Reflections on the past week

We've had a few comments from people lately who knew we were recently in Iran asking us "aren't you lucky you aren't there now?" and "what do you think of what's happening in Iran?". I'm not sure lucky is quite how we feel at the moment. Of course, we had planned to leave Iran prior to the elections; at the same time, our feelings right now are more of helplessness at being so far away. And frustration when others do not seem to grasp the magnitude of what's taking place right now in Iran. At a rally in Bellevue in support of the people's voice in Iran, most passers-by were supportive. But there were also some who clearly were not. And I have to ask myself, why would they not want Iranians to have the freedom to express themselves, to free press, to being able to democratically elect their leaders? All of those things only benefit the rest of the world through improved relations. Do the people here who scowled, and made rude gestures or comments towards those who rallied want Iran and US-Iranian relations to stay the same? Really?!

The people of Iran turned out in unprecedented numbers to vote for their next leader. When there was doubt cast on the legitimacy of the election proceedings, and the people began to demonstrate and make their voices heard, they were killed, beaten, arrested. Having just been in Iran, it is my view that the people there definitely do want change. They no longer want to be the enemy of so many countries. They do not want to be viewed as terrorists. They want better relations with the West. They believe in so many of the same principles we do here and the Iranian people recognize how much they have been isolated from the world.

People had a strong sense of hope with this election - that things could really change. Many Iranians have been inspired by the American people, in electing an African-American president for the first time, as well as the message by President Obama - a message of hope. Many people in Iran have felt so hopeless for so long, and Obama's message spoke to them. In fact, the two leading reformist candidates - Mousavi and Karoubi - used President's Obama's messages during their own campaigns. Karoubi's message was change, and Mousavi emphasized hope as he spoke to the people. In addition, both candidates expressed their beliefs in individual rights and freedom of speech.

It feels strange to be finishing our blog about a very enjoyable trip to Iran now that the past week's events have taken place. It's been difficult and surreal to watch the events unfold on the streets of Tehran - streets we walked peacefully just a few weeks ago. To now see people being killed and persecuted on those very streets is heart-wrenching. This last Friday, we attended a candlelight vigil with about 300 other Iranians and non-Iranians alike to honor those who have already died or been beaten in this struggle, as well as show support for those still continuing to make their voices heard. It feels like so little when they are giving their very lives for the dream of a better world. I hope that at least through continuing to talk to people about Iran, through this blog, and by not losing hope that things in Iran can change, we are contributing some small part to an improved future - both for them and for us.

Days 20 and 21 - Returning home

The last couple of days in Iran were fairly low-key; mostly spent with last-minute shopping, visiting with friends and family and preparing for our return trip. Although I always look forward in many ways to being home in Seattle again, with everything that is familiar and comfortable to me, it is also always very difficult to leave, first and foremost because we are leaving our family knowing it may be a couple of years before we can see them again.

The whole family came again to mom and dad's house for the afternoon and evening. Mom made Ash-e-Reshteh, a noodle, bean and herb soup which is traditionally made and then given away to neighbors after a loved one has already set out on their journey. But because mom knows how much I love Ash-e-Reshteh, she always makes it for us ahead of time, so that we can eat it as well!

The last couple of days, mom has also spent a great deal of time preparing and cooking nearly 50 pounds of herbs for us - the base of a couple of different Persian dishes which we both like. After the herbs were cooked for several hours, she put together several individual portions into freezer bags. They stayed mostly frozen, or at least cold until we reached Seattle. Each time we have a meal with one of these little packets, it will also remind us of mom and home in Iran. I was a bit worried about the little bags of chopped herbs making it through customs in the US, so I clearly labeled the bags with the ingredients - leeks, parsley, cilantro, etc.

There is no easy way to say goodbye at the end; we literally have to tear ourselves away and force ourselves to get in the cars to go to the airport. Akram, Mariam, Mahsheed, Behrooz and Massoud all came with us, and we had a long wait before we could finally board our flight and take off at 2 am. We were surprised to find at the security check-point a large number of Americans traveling on American passports - something I've never seen in Tehran before. We came to find out they were not only Americans, but also mostly from Seattle. They were part of a UN-sponsored delegation to build bridges between the Iranian and American people. They had been in Iran and had the same two-week itinerary that Rick Steeves had followed during his recent visit there. All of them reported having a wonderful time, and were planning on hosting talks and presentations about their experiences once they returned to the States.

After about 26 hours of travel time, we landed back in Seattle around noon on Sunday. Neither of us slept much during the flights, which meant we'd been up about 40 hours or so by the time we landed. However, in order to deal with the jet lag, we forced ourselves to stay up until 5 pm. I took a walk to the store, and found my senses overwhelmed by springtime in Seattle. Granted, Seattle on a sunny day in May is always spectacular, with the multi-hued rhodies and azaleas, the various shades of green everywhere, and the bright blue, clear skies above. But after being in Tehran, where there is less greenery, and most of the cars and buildings are fairly neutral colors, I felt somewhat like Dorothy stepping into the land of Oz for the first time. I noticed how many colors of cars we have - a yellow Volvo here, a red Toyota there - as well as how quiet and empty the streets were after the hustle and bustle of Tehran. And I felt extremely fortunate - to be living here, to have this paradise surrounding me, and to have so many freedoms that others around the world don't have. At the same time, I feel a piece of me is back in Tehran, with our family, in a land I have come to love.

