this narrow canyon. We have much video of this walk. Even in this most remote and strenuous environment, all women maintained their adherence to the rule to cover themselves fully. At this point, I became very frustrated that my wife had to restrict herself so. To her, it is simply the law. This is the same for many other, but a large portion also would continue this covering were the legal restriction to lift.

I had an interesting experience trying to help an older woman that was about to fall as she crossed a fence. My wife warned me not to touch her, even though she was in slight danger.

Mashhad

Dinner at "Roof of the Town": (highest point in Mashhad) Traditional kabob house:

Shopping for Sitar and Oud (musical instruments):

Shopping for new suit and wedding rings: Although I could have had a new suit custom made for around 200US, the styles are latest European style, which men in the US do not commonly wear. There were no pleats on any suit pants.

Esfahan - continued.

Mosque damaged by Iraq: more later

Shaking minarets: more later.

Zoroastrian Fire temples: (more later)

Armenian church and museum: more later

Esfahan - Hotel Abbasi

- Guided tour -

Esfahan is known for its arts and crafts, as well as ornate mosque and shrines. It is also where "Gaz" comes from, a taffy like white candy filled with pistachios.

40 column palace: (more later) This shrine contained marvelous wall paintings and the government is in the process of preserving the ones destroyed after the revolution.

Mosques in the big square:

7 echoes: In one part of the shrine, our guide bent down and using a paper bill, thwaped his finger against it. The echo that responded was a thousand times louder than the original thwap. If he held the bill close to the ground, there were seven echoes. If a few feet higher, only six echoes. Even just rustling the paper caused a murmur of interlaced echoes. At this point of the tour there were many dozens of high-school age girls watching in awe (along with us). They were all from near the Pakistan boarder. I tried to get candid video, but they spotted the camera at a hundred yards and shied away.
If you look at the front cover of the book "Searching for Hassan", the marble stairway is in the same room, just a few feet from where we stood now.

Print block carpets in Bazaar: Our guide took us to a small shop where plain white cloth was turned into colorful prints. One man runs this production and working in "batch", he uses a carved wooden block to press color on to the white cloth. The base color is made from walnut husks and is a deep purple-black. So then, are this man's hands and brow deeply stained with this base. He stops as we arrive and chats, eventually describing his craft. His face is dominated by a grin-like smile; unshaven and missing a few teeth, he seems like a little boy engrossed in his favorite hobby.
I had though these were painted, but each step is simply another application of color using another carved wooden block. He is assisted by his two young nephews who display completed products for us to consider. it is a good show and I do not begrudge our guide who obviously receives a portion of any sale.

- On our own -

Hotel Abbasi: This is one of the most spectacular hotels in Iran. Its walls are modeled after one of the Shiraz mosques. We have many photographs to share and made many friends among the guests and staff.

Bazaar: This is craft bazaar with many craftsmen working their trade in the shaded and relatively cool protection. I recorded a full hour of the coppersmiths banging on their works. The syncopated rhythm - some deep and slow, some high-pitched and fast - was hypnotic. We purchased several items for gifts.

Shiraz - continued

- Guided tour -

Naghsh-e Rostam: These are four burial tombs carved in to a cliff. The face of each tomb is about 100 feet high and 40 across. Richly carved, even though in soft sandstone. Additional works have been added over the centuries.

Fire temples: There are many of these small to large "fire temples" throughout the region. They are from the Zoroastrian religious period that predate Islam. The Zoroastrians believed that fire was a purifying agent. I recall going with Nikoo to a celebration around New Year (March 22) where we jumped over a series of fire pits, mouthing wishes for a good life, and transferring our unpleasant attributes in exchange for the purity of the fire.
Persepolis: (more later, where do I begin?)

- On our own -

Persian Bathhouse (now a restaurant): Very bad food, but our hearts to the owner for restoring this 400 year old Bath house (now a restaurant). Persians are very clean-conscious people; men entered the bath clean and upon returning to a resting place (usually to smoke from a communal water pipe and to eat) there was a smaller bath near the tables just for washing the feet. Even on this afternoon, many people were relaxing about to escape the heat outside.

Carnival: Just after dark, Nikoo and I strolled through this large park behind the hotel. It had fountains that shot water 50 feet in the air and many places to be quiet. There were however, hundreds of people in the park. At this point I was still self-conscious of standing out (towards the end of our trip I lost this feeling) and groups of people watched as we walked by. There was a kiddy carnival in the middle of the park with all the normal rides. The 'video arcade' contained about 30 TV's attached to individual computers. You paid for your time in the room, regardless of what you played. The most aggressive ride swung a group of 20 just beyond perpendicular on a pendulum. For me, it was odd to see the smiling faces and yells coming from a carpet of black chadors. Nikoo and I made friends with lots of little ones and a few of their parents.

