Safaieh Hotel Yazd

... tiny, was an absolute gem, and the shady courtyard where we would have our breakfast was a cool haven from the heat outside. At one end of the courtyard stood a large badgir. Badgirs are one of mankinds earliest forms of air conditioning, and have been used in Iran for hundreds of years. Due to the intense summertime heat Yazd is famous for these and they can be seen sprouting from rooftops all over the old city. The idea behind a badgir is that any breeze blowing is forced into the ...

... as &#8220;God bless those who have relieved our thirst&#8221;, but where&#8217;s the fun in that? <br> <br><br> The day ended with a group outing to the Saheb A Zaman Club Zurkhaneh, a traditional gym housed in an ancient water reservoir. We watched in awe as a group of men performed various exercises, ranging from Iranian aerobics, to weight lifting using what appeared to be two small, solidly built doors, and upper body workouts ...

... tem mestecu je bil pa ves folk, kli sva ga spoznala. Sicer skoraj sami upokojenci, ampak so bili neverjetni. Od francozinje, do nizozemke, spet dveh novih slovencev, do dveh bivsih nemskih hipurjev. Vsi najbrz nad 60, ki so sami potovali po Iranu, najbrz celo bolj avanturistièno kot midva. Sploh sta mi bila zanimiva nemca. Ko sem ju videl prviè, sta se mi zdela pridna, prestrasena, urejena in uglajena nemca, potem pa ...

... ouvert seulement durant la période du "no rouz" célébrant la nouvelle année) relèvent la saveur. Non, la ville dans la ville que constitue la "vieille ville" (appréciez l'effet) est bel et bien l'unique, vaste et si charmante attraction de Yazd dont j'ai parcouru les allées une bonne partie de ce samedi. Les étroites ruelles se r ...

... spellchecker keeps changing that word to the wild black and white animal variety!) was to be found at Malek-e-Tojjar, Panjeh-ali Bazar on Qeyam Street. I feel it important to give you the address in case you're ever down Yazd way. Check out the many photographs on flickr to whet your appetite for this alluring dining (and accommodation spot). Our route to Malek-e-Tojjar took us through a fairly deserted bazaar. Deserted other ...

... David unzipped, soon followed by Ian. Well, what can I say, but they were soon the centre of everyone's attention, including the camera crew. The car advertisement was tossed aside for at least fifteen minutes. Tea was produced from somewhere by helper number three. Julia was interviewed on camera. The dancers were filmed. Fantastic fun. Ian and David were hosed down after their exertions and another facet of Iranian life and ...

... monotheistic religion and predominant religion in Iran before Islam was introduced. There is a Tower of Silence on the outskirts, and the city has a Fire Temple, which holds a flame that has been kept alight continuously since 470 AD. Presently, Zoroastrians make up a significant minority of the population - 5 to 10%.

... different assortments of sugar-based pastries that I am sure can instantaneously end the lives of many diabetes patients. Iranians somehow believe that sugar makes a body good, and this shop is renowned throughout Iran for its ghotab, baghlava, pashmak, and haj khalifeh, names that my man in Esfahan wrote down for me. Judging from the crowds, this is indeed a happening place. With no one at the counter speaking English, the busy attendants ignored my request to try a little bit of ...

... a steep cliff overlooking the desert. Directly below the spring, there is a Zoroastrian temple and a series of buildings and walkway leading up to it. Every year thousands of Zoroastrians come here for a festival held in June. The car had to make its way up the steep road, then it's another steep climb to the temple. I didn't see any Zoroastrians who were said to don white robes. The temple lies directly below the trickle of ...

... when I arrived in Yazd, I realized that he had paid for my bus fare. As nonsensical and unnecessary as this act of generosity and kindness is for me, I have tremendous respect for the culture that has made such acts possible. To them, it is not an extraoridinary extension of oneself; it is simply a part of living. I was to encounter more and more such kindness throughout my travels in Iran.<br><br>The reason why I didn't notice that the young man ...