Pictures from my Iran trip Part 1 - People in Iran *PIC HEAVY*

[MissHoneychurch]

May 1st till 15th I was in the Iran with my mother, her partner and my brother. We had our own driver and guide and traveled parts of the west of Iran. It is an interesting country. The people we met were very friendly, the sights we've seen were breathtaking and the food was delicious.

Over the next few days I will post pictures from our trip.

Here we are all together at Taq-e Bostan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taq-e_Bostan


This is what happens when Iran school girls see foreigners. They come to you and ask you "Hello, how are you?" "Where are you from?" "How do you like Iran" .... and LOVE to take pictures with you.




I sometimes had problems taking pictures while keeping my scarf on


Even though it isn't mandatory a lot of women wear the chador


One time even we. We visited an Imamzadeh http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imamzadeh Since a lot of women don't own a chador anymore, there was a building next to the Imamzadeh where women could borrow a chador, like us


The chador isn't really keeping the ladies from walking trough water


And at home the chador or scarf is falling very quickly and the women are dressed like westerners underneath it. And they sure enjoy the water pipe.


This is our guide in a private surrounding

[JCMach1]

1. Nice stuff, I am sure you had a great time!

As you know Iran is really difficult for U.S. citizens to manage a visa.

I find that really irritating as Iran is a very quick hop from the UAE.

[MissHoneychurch]

2. Have you tried to get a visa?

I think it would be worth a try.
Even though I have American stamps in my passport I didn't have any problems getting my visa. Now, if I try to come with that passport to the U.S. .... I don't know what will happen ....

We had a great time. I will of course also post pictures of the sights we've seen.

[Callalily]

3. Great pictures.

That tile work is simply beautiful! And what exactly is in those water pipes? :evilgrin:

Can't wait for Part 2.

:hi: :loveya: :hug:

[MissHoneychurch]

5. I will post tile works later on

since a lot of mosques are covered with all kind of tiles. Just :wow:

As far as I know the water pipes were scented with orange and something else. I have no idea since I didn't smoke it. :D

[JCMach1]

27. Have had U.S. friends get turned down recently, so yes

that was even with sponsors... :(


As we say over here... insh'allah I will go some day.

[MissHoneychurch]

28. Ok, that really sucks

but yes insh'allah you will go one day.

[wickerwoman]

4. that's so awesome!

thanks for the pics! :hi:

[MissHoneychurch]

6. Thank you

and you are welcome :hi:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

7. very interesting! thanks for posting these and sharing your trip with us.

That tile work is gorgeous. Part 2 tomorrow?

:loveya: :hug: :hi:

[MissHoneychurch]

8. You are welcome

I am happy to post the pics here and show that the Iranians aren't as evil as some people want us to believe.

Yes, part 2 tomorrow :)

[lunatica]

9. This is a wonderful diary!

I love when people share their travel stories like this!

One of my best friends is from Iran and under the heavy floor length overcoats and scarves they dress for parties with miniskirts and cleavage and they carry their high heels and makeup to the parties. A lot of the people you see dressed that way do so only in public.

[MissHoneychurch]

11. Such travels do more for world peace than anything else

getting to a foreign country and learn about their lives.

We talked to Sahar, our guide about parties and how she gets there. She told us, they use taxis and take the clothes with them. At the party they change clothes. Sahar is 26 and grew up in a very modern family. She doesn't owe a chador, she is still single and prefers to stay that way (even though she is considered a spinster by standards already). Her family supports her.

You can tell by the way how the women wear their scarfs if they are rich or not. The richer women dare more.

When we flew back it was interesting to see how one by one the scarfs fell.

[lunatica]

15. I'm an American blond who grew up in Mexico

I was always on the spot and very aware of the Ugly American image. I did my part to dispel that stereotype, sometimes just by opening my mouth to speak. Having been there from the age of two I speak fluently just like a native. That always broke the ice and enabled barriers to came down. Being open and grateful for what your hosts offer is always the best diplomatic activity.