Day 19 (5/13) Kashan - home of ancient monuments and rose water

Today, Nick and I borrowed his brother’s car early in the morning and drove to Kashan, about 2.5 hours south of Tehran. It is a beautiful drive, with the rugged outline of the Zagros Mountains to the right along the autobahn. Driving on the autobahn is very interesting. Just as it is in Tehran, nobody pays much attention to the lane markers. While in Tehran, one can explain this as being due to having just too many cars on the road, this is not so along the autobahn. In fact, we saw several lone cars driving right down the middle of the lane marker.
But, as Nick pointed out, it actually provides some measure of safety, as it gives the driver more room to maneuver on either side. Plus, if you want to pass somebody, all you have to do is honk and/or flash your light, and they’ll pull over into the right lane with no fuss.
We left Tehran at 6:30 a.m., and once we got out of the city, there were few cars the road. We did pass a couple of buses carrying tourists south. The most interesting one was a bus full of men. They were obviously listening to some good music, because a couple of them were dancing in the back of the bus. Another man was taking pictures of his dancing friends. We were so amused, and since we had the music turned up in our own car, my arms started dancing as well – they thought that was very amusing and they all started to look at us. Realizing it was probably not the best way to call attention to ourselves, we sped up and overtook the bus! The small Kia, “Pride” model we were driving is a great car, and very popular in Iran, along with Hyundai’s and Peugeots, as well as a few Nissan’s here and there. However, the new Kia Prides have one drawback – if you drive above 120 km/hr, there is a warning bell that goes off – a constant beeping. It doesn’t stop until you drop back below 120 km/hr. Since we were virtually alone on the highway, we were naturally going above 120 km/hr at times, but we found a solution. Put in a good CD and turn up the volume. Not only are you now listening to great music, but viola! - no longer can you hear that annoying beeping!

Kashan's history reaches back thousands of years. As such, there are a great many historical sites to visit. We first drove to Fin Garden, a royal bath/garden complex. It was here in the mid-1800’s that a very popular prime minister, Amir Kabir, and brother-in-law to the king was murdered on the king’s orders, as the king was afraid he had grown too popular. I'm always interested in what types of "Western" items sometimes pup up here. I think the most amusing by far was the one we saw at Fin Garden. There, among reproductions of ancient Kashan pottery and other handicrafts, sat a leather baseball glove. No explanation at all, just a baseball glove cradling a pottery vase.
After Fin Garden, we visited two historical houses - huge compounds with multiple courtyards, gardens and living spaces. Kashan, which sits on the edge of a vast desert, can get quite hot, and the way these houses were designed was ingenious. They were two stories, but they also had below-ground rooms that stay very cool on the warmest days. The houses also had towers that acted as air conditioners, pulling down cool air from the outside. The below-ground rooms were a welcome relief from an increasingly warm day.
By the time we visited our next destination, Sialk Hills, it was becoming quite warm, which for me gets a bit uncomfortable with my scarf and manteau (a short coat or loose long-sleeved shirt which reaches to at least mid-thigh). So we did not get to spend as much time there as I would have liked. Sialk Hills is the most ancient site in Kashan; its settlements date back to 5500 – 6000 BC. There are several settlements over thousands of years at Sialk Hills, and there is an ancient ziggurat, built by the Elamites around 2900 BC.
We were actually able to climb to the top of the ziggurat, from which there is a splendid view of Kashan. But the sun was intense at the top, and I scrambled back down pretty quickly.
Kashan is also the center of rose water and other distilled waters from various flowers, herbs and spices. Much of the distilling actually takes place in a town about 30 km in the hills northwest of Kashan: Niasar. The town is famous for its spring water used in the distilled waters, and a waterfall that cascades down the hill into the town from the spring. We were able to visit two homes where distilling takes place, and ended up buying several bottles of various waters – cinnamon water, cardamom water, rose water, mint water, lavender water.
As you can imagine, the fragrances that waft throughout the town from the numerous bubbling vats of flowers and herbs are magnificent . We hiked up to the waterfall, which has a beautiful park built around it. Above the park, where the spring emerges from the ground, there is a Zoroastrian fire temple. While it didn’t look very old, and there were no markers or plaques to provide any history, I learned later it was built sometime during the Sassanid dynasty, which reigned from about 200 – 650 AD. For being so ancient, it was very well preserved!
From the temple, we had a fantastic view of the surrounding hills and the village of Niasar below.
The drive back to Tehran was even more beautiful than the morning as the sun was setting over the Zagros. I found that my own challenges and frustrations in life seemed to grow much smaller under their shadows as I considered how many events throughout history those jagged peaks had witnessed in this, a cradle of mankind's civilization.

Day 18 (5/12) Lap swimming at an all-women's pool

Today was a new experience for me. I have always wanted to find a pool to go to when in Iran, so that I can get my normal workout, since I normally swim at least a couple of times a week back in the U.S. these days. One of my sister-in-laws, Akram, has a friend who is a swim instructor at a pool and club for women only. It was fairly close to home, so Nick drove Akram and me over there. The pool was very large, and while there were not people lap swimming as rigorously as they might in the U.S., I was still able to get quite a few short laps in. I was definitely a bit of a curiosity there. As I came up for air and to turn at one end of the pool, I noticed about 6 people sitting on the side just watching me go back and forth in the water. I smiled and said “Salaam” rather breathlessly. By my next lap, I noticed that most of them were back in the water swimming as well. The pool was fairly crowded and warmer than I was used to, but it was great to be back in the water again. The club also had a sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi as nice as I would find back home. While I found that it was actually somewhat refreshing having only women there, at least one women I spoke to indicated it would be nicer if it could be men and women. At any rate, the club is very cautious that nobody from the outside gets a peek of women in their bathing suits. Cell phones are strictly not allowed in the club - apparently there have been problems at some clubs before with pictures being taken by cell phone and then distributed. While this perhaps doesn't sound like such a big deal for somebody from the West (after all, who hasn't had their picture taken in a swimsuit at some point?), it would be mortifying for a women who chooses to practice full hejab.

