Hello all!
Visiting Iran maybe was the first decision on our trip where we had a bit an unrelaxed gut feeling. So many negative news about Iran in the media during the last years… How will it really be over there, in Persia?
The clue is: It was wonderful in Iran and also very enlightening in multiple ways: First thing that we experienced during our 2 months in Iran (Persia) is that you have to think about the country in 2 ways: There firstly is ‘the people’ and secondly ‘the regime’ (the government). These are two absolute disconnected perspectives on that country. In the media you mostly here about the regime (that surely is not a pleasant one, absolutely disliked by Iran’s people, …this you hear every day on the street). But what you do not hear often in the media is ‘how gentle the people of Iran are and how beautiful the country and it’s landscape is’. So friendly, open, supportive, interested and hospitable people, wherever you are. It was such a great time to get around with the people of Iran and we are already looking forward to go back to Iran again.
As always when you enter a different culture group there are also things that you (with an European mindset) can hardly understand and that sometimes sound contradictory to what I wrote above. First thing surely is: Wy is there so much trash on the streets (really bad!)? And how is it possible that a criminal like Adolf Hitler is a person that is positively honored in Iran? These are obviously the (few) aspects that we could not really like in Iran. I know that those aspects do not fit easily to what I wrote above. But no (!) doubt that the most aspects about being in Iran are just positive and wonderful.
Very funny is that there is a great way to get in contact with Iranians: you just have to have an issue with your truck :-0 When you are parking at the side of the road, you can bet that it will not take longer than 5 minutes that an Iranian shows up to offer help and to make sure that things get fixed. It worked every time for us (we once had a flat tire, a malfunctioning sensor and a clogged diesel filter…). All issues solved by help of Iranian people who just stopped by, …and helped. And when the job at the truck is done you can be sure that you will be invited for dinner at the home of the person that helped you. …and don’t even think that it could be yourself to offer an invitation for a dinner or so (as a thank you, since they helped you). The Iranians really like to bring visitors (especially Westerners) to their home. Having guests from Europe is exiting for them and surely also a kind of exotic event in their family life. And be sure that every Iranian tells you sooner or later that: ‘please understand that we are the people and not the regime’. It always was of big relevance for them that we took this message with us: ‘the Iranian people are great, the regime is not…’.
So now enjoy some pictures of the north of Iran.
Best wishes from Heike and Carsten
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