Before I left to go to Iran, friends were afraid for me. I could not understand why, I had done my research, and read lots of books and articles about present day Iran. While a lot of people may not uphold Iran as a virtue of democracy, it is far ahead of a lot of countries in the region, who do not come under as much fire from the media as does Iran.It was the women in Iran who were the most foward in coming up to us and asking where we were from, and actualling thanking us for coming to their country, and they all demanded that we must come back in the new year, and have a memorable time.Leaving restaurants we were thanked by the ownersa and staff for eating there, I have travelled extensevelly throughout the world, and found that the kindness of strangers, is here in Iran more than in any other country. I visited beatiful mosques and fell into conversation with the Imams there, and they too were polite and friendly. It was not unommon to sit in a teahouse and be asked to join a group of girls for tea and conversation, it is the women who are at the forefront of change in Iran, nowhere did I see a cowed downtrodden race of people, they were all full of self confidence, and with a positive outlook for the future. Persepolis was something to behold, this ruined lost city of Persian antiquity sitting in the desert, trashed by Alexander the Great, but still it sits proud and alone in the vast beautiful Iranian desert. It was worth visiting Iran just to see this Jewel of what was the great Persian empire under Darius the Great and Cyrus the Great. We also saw their tombs, the tomb of Cyrus the Great is in another part of the desert. We visited it under a full moon. I also stayed in a restored caravansarai in the middle of the desert, and dined on a rooftop restaurant under a billion stars. I will be back next year to see more of this exotic country, and meet more of it’s proud beautiful and friendly people. A seventeenth century traveller wrote ” it is without doubt that the Persian people are the most hospitable and friendly race that is here in the East” All I can add to this, is that it still holds true today.
Sincerely
Bryan
