Honk, Steer, Brake!

Location: Ferdossi Grand Hotel, Tehran, Iran
Date: 22nd April, 2008

We got a bit of a late start, but it was our first full day in Iran and we’re weren’t going to let that bother us (though getting to Tehran after midnight after some exciting night driving made us regret is slightly).

Kristy needed a lighter scarf as the one she got in the US was proving to be too big and too warm for this weather. She got one in the first shop we passed, the people are super-helpful here. I’m just glad I don’t have to wear the damn thing…

After a nice lunch in the Polo Kababi Restaurant in Rasht, we stopped for some cookies and got drawn in to the friendly guys doing the baking. I don’t know how you can eat them with as much sugar as they have, but we bought some anyway.

Onwards to the mountain village of Masouleh, which is a retreat for the Tehran-ese in the summer and is a wonderfully relaxed village with plentiful tea-shops and alleyways lined with shops selling tourist-tat, though in a remarkably relaxed way. A complete contrast from Morocco, as the streets here reminded me of the Medina in Fes.

After some tea, we started the long drive to Tehran. The good news was we’d get there so late we’d miss the chronic traffic of rush-hour. The bad news is we had some night driving.

There are three rules of driving in Iran:

1. Honk
2. Steer
3. Brake, but only if you really have to

Once you accept this, you’ll do well. Our drive was of two halves, one an older, mostly triple lane highway and the other a modern motorway. The first section made for some excitement, punctuated by a stop for olives and some pomegranate paste, the second was a 140 kph blast into Tehran.

En-route we picked up some olives and pomegranate paste.

Finally, we’d been invited by Amir for dinner at his home with his family. It was delightful! We were made to feel much at home, and had a delicious meal. Kristy finished off the evening with some photos of home.