When we got home that afternoon, Nick staged a photo session with me and our nieces, Mahsah and Parisa. We put on different outfits and adopted different poses - both inside as well as in the back garden. It was a fun way to connect with them both. I cant' believe Parisa is now as tall as me, and I'm sure will soon be taller! She is studying very hard for her university-entrance exams. It is very difficult to get into university here, much like many other countries, and there is an exam to select those who will have the opportunity to attend. Students generally spend an entire year, 12 hours a day studying for the exam. Parisa was telling us that she has 44 books that she has to study - 44! No wonder students spend so many hours for days, weeks, and months just studying.
Women here know that getting a college education is a key to a better future for them. Depite the difficulty of the exam, they have actually outpaced men in recent years in gaining admittance. They now make up approximately 60% of university students. In fact, the government has recently passed a law to make sure there is more balance between men and women in colleges - now it must be 50/50. So even if a man scores lower on the exam than a woman, he may get accepted to the university where she may not if the 50% quotient for women has already been filled.

The education has paid off for women. Each time we come here, we see and hear about more women with careers, making their own way in the world. We are very proud of our other niece, Mariam, who not only has a full-time job with a French company in Tehran, but who is also pursuing her Master's degree in commerce. Contrary to some misconceptions about Iranian women, there are women bankers, doctores, lawyers, and a full range of other occupations. Is there still a glass ceiling? Yes, absolutely. But it's changing slowly. The status of womens' careers now doesn't seem to me all that different from what it was in the 1960's and 1970's in the U.S.

Day 17 (5/11) Dinner with family

This evening, we went to visit Nick’s aunt in Karaj. She had invited us to her home, and invited her whole family as well – Nick’s cousins. When we arrived at Nick’s “zan-daie” (maternal aunt), not everybody had arrived yet; after all, it was only about 6:00 p.m., and those coming from work would probably not arrive until after 9:00 p.m. So we took a walk towards the shopping area for a while, and then went outside in the back yard amongst all the roses in bloom - heavenly! But slowly the family filtered in and as they did, we chatted with various relatives – all of whom it was good to see again after several years.

In Tehran, people often live in homes or apartments much smaller than most Americans. However, there is usually a large open room - our equivalent of a living or family room. For large gatherings such as tonight, when there were about 20 people around, the furniture is moved to the sides, and a large cloth of "sofreh" is spread out on the ground. The "sofreh" is then set like a regular table - no table extensions or card tables needed! Everybody sits around the sofreh. It's actually fairly comfortable.
The general menu for large gathering meals such as tonight is usually a "khoresht" (a stew to be served over rice - of which there are multiple varieties); plain rice with saffron; another rice dish with herbs; baked chicken, fish or kebab; green salad and yogurt salad.

I wish some people back in the U.S. could have observed this whole family gathering, because it is the side of Iran most people in the U.S. just never see; a close-knit, loving family who has always treated me with the utmost kindness and respect. Our gathering for a meal together was not so very different from a large family or holiday gathering back in the States. It was a celebration in our honor – for a nephew living in the U.S. and for me, and me his American wife. It was a beautiful gathering that brought me to tears knowing how much love there was for us there.

Day 16 (5/10) An alternate view

Today was a mostly quiet day at home with mom and dad. It was warm out during the day, so we mostly stayed inside. In the afternoon, when everybody else was taking a nap, I searched the airwaves with my IPod to see what I could find. I located some classical Persian music stations, and a Persian dance station. Most Persian dance music, as well as videos, are recorded in Los Angeles and then shipped to Iran, as there is a huge Iranian population in S. California. But then I located the most interesting station of all – the news, in English. Yet it wasn’t BBC or Voice of America (both of which are extremely popular on television through satellite dishes); rather, this was obviously Iranian government-controlled media in English. I always enjoy listening to the government sponsored news in Iran on television or radio. It is like taking the U.S. media's reports on the Middle East, with all their biases and and slant, and turning them on their head. For example, while our media has often ignored the role the U.S. played in Afghanistan many years ago, which eventually led to the creation of the Taliban, Iranian media will openly refer to the Taliban as the “U.S.-created Taliban”. Rather than referring to “civilians killed in Afghanistan”, the Iranian media discusses the “massacre of women and children”. Another example was when the station talked about Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Iraq, describing it as secret, due to “fear of dear life” given the “hatred of Iraqis for U.S. occupiers”. As harsh as it sometimes sounds to my American ears, I have to admit there’s occasionally some truth in how they describe some events. They certainly don't sugar coat it at all. At the same time, some of it is also exaggerated to make the U.S. look as bad as possible.

Day 15 (5/9) Trying out the bus system

Today, Nick and I took a quick taxi ride to Behrooz’s business. From there, we hopped on one of the new rapid transit buses to head to Engalab square for some shopping. On the bus, men and women ride separately – women in front. While that sounds extreme to us in the West, it’s really only a short metal bar that separates the genders, and I was easily able to stand right next to Nick. The buses are great; they run on electricity from overhead wires and have their own dedicated lane, so they zip through congested Tehran. The new bus passenger platforms are also very nice - they are surrounded with clear tinted glass and are equipped with flat screen monitors with travel information. Unlike in Seattle, nobody actually checks passengers' tickets - people are more or less trusted to pay, although some random checks do take place. And the buses are extremely inexpensive – only about two cents per rider. They are heavily used, especially at peak times. From where we got off, we walked a fair bit. Being from a city one seventh the size of Tehran, the crowds, noise, and smoke does tend to tire us out after a while. We walked near the University of Tehran, where Nick studied for his Bachelor’s degree. We stopped at a bakery that Nick used to visit as a student – it’s been in business about 70 years, and they still serve the same gigantic cream puffs – these things are bigger than one’s fist. For old time’s sake, we just had to have one – yummm!