Shiraz - Guided Tour

- Guided tour -

(Read about our most famous Guide in the commentary)

Garden of Paradise: Trees, shrubs and flowers from all over the world grown in a masterful garden setting. The Persian garden is shaped like a Christian cross, with the highest point at the joining of the two lines, a palace sits just back from the center of the cross with a small back yard, long front yard. The garden angles downward in long narrow paths from the center, giving the impression that it goes on forever. In front of the palace is a large pool of water. One purpose of this is to provide moisture to the surrounding air which breezes in to the palace as natural air conditioning. We were given ample time to wander the grounds and feel that our honeymoon was starting among the filtered sunlight and butterflies.

Neighborhoods: More on the significance later, but our guide took us on a wandering tour through many neighborhoods. Narrow and dusty alleys with many children playing, saying "Hello, how are you?" in English on seeing me. I noticed all street the signs (painted on the walls) were in Farsi and was glad to have Nikoo nearby. Our guide pointed out some doors have separate male and female door knockers, each making a different sound. This allows the host to appropriately provide a male or female person to answer the door. I joked with our guide saying in America, a male would be sure to answer if a female knocked; he winked back and said "same here".

Religious school: more later

Bogh'ye Shah-e Cheragh: no cameras were allowed here. Built in the 14th century over the burial ground of the brother of Imam Reza (died 800AD). Awesome by any measure; 500 year old doors carved in silver and gold, mosaic mirror or colored tiling on all surfaces but the floor, inlayed in such a way to maximize the reflection as well as channel the light, wind and sound. Men and women visit here to pray, study or quietly converse. I felt deeply respectful at every moment and quietly wished to sit down in one of the circles and take up whatever study was at hand. Our guide was able to allow Nikoo to join me on the "men's side" for the tour; in general the genders are separated while inside.

Religious school and mosque (still looking for the name, era, etc.): This is an active school and we saw students scurrying between buildings. It has the most precious stained glass and I counted 36 large carpets covering the large class room. This building contains an interesting aspect of Persian culture. It contains a major "mistake". All of the columns are lotus flowers with alternating rotation, the last column is purposely rotating the wrong way. Our guide says this is an important message of humbleness before God, no one of us is perfect. Supposedly, most Persian carpets, and other items contain some purposeful flaw (Later in the trip I suggested this to the manager of a carpet factory, he looked at my like I was nuts, so I think the suggestion on carpets, at least, is false). Many of the wall tiles were paintings of different Christian churches, I would say 30 or so. This fact, and others I can draw on, show that Iran has been a place of, not only, religious tolerance, but open invitation and respect of other cultures.

The family that lived at and protected this school invited us to sit and talk. We did, and when fresh bread was delivered, they offered us some of this. As we left, I gifted the master (this is common) two Iranian paper bills (I forget the domination) - one was for his kind and poetic words to Nikoo and me, the other was for arduously wiping clean the sign that had read "Death to America". This notice, he says, was painted liberally throughout Iran just after the Revolution. See my commentary below on this subject. I was amazed how a family that had so little in terms of monetary possession was able to offer me so much.

Tomb of Sa'di: Pardon me if I do not remember everything about this great poet from our tour, I was in tears for much of the time. Overwhelmed, I owe a tribute to our guide for bringing Sa'di to life. When I have a chance to remember what he said about the philosophy and poetry of Sa'di, I will write it here. I did purchase Sa'di's last book "Golestan" of story and poetry.

Tomb of Hafez: Hafez (died 1389) is considered a greatest spokesman of Iranian culture. The tomb is solid marble about 8 feet by 2.5 square, set in a lovely courtyard with multiple ponds (or "hose") with small fountians. Hafez is widely read throughout the world. Nikoo has many of his works in Farsi, but much of his work is very difficult to read, and impossible to translate, so it will be tough going. 

- On our own -

Alone in the Bazaar: The physical structure of a bazaar is normally a long hallway with shops on either side. They tend to run in groups by trade. So, one hall may house the metal workers, another one features spices. They surround public squares or are adjacent to a shrine, etc. The ceilings are normally clay brick in alternating dome shapes. The domes help to regulate the temperature inside. Some of the hallways we were in were built a thousand years ago.

