Okay, so a couple of weeks ago I got back from a 16 day trip to Iran. I have been thinking about how best to describe the travels without causing a thread that will be locked. The long and short is that I cant. Its almost impossible to describe what I saw and felt without causing those whose prejudices are formed by the media etc to turn it political. Instead I will simply describe the pictures and note the following:
1. Of all the countries I have ever visited, it is the country in which I have found the most personally safe, except for 2.
2. It has the most fear inducing traffic / driving I have ever come across. The drivers their are excellent (skills wise), but that doesn't mean that weaving in and out of traffic on either side of the road and running read lights without slowing is not fear inducing.
3. Everyone in the country I met were wonderfully welcoming, intelligent and well informed about all subjects you could want to talk to them about.
4. Anyone could visit Iran safely, there wasn't a major nationality or religion that I didn't see there visiting as a tourist .
5. What you think about the country is probably wrong - I know I was wrong in many things I expected.
If anyone has any specific questions about the country or the photos I will try and answer, but if not, just enjoy the photos.
This is from outside of the former US embassy. These murals are being removed in the not too distant future after almost 30 years. If anyone wants to read a good book about the subject generally, i'd recommend "Guests of the Ayatollah" by Mark Bowden.
Imam Khomeini is still quite popular, in billboard form. You don't see anywhere near as many in peoples homes (formerly, you probably would have).
THose who died in the war with Iraq are well respected (over 1,000,000 Iranians died in the war)