We decided to take a taxi home since the buses were crowded by that time. Taxis are fairly cheap as well – about $1.50 for a half-hour ride back home. We had a couple of funny experiences along the way. At one point while stuck in traffic, the taxi driver needed change. He rolled down his window, yelled across to the car next to him to see if that driver had any change. So they exchanged bills right there while in traffic. At another point we were stopped at a traffic light. The traffic lights in Tehran have a digital countdown above them, so you know exactly how many seconds until the light will turn – usually about 60-80 seconds. A driver ahead of us needed to grab some cigarettes, so as soon as he stopped at the light, he hopped out of his car, leaving it running, ran into a small shop along sidewalk, grabbed a pack of cigarettes, and was back in his vehicle by the time the red light had reached only 3 seconds left on the clock. Quite impressive!

Day 14 (5/8) A view of the mountains

It’s Friday, and the weekend. This morning, our nephew Hooman, Nick, Behrooz and I took a long hike up into the forested park near his parent’s home early in the morning. The forested park (park-e Jangal - literally translated "jungle park") is about a half mile from mom and dad's house, and has a steep climb to the top of a hill. On a clear day from the top there is a spectacular view of the Alborz mountains, which run along the north side of Tehran, as well as the highest peak in the Alborz, Damavand. We followed our hike by playing around on the exercise machines in the park. These machines are terrific - you can actually get quite a workout on them!
We spent most of the day with the family, giving gifts we brought from the U.S. and chatting – catching up on four years of news and events. Tonight was a late night, as it often is on the weekend. Dinner is often late in Persian households; 9 or 10 pm is not at all uncommon. With more visiting after dinner, the evening can run well into the midnight hour and beyond. However, Saturday is a regular school and work day, so we finally had to cut our visiting short so that Farshad, Mariam and Hooman could return home around 11:30 p.m.

Day 13 (5/7) Working out in the park

Today is Thursday, the afternoon of which is the beginning of the weekend. The weekend is essentially half of Thursday and all day Friday. Nick’s youngest brother (Farshad), his wife (Mariam)and son (Hooman) all came to mom and dad’s tonight. Before they got here, Nick and I took a walk to Behrooz’s business to check our e-mail. Along the way, we passed a rug store where I found some handmade “poshtis”, small carpets with a backing that allows them to be stuffed into large pillows. Traditionally, they were used as backrests before sofas and chairs became more common. They are not very popular anymore, and handmade ones are harder and harder to find, so I was very excited about finding a couple of them.
Along our way, we also passed a brand new kiosk that provides bicycles for residents to borrow. We had seen something similar in Rome (and in other major cities), but those were usually for a fee. These are absolutely free to people living in Tehran. All of the bicycles are painted green and there are special green bike lanes on the wide sidewalks now as well in many locations.


We also took a walk to the park close to mom and dad’s house. We were surprised and pleased to find outdoor workout equipment along one side of the park – machines for sit-ups, stretching, weightlifting (using one’s own body weight) and even an elliptical machine. What a great idea – and people use them. We saw men in suit jackets and women chadors getting their exercise. They have been installed in several of the parks across Tehran – another effort by the government to focus on a greener, healthier lifestyle, I guess.

Day 12 (5/6) Flying back through the storm

Today was probably the worst day of our trip thus far, as I woke up quite ill. Nick took me to a doctor near the shrine in Mashad. They gave me some medicine and sent me home – well, back to the hotel anyway, where I slept until about noon. While I was sleeping Nick took his parents one last time to the shrine and did some shopping for spices – especially saffron. Mashad is the capital of saffron production, and there are whole stores that sell absolutely nothing but saffron in different grades – kind of like fine tobacco shops back in the U.S.
I find it interesting that when I am in Iran, my life feels like it is suspended for the time we are there. Although I can understand much of what is being said, and generally follow most conversations, I can’t speak Farsi very well. As a result, I am much, much quieter than I normally would be at home, and spend a great deal of time just listening, learning and observing. Time alternately slows down or speeds up during days we spend with family, especially when others are orchestrating the agenda. I find I easily lose track of days. It’s an odd feeling, as I am normally so regulated by my calendar and the clock. Yet it’s also a different feeling from the only other times when we are not regulated by clock and calendar - when we are out backpacking for a few days. While we also lose track of time during those trips, we are both still in complete control of our time and our days.
By this time, during our third trip to Iran, I’ve learned to just sit back, let others do much of the planning, and go with the flow. I’m finding now that rather than it always grating on me not to be in control of my time, it is instead a good exercise for me in patience and in setting my own perceived needs aside for others – in this case to make sure mom and dad have a very memorable trip to Mashad.

Our trip back to Tehran was a bit eventful. We boarded our flight, after which the pilot came on and said that because of a high level of air traffic in Tehran, we would be delayed an hour or so, and that we would have to all disembark. People started to get out of their seats, only to have the stewards come down the aisles seconds later telling people to sit back down and that we’d be taking off soon. So we all returned to our seats, and just as they said, we took off about 10 minutes later. The IranAir plane was a Tupolov, a Russian-made aircraft, and not my favorite. I always seem to feel the turbulence more in the Tupolovs than in a Boeing or Airbus. Although I rarely get nervous flying, as we approached Tehran, we skirted very close to the outside edge of a lightning storm. It was a bit unnerving in that jet to see lightning bolts every 10-20 seconds outside my window! But we managed to land safely. The storm continued well into the evening with heavy rain, lightening strikes and the accompanying thunder every few seconds - much more than we ever see in Seattle.
As we drove home, we talked about how much Tehran has done over the past few years to be greener. They have been planting hundreds of trees and other green space all over the city along major roads. There are many more new cars on the roads than a few years ago – mostly Peugeots, Kias, and the Iranian-made Khodro. On our last couple of trips, driving in Tehran was miserable, because there would be black smoke billowing out from 40 year old cars. Come to find out, Iran has basically refused to license any cars over 30 years old now. So gone are the days of the ancient Paykan (another Iranian brand) billowing out clouds of choking fumes. The government has also greatly expanded the Tehran subway (which, by the way, is the cleanest subway I’ve seen in any major city!), as well as installed a network of rapid transit buses, with their own dedicated lanes. They have also made a huge push for everybody to replace their light bulbs with energy-efficient florescent ones by giving them to every household. The result is a city and country much cleaner than it was just four years ago.