400 year old fort in main square: This was under renovation, but man was it big. Right in the middle of the busy section of town, it is square, about 200 yards on each side and at least 70 feet tall. All of clay brick plus a massive round turret at each corner. It served as a jail once, and also as a defensive fort. I will get the details later.

Mashhad - Pedar's Farm

Pedar's farm: (Pedar means Father). We got up early today and went (before the heat) to Nikoo's father's farm. Pedar has worked a farm in addition to his anesthesiologist practice for twenty years. Nikoo remembers swimming in the irrigation ponds and watching the fruit grow. There are two farms; one is a single acre and grows beans, flowers, salad greens (sabzee), and grapes and one is larger at 250 acres growing wheat, apples (a special variety from central Iran, smaller in size, green but taste like golden apples), plumbs, quince, peaches and nuts. This larger farm is the basis for a very sad story. Pedar has worked this farm for ten years, planting and building infrastructure for its long term health. At the time of the revolution, the people that worked the farm, simply occupied the land with little recompense to the man that was its steward. It is hard for an American to understand how this works, but once the squatters take over, the lives of landowners would be at stake if their rights were pursued in court or otherwise.

The farther you go from the center of the city, the more colorful the clothing becomes. In the villages, the colors are brilliant, and shinny enough to recognize a particular person from 1/2 mile distance. The villagers only real resource is the land they farm (and do not own), this may keep them fed, but other than this, the poverty is extreme. Houses are out of a simple mud brick and the only possessions I saw were clothing and an occasional motorbike. Many of these villagers are Afghanistan rebels from the Russian invasion a decade ago.

On our trip, we came within a hundred miles of the Turkmenistan border and the mountains that divide the territories appear like a massive range or brown dirt. Wheat fields and fruit trees orchards reach to the foothills but are quickly replaced with barren land to the mountain peaks.

Comments: Perhaps everyone should marry someone from another county. This has been so eye-opening and full of love that I am near tears many times a day. Along with the beauty, you can't imagine such heartache mixed in. Homes need to be bolted shut when unoccupied or at night, exterior walls are very high and sport a purposely uninteresting appearance; specifically to discourage burglary. I do not know about other homes, but this house opens up to wall-to-wall marble floors dotted with magnificent Persian carpets, original paintings, and Louie the 14th furniture; not to mention two very loving parents.

Teheran to Mashhad

Our flight to Tehran was very smooth, considering that we had simply missed the assigned flight two days earlier on simple oversight. Between the wedding, Nikoo's job hunting, planning this trip, shifting goals and just plain getting to know each other, even this haphazard omission might be excused.

We spent the night in Teheran, and flew the following day to Mashhad (2nd largest city) in the Northeast part of the country about 200 miles from the Afghanistan boarder. To say that I was warmly welcomed would be a vast understatement. Beyond the expected greeting from Nikoo's family, most eyes in the crowded airport were on me. Despite what some people had warned, there was not one sign of anything but glee for whatever circumstances brought me here. The few strangers we spoke to all said the same thing "be sure to show him the best of Iran, especially the people, so that he will feel that he is a guest of all of us". I don't speak the language, so it was difficult to communicate, but every time we had to cross an official line of demarcation (airport security, bus, etc.), Nikoo being accompanied by an American changed circumstances -- they gave us the best class that they could by waving fees, security checks, etc. Each official did their best to subtly show I was their honored guest.

It is hot, very hot; and short sleeve dress shirts are the only break from conservative male clothing; no short pants in sight. On the street, all clothing is in grayscale. All of the women wear long coats and a headscarf, and many extend this with the traditional Islamic "chador". But this is not like the "berka" you saw in Afghanistan and many women are rather fashionable. On the street, this dress code is enforced, but the style appears also to be a matter of choice by the people as a sign of respect to others (therefore to God) - similar to an office dress code. Mashhad is a very religious city and so its citizens tend to dress more conservative than in Teheran.

In two days we have a guided tour of Isfhan and Shiraz. The local's roll their eyes and say how hot Shiraz will be - can it be any hotter! Nikoo's parents have booked us at the 5-star Abbasi Hotel, one of the most luxurious hotels in the world. These are two of the most historic cities -- ancient architecture, Islamic mosques, Christian churches and Zoroastrian temples as well as carpets and other finery. We will also visit Persepolis, which was built in 500 BC and laid to ruin by Alexander the Great in 311 BC.