Joan
 Ubide
 Photography
 &
 a
 few
 sounds

Much better than we’ve been told.

A country where people are crazy about Barça (or Real Madrid…); they greet you very affectionately and cordially with a “welcome to Iran”.

Strolling around the impressive bazaars in Teheran or Isfahan while taking some pictures, people came to shake hands, ask me where I was from and offer me a tea, food, or even their homes; ordinary, anonymous people who made all possible to make you feel comfortable in their country.

The most interesting were the chats, which they started, and step by step they let you know about their country and lifestyle, very usual except for one issue: women. That’s without a doubt a negative point according to our westerner point of view.

I am an illiterate when it comes to the Muslim world, but I think than we have to consider their lives on a double point of view: a critical one and an understanding one.

The critical point of view is all about censure and lack of freedom, especially for women, who cannot decide whether they want to cover their heads with a scarf or not, or what clothes to wear. Some of those women don’t want to live that life, and fell obliged to it. I chatted with some women, even together with their husbands, and they said they were fed up of living under such oppression. At the same time, and that would be the other point of view, I also met people who wanted to live that way and be respected. It was like saying everybody should take care of their own business, we’re like that and that’s the way we want to be.

However, I could never accept this way of life simply because I wasn’t born there. If I had been born in that country and had a very strict education, maybe I would have another opinion. That’s the reason why I think it’s not fair judging individuals, maybe it’s the system we have to judge.

You can clearly see who prefers what, as you see women dressed totally in black, only showing her eyes, and women with more “western” clothes, with the scarf not totally covering their heads, and wearing make-up. Unfortunately, sometimes they’re reprehended for that…

As in many places, there are no bad persons, there may be bad governments and reproachable living conditions. However, Iran as a country and its people are delightful, the Persian region offers infinite possibilities and routes to discover a country rich in culture and excellent people.

Travel tips.

Except north-American (and some other country) citizens, visiting Iran is fairly easy. You can get a visa when you contract your trip or you can make it till Teheran and get a 7 day visa (not 100% sure) on the spot if you have the following:

Passport with more than six months validity
A 3 x 4 picture
Proof of place where you’ll be staying
Confirmed travel ticket for leaving the country
50 USD or EUR

Using this procedure, I curiously was given a 15 day visa, instead of a 7 day one.

Extending your visa is not very easy, but in big cities there are agencies that will make it for you.

Interesting cities to visit:

Teheran. Beautiful city, a lot of traffic and pollution. During the daytime, several millions of people go there to work.

Isfahan, bazaars and impressive architecture.

Kashan, surrounded by historical and symbolic places.

Mashad, in Arabian means “martyrdom place”, as it’s the place where Imam Reza, the 8th imam, was martyred.

Qom, on the most sacred cities of the country.

Shiraz, famous for the deeds of Persian poets.

Tabriz, city said to be the place where the Garden of Eden was located.

Yazd, remote city in the desert, where architecture is famous for water running inside the walls of the houses, to make them fresher.

Zehadan, close to the border with Pakistan, with a wide cultural and tribal mixture.

In the Persian Gulf area there are several islands. I would highlight Qeshm, with large numbers of migrating birds, 1,5% of the birds of the whole world.

Weather: the weather is variable depending on the area and time of the year, raging from very intense cold with snow (there are ski resorts) to 40 °C temperatures.

Flying: many flights from western countries go to Teheran. Inside the country you can fly easily and at good prices. Iran has nearly 70 airports. Sometimes it can be difficult to find free seats.

Train: there’s a weekly train from Istanbul (Turkey) and Damascus (Syria). From Istanbul it takes 70 hours and includes the ferry in the Lake Van. From Syria the train doesn’t cross Iraq, it goes via Turkey.

The train network is not very wide, but works perfectly.

Bus: it’s the best way to move, especially in big cities. There are good motorways and vehicles are impeccable and very cheap. A bus from Teheran to Istanbul costs about 50 Euro. Try to get always the “super” or “1st class” services.

Taxi: fuel prices are nearly 0 (like two Euro cents per liter…), so moving by taxi is cheap. The shared taxi option is good, in many bus stations you can see taxis waiting for people who want to share the cost. They drive at high speed, and take into account that for being a tourist they will increase 5 to 10 times the price, so negotiate.

Currency: the currency is the rial, but they don’t use that word, they say “Tomans” and sometimes “Chomejni”.

1 Chomenjni are 10.000 rials
1 Toman are 10 rials.
1 Euro are 15.000 rials.

Cost of living: around 100.000 rials/day if you’re on a tight budget, but a more reasonable amount would be 200.000-400.000 rials/day.

Take into account there are no ATMs in the country, it’s not easy to get cash. However, in emergencies hotels and some shops can give you money on credit, with a commission of about 20%.

Dangerous areas: avoid border areas with Iraq and Pakistan. Be careful in tourist areas.

Gays and lesbians have to act with extreme discretion; alcohol is forbidden.

It’s not allowed taking pictures of Govern or military areas…

Well, taking pictures, knowing places and enjoying is what I’ve done in the last 360 days.

360 days thinking about oneself. I recommended it to all those who are tired of the daily routine. Do it, get ready, save some money and disconnect from the world. It’s a great experience, it will probably change your life, you point of view, you will value much more what you have and accept many things that now make you nervous…

This is where my stories end. Stories I have shared about places that I recommend you to visit.

To all the people I’ve met, all those who have followed me, thank you.

Now I’m home, now it’s time to recover… from the lumbago of carrying my backpack, and to save some money and start a new trip in January…

As soon as I can I’ll create a new web where I’ll show a selection of this trip, and I’ll start a new project traveling with my camera.

I’ll let you know about it…

See you soon, and have a nice trip.

joan

Music: Jill Scott “A Long Walk”