Day 11 (5/5) Nishapur

Today our taxis and drivers came back and we took another long trip – this time to Nishapur, a very old city along the Silk Road. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of historical sites to see. Many have been destroyed, or simply forgoten with time. Sometimes from the side of the road, one catches a glimpse of what looks to be the remains of a very old structure, but it’s hard to tell whether the ruins are 2000 years old or 200, since until recently, building materials and designs did not change a whole lot in rural areas. But we did visit some interesting sites.

First we stopped at a spring where it is said Imam Reza stepped off his horse, and where his foot touched the ground, it is said a spring started to bubble forth. There is indeed a spring, and there is naturally a small shrine. People gather water from the spring to drink or take with them.
Next, we visit a very small mosque dedicated to a lesser Imam along the road. It was a good break from the long drive and mom and dad stopped to pray and rest. There are many of these small shrines throughout the country.
After that, we headed towards Nishapur to have lunch. Mom called her good friend in Tehran who runs a restaurant and her friend directed us to a restaurant in Nishapur that they either own or which was owned by friends. It was a good lunch, though other people in the restaurant were very curious about me.

I have to admit there are days when it sometimes takes all my patience to endure being stared at so blatantly, but I also understand how different I look. When possible and appropriate, I try to overcome the discomfort by saying hello or talking with people, which is sometimes all people want - to know more about me. This is especially true of groups of children – they’ll sometime venture a shy, barely audible “hello” when they come near to me. If I say hello back, they get very excited and start to whisper and talk amongst themselves. It’s quite endearing when it comes from them. When it's adults just staring at me, I find it somewhat more trying.

After lunch, we visited a wooden mosque. While this might not sound unusual to those of us who are used to wood as a building material, one has to understand that wood is not commonly used in building in Iran. In fact, I think this is probably the only wood building I've seen in Iran. Most buildings are brick - either bare or covered in stone such as marble or granite. But this mosque and its adjoining library and house was built by a former UC Berkeley engineering student who, once he graduated, moved back to Iran and built this mosque. Everything is made of wood – kind of like a slightly refined log cabin with minarets.
We also went to an archeological site where they have uncovered a 1200 year old city, including skeletons. Unfortunately, we could not take any pictures.

Lastly, we visited the tomb of Omar Khayyam – poet, philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician. At the tomb, we met a group of tourists from Holland. There were also lots of school groups everywhere, some of whom we'd seen at the other sites along the way as well. I learned that once a month, each class has a budget to take kids on field trips to historical or other interesting sites.
We returned to the hotel at 6:30 – it was a long day, but very interesting. Unfortunately, I seem to have finally caught whatever dreaded illness I usually come down with. I guess it was just a matter of time!

Day 10 (5/4) Coca Cola, Kenny G, and the Ferris Wheel of Life

This morning at breakfast, we met two German tourists who are travelling the whole Silk Road. She is an architect, and he is a pilot for Lufthansa. He took a voluntary year’s leave during the economic downturn to travel. They’ve spent several days in Iran, but were unable to get into the shrine – small wonder as they really stood out. So we offered to meet up with them later when we would be going to the shrine if they wanted to come with us.

We hired two taxis with drivers to take us all for a drive to the countryside near Mashad. We stopped for lunch at Shandiz, a very famous restaurant that it seems like everybody who visits Mashad raves about. And no wonder – it has a wonderful setting with seating platforms covered with Persian rugs, creeks, plenty of trees and beautiful landscaping, and great food! However, I did find it amusing that with my lunch I was drinking a Coca Cola, and over the musak playing was Kenny G!


Along the drive home, we passed a huge park with a ferris wheel. Mom looked at it and quietly remarked on how much it was like life- sometimes up, sometime down. I just loved her perspective - especially as she has seen a lot of those ups and downs in her own life.

It’s interesting being in Mashad as opposed to Tehran. Because it is does not have as much foreign business or tourism going on here, and many people visiting here are on a pilgrimage, often from rural areas, I get a lot of people looking at me here. Actually, I have people staring at me most of the time. I never feel it’s particularly malicious, just intensely curious. I suppose most westerners don’t think of coming to this corner of Iran, as close as it is to Afghanistan, and yet it's a world away too. When I tell people back home I've been to Mashad (we came here 7 years ago) and describe where it is, they ask me if I am afraid here. The answer is no. Iran is not Afghanistan - plain and simple. I am no more afraid here than I would be in Phoenix right now with all the violence that's been happening south of the border in Mexico.

In the evening, we returned to the shrine. Stephanie, our new friend from Germany, came with me – luckily a group of women was going into the shrine at the same time, so we kind of piggybacked with their group and were not asked any questions (I was also careful to leave my purse at home!).

It’s hard to describe the shrine. The entire ceilings and walls are covered in mirror mosaics, there are crystal chandeliers, and then the gold "zareeh" or tomb of Imam Reza. The whole place sparkles with light dancing off tiny pieces of mirror and crystals, and underneath one’s feet is the softness of intricately patterned Persian carpets in reds, blues, golds and greens. Simply put – it’s breathtaking. One can’t help but be in awe. But as I mentioned before, it’s also comfortable – I can sit down on one of the carpets and just think, read, pray or talk with others. Or, as I found on a previous trip, if I’m really tired, I can pull the chador I have to wear in the shrine over my head and take a short nap!

