Aria Hotel Esfahan

... Do&#353;lo i na high five.<br> V hotelu jsme si vyzvedli batohy a vydali se sm&#283;r autobusový terminál. To je dost ru&#353;ná hala, kde se vás ka&#382;dá spole&#353;nost sna&#382;í vcucnout do své p&#345;epá&#382;ky a prodat vám lístek (myslím, &#382;e jsme nakonec jeli s jinou, ne&#382; kde jsme m&#283;li rezervace) - zato jsme za 150 000 riál&#367; do 10 minut sed&#283;li v autobuse. Oproti na&#353;im je to dokonce je&#353;t&#283; v&#283;t&#353;í luxus, proto&#382;e krom&#283 ...

... alleys of the bazaar, which would have once been caravanserais &#8211; stop off points for trade caravans heading along the Silk Route. Eventually we emerged from the dark covered bazaar into the bright light of Imam Square. The Square (the second largest in the world) was the birth child of Shah Abbas the Great and was built back in the early 1600's. Imam Square was built as the showpiece of Abbas' new capital and at one point was used as a polo field (at each end of the square the ...

... I would've laughed more had i not been sitting in the middle<br>without a seatbelt. Iranian people seem to be in general very friendly<br>and helpful, the young people of Tabriz made us particularly welcome.There's a language school there but they hardly ever get to speak to native English speakers so they were very eager to chat and offer guided tours around the city centre. After Tabriz we stayed two nights in the mountain village of Masouleh which is so lush and ...

... life. Nothing I could say and no pictures I could show you would do it justice. Last night while we sat on the grass on Iranian rugs drinking tea, the blue and turquoise mosques were illuminated by the black sky, and this afternoon they were lit and shining in the sun. Horses and carriages trot their way around the square, there are children playing in the fountains, carpet shops, tea shops, shisha shops around the edge... it's absolutely breathtaking ...

... to 2008 though. Ian and Julia, ever mindful of the lone traveller (me, if you haven't been following) asked if I had any plans for the evening. I still hadn't got over my possible engagement at Persepolis, but as I'd received no further word from my possible bride to be I declared myself plan-free (no change there). Invitation was extended and accepted for a trip to Imam Square, and dinner. The company was further enhanced with ...

... s, les quatre jeunes iraniennes destinées à lancer ma réconciliation avec Esfahan s'installèrent en face de moi. Le déjeuner fut du coup assez glorieux, moins réussi d'un point de vue culinaire que social, les petits rires féminins (j'adore les petits rires féminins d'Iran) r ...

... me requesting more Persian tales. Poor guy. Really should get out more!! Only joking Dave. Thanks for the interest. I've now reached 1000 visitors, and no, before you ask I haven't been visiting my site repeatedly by the use of some cunning piece of software. Seems Iran is increasingly on people's travel radar, and if I can do anything to persuade ...

... bagged from the day, and the effect of two and a half weeks of doing this was finally getting to me), but couldn't find anywhere that they were doing this. We made plans then, to meet up the next morning at my hotel and he would take me to a place where he knew it was happening. We did this. It was interesting. I didn't really understand what was happening, but the atmosphere was very unique. I took a lot of video beacuse I just don't think there are words to ...

... manner - aside from their handle-bar mustaches they look rather effeminate to me. By the time I left the main hall, they were already locking up and I was lost for awhile after they have closed the main entrance through which I entered the compound. I asked a couple of young ladies where I might get out. They were friendly enough and pointed me toward a side entrance. But the one with the video camera wanted to film me while the other continued to carry one a ...