Laleh Tehran

... need around 20 km to continue on the same road to get to an intersection where you turn left toward Gazorkhan village. This village is just a few hundred meters before Alamut fortress. Believe it or not, travelers can hardly pinpoint the fortress when it is in front of their eyes even before they get to the village!

The Best Time to Take a trip to Alamut

The best time of the year to take a trip to Alamut would be in April and May to visit this ...

... pleasant
experience) into downtown to do some sightseeing. We visited the
gigantic Tehran bazaar, which housed what seemed like everything
under the sun. The small alleyways were divided into product
specifics and sold everything from Gucci and Prada labels to rubber
ducks. After losing ourselves in the maze of vendors, we headed for
the famous Golestan Palace.



The
Golestan Palace exemplifies the abundance and opulence of the Qajar
rulers. The complex is an impressive array ...

... splitting delay, we finally edged our way out of the chaos, only to come to another standstill beside an empty bus. ‘Kristina’ then became a platform for numerous men climbing on to the top of the bus for a better view. That was probably the one and only part that was slightly frightening and Mustapha soon enlisted a few locals to help us squeeze through the narrowest of gaps and leave the throng behind ...

... talk with the opposite sex, maybe having a provoking hair style. the police choose (which looked like a lottery) 5 young guys which were taken away for further interrogation. This was the reason why Ali's (any many other young Iranians) life revolved around leaving this country. Yesterday we had our first day of skiing. After using a very tired old ski lift from th 60s we managed to get up to 4000 meters altitude. Up there our heads were spinning all around ...

... bon appetit ! Les mots m'ont longtemps manqué pour qualifier Teheran ; je parvenais seulement hier soir samedi, après une longue journée, à isoler une idée. La capitale iranienne est d'une richesse culturelle exceptionnelle, largement au dessus de tout ce que j'ai pu visiter jusque là. Elle n'a pourtant ni l'histoire de Damas (250.000 habitants au début du si ...

... from the numerous historical sites around Iran such as Persepolis and Susa. I way clinically presented as they were mostly in glass cases, but they did have English signage. The varous arteacts did "sell" themselves though, and you were amazed by the level of skill, artistry and detail in items small and large which were created hundreds and indeeds some were 1500 years old. I had my first brush with the friendly locals when an elderly man asked me where I was from ...

... ON MONDAY!" I actually yelled back like a scared schoolboy "OK. OK. I was just asking if it was possible. It won't be a problem." But I guess he calmed down as the staff member said that I could just call from wherever I am on Monday and they will inform me of their decision. When I left the embassy, I found Ali sitting comfortably in the security guard's office chatting with a young man dressed in military fatigues. It was obvious that Ali told the guy all about me as he came ...

... because of the process they used to collect payments for the visa. I did not want to spend 7-10 days. This was too long. The man then explained that the process is significantly shorter in Frankfurt, the city I would fly from to get to Delhi. My decision was made. I would wait until Frankfurt to get my Indian visa. I had a few hours to spare before my Letter of Recommendation would be ready. SO I told Ali that I wanted to go to the city's bazaar. We decided to take the metro ...

... couldn't find the hotel I wanted to stay at so I stayed at another place nearby that was twice as expensive but still cheap - only 150,000 Iranian Riels (about $15 US). Ali's plan was to stay at his friend's place. He was only going to be in Tehran for 4 days before returning home to Tabriz. To show my gratitude for everything he did for me, I told him I wanted to take him and his friend out for supper. I was glad when he accepted. For the rest of the afternoon, I just ...

Based on the strong recommendation of my Lonely Planet guide, and armed with my new devil-may-care attitude, I hopped into a shared taxi heading to the town of Minab for its Thursday bazaar. Situated along the bank of a river, the outdoor bazaar was nothing more than a collection of stalls selling fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, clothes and cheap plastic household items. Nevertheless, it was a big local event that attracted a lot of people. I ...