As we were finishing up our visit to the shrine, I saw something very interesting. During Azan, the call to prayer, I noticed a young woman in the courtyard holding up her cell phone or MP3 player (I couldn’t tell which), apparently recording the Azan. I am told - and from what I have heard myself I believe it’s true - that the Azan in Iran is different from other places; that it’s more musical. I can’t blame the young woman for recording it. As a musician, I actually find the Azan enchanting and lyrical. I remember an Iranian friend of mine in the States telling me once she really missed the Azan each day, even though she was not particularly religious. I couldn’t understand it at the time, but interestingly enough, now that I’ve been to Iran a few times, I find the same thing. And if I hear a recording of Azan when I’m back at home, I find it makes me a little homesick for Iran. It’s just part of the fabric here, part of the landscape, part of the sensory experience that I know I’ll miss when I return.

Day 9 (5/3) Cartwheels, carpets and courtyards

Nothing like just getting here and then leaving again! Today Nick and I, as well as his brother Massoud and Massoud’s wife Mahshid, took mom and dad to the holy city of Mashad . We left for the airport around 8 am and arrived at our hotel in Mashad at 2 pm. The hotel is very nice inside, though it’s off a small alley, but it is quite close to the Shrine of Imam Reza, one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam. After a busy couple of days, we all needed a break, and took a siesta (there’s no equivalent word that I know of in Farsi!) in the afternoon. After getting a couple of wheelchairs for mom and dad to make it more comfortable for them, we headed to the shrine in the evening. Women and men have to enter the shrine complex through separate security entrances, though what security it really provides I’ve never quite figured out. As I had my purse with me with a compact and a lipstick, and because I look different, the women at the entrance gave me a bit of a hard time getting into the shrine, but mom and Mahshid argued with them and finally they let me go. The shrine has expanded since the last time we were there about 7 years ago. There is a huge new courtyard – when I say huge, I mean it is about the size of a football field. I was told the space for the new courtyard came from a graveyard. Apparently, they just built it over the graves. I tried to imagine the outcry if something like that happened in the U.S.! As mom and dad prayed inside, Nick, Massoud, Mahshid and I wandered around the complex. What I love about visiting the shrines in Iran is that in many ways, they are much less formal than the churches I grew up with. There are families sitting together on large Persian rugs, reading, praying or just talking. There are some areas that are separated men or women, but also many areas where men and women can sit together. I even saw children turning cartwheels amongst those who were praying or reading. Other than at the formal prayer times, it feels very relaxed. And when the call to prayer comes, the Shrine staff roll out wooden carts full of large Persian carpets and spread them out in the courtyards. Not everybody who comes to pray there can fit inside the shrine, so the carpets are laid out to accommodate the hundreds of people who wish to worship there. After the prayer time, the carpets are rolled back up and re-stored. I wondered where all the carpets came from. Many of them are made for the mosques to meet a person’s “nazr”. A “nazr” is when a person makes a promise to God that they intend to keep if their prayers are answered. And they do carry out their promises; people take their “nazr” very, very seriously. So, some of the rugs we saw at the mosque were woven to fulfill a “nazr”.

Day 7-8 (5/1 - 5/2) Getting settled into Tehran

Since we got in so late, we didn’t get up until about noon yesterday, and it was generally just a day at home visiting and relaxing with our family. Today (5/2), Nick’s cold that started in Rome seems to have gotten worse – we’re not sure if it’s a virus or allergies, or both. It never fails, we always get some kind of head or chest cold when we’re here. So far, I’m OK, but taking my vitamins just in case! Our luggage finally arrived, so Nick’s brother, Massoud, took us all the way back to the new airport that they built south of the city to pick it up. The airport is large, and clean and nice, but there's not much air traffic there. Nick was telling me it was planned over 25 years ago, and the plan was for a huge development with hotels, restaurants, etc. However, after the Revolution in 1979, it was never built – until now. Now it’s just an airport. I suppose eventually, Tehran might sprawl all the way down this far, but for now it seems like it’s abnormally far away for an airport. In the afternoon, we took Nick to the doctor and also stopped off at his other brother’s (Behrooz’s) business to quickly check our e-mail. Plans are in the works for us to take mom and dad to Mashad - perhaps even tomorrow!

Day 6 (4/30) Traveling from Rome to Tehran

Today was just one very long day of travel. First, we had to haul our baggage all the way back to the airport via Metro and the train. Then we flew back to Amsterdam, had a couple of hours of layover, and finally boarded our flight to Tehran. It is 6 hours from Amsterdam to Tehran, and Tehran is about 3 hours ahead , so we did not arrive until 11 pm.

Once the airline touched down in Tehran, and before disembarking, I had to make sure I was appropriately dressed according to the government's regulations in Iran. This is not as difficult as one might think. I get a lot of questions back in the States about how women have to dress in Iran - many people think women are forced to wear chadors (long black robes) or even burqas. Well, I've never seen anybody wearing a burqa in Iran, although many women do wear chadors - some by choice, others for their work (especially if they work for the government in any capacity). But by and large, many women dress pretty casually. For example, I generally planned to wear the mid-length light coat I had been wearing in Rome (since it came down to mid-thigh) as well as pants or jeans, and a scarf or shawl. In Rome, I'd been wearing my scarf around my neck most days - now it just covered part of my hair - not a big change. And at home, people dress more or less like we do in the States.