[MissHoneychurch]

18. The last two days

when we were invited privately I thought this is international understanding. We were sitting together, talking, eating, playing cards, laughing. We were all humans. It didn't matter where we came from.

[lunatica]

19. The fact they invited you into their homes shows you were welcomed

There's nothing more accepting than being welcomed in people's homes. I think you made as much of an impression on your hosts as they did on you. Isn't it wonderful?!

[MissHoneychurch]

23. That is true

and yes, it was wonderful.

[Blue_Tires]

10. I thought it was supposed to be very hot?

I was wondering about the jackets and coats...

[MissHoneychurch]

13. It was hot in the South

but in the North where the first pics were taken it was decent. Temps in the 70s. I honestly wonder how the women can bear the heat with the chadors and scarfs in the summers. So the chadors are very thin cloths.

[Blue_Tires]

14. how were the beaches?

[MissHoneychurch]

17. We didn't go to the beaches

we stayed in the mountain areas, which covers a lot of the Iran :)

[Brewman_Jax]

12. G'day, MissH!

:hi: :hug:

Beautiful pics of life in Iran. What is in the bowl of the water pipe? Did you get to see any ancient ruins? :hi:

[MissHoneychurch]

16. Good morning Brewman

:hi: :hug: :loveya:

Do you mean the top of the water pipe? They put the hot coal there.

Yes, we saw a lot of ancient ruins. I will post pics of it within the next days. We've been to Persepolis, which was breathtaking.

[Brewman_Jax]

20. Hot coal

I thought that they smoked some type of tobacco, like pipes in the west.

Did you get to some other ancient sites along with Persepolis?

[MissHoneychurch]

21. They used tobacco

but that was somewhere inside the pipe. It also was flavored.

Yes. We went to Alamut, Pasagardae, Naqsh-e Rustam, Ganjnameh, Yazd, Na'in, Hamedan, Temple of Anahita at Kangavar

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

22. Such wonderful pictures MissHoneychurch!

So interesting to learn about the Iranian people and culture from someone's personal experience, not what we are told on the news.
Keep them coming! :hi: :hug: :loveya:

[MissHoneychurch]

25. Thank you theNP.I.G.

from our experience living in the G.D.R. we know that there is a difference between government and people. It is not only how the news tells the stories but also how the country is represented by its officials. Just remember the U.S. and GWB. That is the same as in the Iran.
Our guide told us that Ahmadinejad is just the voice of Khamenei. The real leader is Khamenei.

[Aristus]

24. Thank you for the wonderful pics, Miss Honeychurch.

I've become fascinated with Iran and I want to visit there someday. I have a friend with whom I correspond online who is an Iranian musician. He is starting to have a very successful career in Iran, and I've become very fond of him. I hope I can meet him someday.

I really hope our two countries can become friends again. We have so much to offer each other...

[MissHoneychurch]

26. You really ought to visit

it will be a life time experience, I promise you that.

It is good to hear that you are in contact with an Iranian friend. Keep up the contact.

The Iranian people are very interested in the world and welcome foreigners, even if their leaders don't.

[MicaelS]

29. Awesome! Please post more pics

Thanks you so much. You were very lucky to be able to travel there.

[MissHoneychurch]

32. There are more pictures to come

no worries there. I just started :D

[myrna minx]

30. Thank you for posting these wonderful photos.

:hi:

[MissHoneychurch]

33. It is my pleasure

I am happy to share my pictures as well as my experiences in the Iran.

[bikebloke]

31. You lucky duck.

Great photos. I wish I could go. But the plutocrats has already decided to attack.

[MissHoneychurch]

34. I am happy I was able to go

it was just :wow:

I am still in awe of that country. Yes, they have problems, yes not everything is perfect. Still, the people welcomed us and we were able to see history that is over 2500 years old.

[LynzM]

35. Looks like a very interesting trip!

I can't wait to see more of your pictures. :D

[MissHoneychurch]

36. Hey there LynzM

:hi:

It was a very interesting trip. It was an experience I wouldn't want to miss. There will be more pics coming over the next days.