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The Imam Mosque (left) and Ali Oapu palace (bottom), both located on the Imam Square in Esfahan; Towers of Silence, Yazd (below)

Bridging the Persian Gulf

Allan Radcliffe debunks some popular myths surrounding Iran and her people.

1. Iran is a dangerous, unpredictable destination My decision to take a two-week holiday in Iran was met with raised eyebrows and anxious hand ringing. This great cultural. social and historical destination has suffered very bad PR since President Bush added the country to his ‘axis of evil‘ and the election of ultra-consen'ative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president has further added to the Persian Heartlands poor image overseas. Inevitably. tourists arriving in Tehran for the first time will experience a degree of culture shock. The first challenge on arriving at Imam Khomenei International Airport is changing money. Travellers are advised to bring US dollars and exchange them for Rials on disembarking. As the exchange rate is around 9()()() Rials to the dollar. you‘re likely to leave the bank with your money belt dragging around your ankles. Tehran itself is noisy.

overcrowded and polluted. Cars pour down the streets. the diesel taste lingers on your tongue and negotiating traffic is like playing a giant game of Frogger. But it really doesn‘t take very long to find pockets of calm in the capital. such as the Park Ii Shahr with its boulevard of soothing water fountains. or the town of Darband. a short taxi ride away in the mountains north of Tehran.

Otherwise. the impression of

everyday Iran as difficult or dangerous is simply wrong. Travelling from place to place is surprisingly easy as public transport is comfortable and reliable. Anecdotally. theft and petty crime are rare while violent crime against Westerners (in Tehran) is virtually unheard of. Hotel workers in the historic cities of central Iran are vigilant to the point of obsession. so theft from hotel rooms is also unlikely. You‘ll probably feel much safer than in your home town.

2. Iranians are anti-Western

While Iran does boast a fairly well trodden tourist trail. independent travellers are still rare. As two Western men travelling outside an organised tour party. we attracted curious stares and endless inquiries. According to popular belief. the people are worried about the prospect of being the next target for ‘regime change‘. particularly as Western states ramp

INEVITABLY, TOURISTS ARRIVING IN TEHRAN FOR THE FIRST

TIME WILL EXPERIENCE

A DEGREE OF CULTURE SHOCK

up the rhetoric against the Tehran government. Otherwise. ordinary Iranians are avowedly moderate people. The notion that they are openly hostile towards Westerners is nonsense. We discovered this to our benefit on attempting to buy bus tickets to the historic town of Kashan. Arriving at Tehran's hot. crowded bus station. we had only to look lost and confused for 30 seconds before the offers of help began in earnest. A young English speaking man adopted us. Our new friend steered us towards the ticket office. bought us a Slush Puppy each. located our bus and made sure we were comfortable in our seats before departing. This desire to help and insatiable curiosity about the West became more apparent once we'd left Tehran. In Iisfahan. taking a break from wandering around the splendid Imam Square. home to the exquisite blue—tiled Imam Mosque and majestic Ali Qapu

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