But back to our arrival - the airline lost one of our bags on the way, which means we had to return to the airport later in the week, so that took some time to sort out. It was a wonderful sight to see many of our family at the airport. Our nieces, Parisa, Mahsah and Mariam all came in shawls of orange, teal and pink with beautiful bouquets of flowers for us – like three bright birds with fanciful plumage. And how they’d changed – 4 years fly by for us, and we forget how quickly the kids grow!

We arrived at Nick’s parent’s home at about 2 am. There were lots of tears of joy and smiles. I don’t think anybody who can easily see their family within a few hours of flying or driving time can understand what it is to be so very far removed – literally on the other side of the world – from one’s family and the sharp pain as well as joy with each homecoming and each leaving. So it's good to be here again. After much catching up, we finally headed to bed around 4 am.

Day 5 (4/29) Last day in Rome

This morning, we decided to get up early and take another stab at trying to see St Peter’s. We arrived promptly at 8:15 to find lots of security as well as chairs set up in the square. We suddenly realized it was Wednesday, the day the Pope holds an address in the square if he is in residence. Naturally, it meant St. Peters was closed until the afternoon. I supposed many tourists would have been thrilled to see the Pope in the flesh, but it would have meant waiting in the square for a couple of hours with thousands of others. Since time was precious to us, with so many other sites to see, so we quickly rearranged plans and headed for Castel St Angelo.
We were glad we did so, as we may not have made time for it otherwise. Castel St Angelo was originally a mausoleum for Hadrian, and eventually other emperors as well. Later, it was added onto by various Popes and it became a fortress, the residence of a Pope and later a prison. A such , it is an interesting combination of an Etruscan style tomb on the bottom and a renaissance living space on top with fortress walls and ramparts all around it. It is quite a structure and not to be missed! At the top, there is a café with wonderful views of St. Peters. We stopped for an espresso and some fresh-squeezed orange juice and could just barely hear the Pope’s address from St Peter’s.
After Castel St Angelo, we took the train to Repubblica station to see the Baths of Diocletian. This is another example of Romans creatively using ancient Roman ruins as the foundation for new buildings. The Baths of Diocletian were once the most beautiful of over 900 public baths in Rome. Much of the ruins are still standing, but a large church has been built entirely inside of them! The church was unique in that, upon close inspection, what looked like marble columns actually turned out to be tromp l'oeil. Some were real, some were painted – and one had to see them from fairly close range to tell the difference!

From there, we travelled back to Piazza Spagna. On our first evening there, we had spotted several street vendors with scarves (which I love) and other nice wares. But they seemed to have all evaporated. The only vendors around were selling sunglasses. We found it amusing that the same vendors who were out in droves with umbrellas a couple of days ago, had so quickly been able to change their product to fit the weather!!
But while we didn’t find the scarf vendors at the Piazza Spagna we were rewarded in the end. When we were heading back St Peters, walking from Ottoviano station, we came across a vendor with absolutely beautiful scarves and shawls at superb prices! Of course, I went crazy and made Nick buy about 8 of them – mostly as gifts for Iran, since they are much used there – but also 1 or 2 for myself! Nick even got very brave with his Italian and tried to negotiate for a better deal, ultimately without success, but it was fun neverthelessAfter a booster of gelato, it was on to St. Peter’s and the very long flight of 551 steps to the top of the dome. What a sight from there – all of Rome was stretched out before us. Inside St Peter’s was stunning. I love mosaic, and St Peters has it in abundance.
But the crowds eventually got to be overwhelming. Tired after such a long day, we sat in St Peter’s square for a while, soaking up the blue skies and brilliant sunshine. As we did so, a one-legged pigeon hopped over to us. The poor soul, it truly couldn't walk, having one leg severely crippled. So we fed it with some bread we had with us until it decided to fly away to a higher perch. We said our good-byes to Rome that afternoon, and headed back to the hotel. Naturally, I couldn’t resist and bought another couple of scarves on the way back as well as a small souvenir to hang on our holiday tree as a memory.

Day 4 (4/28) - Just how many miles did we walk today?!

We started today at the Vatican museums since the weather was still overcast and light rain. We arrived early and got to the Sistine chapel before it got too crowded. There are no words to truly describe this great work of art. To see it in person was a treasure I’ll never forget. We then spent several hours wandering through much of the rest of the museum. The sheer number of status and busts was amazing. But what was even more interesting was how many of them were labeled as copies of Grecian originals. I always knew the Romans learned a great deal from, and even borrowed from the Greeks, but I didn't realize the extent to which they simply imitated works of art.


Unfortunately, we did not get to the Raphael rooms until later; by that time it was absolutely packed! This, combined with the fact that once you decide to start to go in the direction towards the rooms, you are squeezed through small passages with no way out amde it very claustrophobic for about 50 minutes. Once we reached the rooms there was a large crowd, so we were really not able to enjoy the room as we had hoped.

From the museums, we had hoped to tour St Peters, but when we arrived there at about 1:30, the line stretched all the way around the square. We decided to try again the next day and headed into Rome instead. We took the metro to Piazza Spagna and came out an entrance we were not familiar with, next to the Villa Borghese park. From there, we walked down the hill by the Trevi fountain again. Naturally, we stopped off at our favorite pizzeria/gelateria and continued on to find the Pantheon. Our map was very poor, and so we spent a fair amount of time lost and wandering in different directions – but what better way to truly experience Rome! We finally came upon the Piazza Navona and found the Pantheon from there. I think the Pantheon is truly one of my favorite places in Rome. Because so much of it is still intact, I felt closer to the history of the ancient Romans than I did among ruins. Plus, we loved the shape – that you can fit a perfect sphere inside of it – what incredible engineering! We headed back through the Piazza Navona and toured the church of Sant’Agnese in Agone. We then went to the church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, which my sister said was a “must see” for a status by Michelangelo housed there, but which does not (unlike the Pieta in St. Peter’s) have hordes of tourists visiting it.


From there, we continued to wander through the streets to the Campo Fiori coming out along the river. Along the way, we came upon a Jewish festival celebrating the state of Israel. There were lots of police around, although everything seemed very peaceful. We continued on, and came upon the Portico of Octavia, once of the grandest monuments in Rome. Only the entrance porch now remains. What amazes us most about Rome, as I’m sure it does for every tourist, is that every time one turns a corner there are more ruins, and more history to be discovered. When we turned to our right, we realized we were at the Teatro di Marcello, built around 11 BC and once the second largest theater in Rome. Centuries after it was abandoned and then resurrected as a fortress, a noble family turned it into a palace on the 16th century and built additional living quarters atop the two tiers that remained of the theater. As it was early evening, there were few tourists around. It is a singular sensation to walk by a ruin or building that has been standing for hundreds of years, and realize you are not only small in comparison to the sheer size of the monument, but also only one miniscule person among millions who, throughout so many centuries, have also gazed upon these ruins with awe. The hurry and break-neck speed with which we normally live our daily lives suddenly seems to stop and carry far less importance.
Subdued, we wandered through quiet roads and alleyways to the top of the Capitolino hill for a beautiful view of Rome and the Forum, and then a golden-blue sunset over Vittoriano Emmanuel.
But this beautiful day had one last gift for us – as we strolled back towards the Colosseum, we captured – in our hearts, though not terribly well on film, a brilliant rainbow stretching from the Forum, over the Colosseum and disappearing into the busy nightlife of Rome.

Day 3 (4/27) - Our first full day in Rome

On our first full day in Rome we wanted to hit some of the ancient sites right away. The most obvious choice to start was the Colosseum. It’s truly amazing how much is still standing despite years of neglect and rampant vandalism. We were also impressed by how much the design, with all of its entrances and exits, has influenced stadium design throughout the rest of history.

From there, we headed up to the Palatine to walk around and view Augustus’ palace, looked down on the Circo Massimo and explored the various ruins. Unfortunately, a massive wind storm started while on the Palatine hill. The problem with being amongst ancient ruins in a wind storm is that there is a lot of,… DUST! Since we literally had dust and dirt blowing in our faces, we headed back down the hill into the Roman Forum. I especially liked the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, which was once a temple – the front portico of which is still standing. However, within the enclosure of the old temple ruins, the church of San Lorenzo in Miranda church was built centuries later.

What we didn’t realize is that as the storm picked up, the Forum acted as a virtual wind tunnel. We took refuge in the Curia and hung out with Trajan and the other emperors whose statues are housed there for a while. But there’s only so long one can examine the details of roman costume, hair styles and weaponry as carved into marble, and we ventured out again. After snapping a few pictures, our friendly storm brought us something we are very used to – rain. However, this was not the steady drizzle of the Pacific NW; rather, it was a heavy downpour. We took refuge in the Vittorio Emmanuel, and wandered through an exhibit on the history of Rome (all in Italian), before they finally kicked us out at closing time. Thankfully, vendors had appeared at every doorway selling umbrellas. As we headed back toward the Coliseum, the rain started to abate, and we walked along the Imperial Forum, taking in the sights and considering where we might score some tasty gelato. But the storm wasn’t done with us yet, for as we neared the Colosseum, the rain began again in full force, drenching us just as we reached the Metro station. However, it was not cold, and since we still had an appetite for gelato (who doesn’t?!), we bought some from the gellateria in the station and waited for the rain to subside so we could take some pictures around the Colosseum at night. The storm had other ideas, however, since the rain continued and did not look like it would stop anytime soon. In the end, drenched and shivering slightly after our gelato, we headed back to our hotel.

Day 1 – 2 (4/25 - 4/26)

We are finally on our way! After months of planning, shopping, as well as delaying our trip last year, we are once more headed to Iran to visit Nick’s family and homeland. It’s a long trip to Iran – generally about 25-35 hours in just travel time, so we decided to break up the trip and get some rest and relaxation before arriving in Tehran by taking a slight detour to Rome. We left Seattle around noon on Saturday and arrived in Rome via Amsterdam mid-afternoon on Sunday. The only challenge with stopping on the way is that it limits how much baggage we could take to one bag of maximum 50 pounds each, plus a carry-on. While this seems like a lot, when you consider that gift-giving is in Iran, as in many other countries, a very important part of social etiquette, 50 pounds when buying gifts for a large family is actually not really adequate. But Nick and I severely trimmed back our own personal clothing to the bare essentials – I was actually quite impressed with how little we took along personally, as we both have a tendency to over pack!

Since we only had one large bag each, we decided to take all of our baggage to our hotel in Rome with us. What we didn’t count on was that there are not escalators or elevators running at all metro stops. So after our long flight, we did end up lugging the bags up and down a couple of flights of stairs where the escalator was broken. But we eventually managed to get to our hotel just south of the Vatican. Nice place – it caters to a lot of tourist groups from Europe. We were even pleasantly surprised that we not only had our own bathroom, but that it had a deep bathtub – just what we needed after the long flight! After a quick wash-up, we decided to head out for our first evening in Rome. We hopped back on the metro to the Piazza del Popolo and walked along the Via del Corso, a shopping passage that seemed to be closed off to traffic that evening until we turned left and arrived at the Piazza Spagna and the Spanish Steps. What a great place to just relax amongst other tourists, locals, and pots upon pots of azaleas up and down the steps.


Tired, but still excited about being in Rome, we decided we just had to visit the Trevi Fountain as well, as so off we went. We not only found the fountain, which is a spectacular site lit up at night, but also discovered a great little pizzeria and gellateria near the fountain, where we naturally delighted in our first pizza and gelato in Italy!