My Trip to Iran

Introduction

My name is Hamid Shojaee.  I'm an Iranian-born American Citizen who came to the US with my family back in 1984 and I hadn't been back since.  It had been about 19 years since I had been to Iran.  A few months ago, my wife Lawdan and I decided it was time for us to pay a visit.  I mostly wanted to visit with family and friends, but I also wanted to see some of the historic sites in Iran.  As you will soon see, Iran is home to some of the most amazing and historic architecture in the world and has some beautiful sites to see.

If you are wondering why I hadn't been back for 19 years or if you are an Iranian male who is thinking about visiting Iran, read my preparing for the trip page.  I explain what I needed to do in order to avoid having to serve in the Iranian military.

A Smooth Ride

When I finalized my trip plans, it was during another small uprising by Iranian Student protesters against the current regime.  It was also coming up on the 5th year anniversary of the original student protests where many Iranian students were killed for their protests against the Islamic Republic of Iran.  All of this, plus US's inclusion of Iran in the Axis of Evil and the recent US threats to Iran about Iran's nuclear ambitions had me on the edge.  Various thoughts would go through my head; would Iran label me as a US spy for becoming a US citizen and then visiting Iran during this latest turmoil; would Iran just be pissed off enough at Iranians who live in the US that they would simply detain me with no reason?  I had heard enough stories over the past 19 years to keep me on the edge of my seat as the 747 Iran Air jet was landing in Tehran.  But as it turned out, I had nothing to fear.  The 300+ passengers and I deplaned, picked up our bags, went through a quick passport check and we were in!  In all, it took less than 1/2 hour from the time we landed till the time I left the airport.  No bag check, no harassment, no questions asked.  Simply "Welcome to Iran".

You Call This Driving?

The first thing you will undoubtedly notice when you arrive in Iran is the exceptional form of driving.  It's more like a video game - but you only get 1 life and there is no reset button.  Nobody, and I mean nobody abides by the traffic laws.  Lanes have no meaning and a red light is simply a suggestion to stop (and most cars don't!).  Cars are often making drastic moves to avoid hitting pedestrians, motorcycles or even vehicles that are coming on the wrong side of the road.  Pedestrians simply walk right into a busy street in order to cross.  To the unfamiliar eye, it appears as though pedestrians want to commit suicide, but after a couple of days, you come to realize that because nobody pays any attention to traffic laws, there is simply no way for pedestrians to cross the street unless they simply walk in front of a car and prey that the car will stop.

Small cars (equivalent in size to about an older Honda Civic) are commonly carrying 7 or 8 passengers.  Motorcycles often have 3 or 4 people riding on the same bike without a helmet (quite often, the whole family is riding plus a couple of bags of groceries).  Some bikes even stop to pick up passengers who's destination is on their way just to make a few extra bucks.  Taxi cabs typically have their seat belts removed to accommodate 6 or 7 passengers more comfortably.

The drive home from the airport that first night was so scary that I decided I need to be in control of my own destiny.  I started driving the very first day!  There is nothing like the feeling that you get when you are faced with 3 cars coming directly towards you on a 1 lane, two-way highway.  About the only thing that came to mind was "who's going to take care of my dogs?"

The video we managed to take from the driving conditions doesn't provide a complete picture.  You might think oh, it looks a lot like driving in Manhattan, but believe me, I've driven in Manhattan and this is something else.  During my 16 days in Iran:

• We saw the aftermath of 16 accidents, including 4 roll-overs
• We witnessed 2 accidents that happened right in front of us, including one in which our taxi driver hit a pedestrian  (fortunately, he was only bruised and scratched - after a few loud exchanges with our cab driver, everyone was on their way)

Believe it or not, the number of accidents we saw doesn't seem half-bad for the way in which people drive.  About every 2 minutes, I was sure we were going to hit someone or that someone was going to hit us, but miraculously, we would pull away missing the other vehicle by as little as an inch or two.  I feel extremely fortunate having survived the many close calls.

A Tour of Iran

Tehran and Boomehen

Iran has a lot of great sites to see and we tried to squeeze in as many of these sites into our schedule as we possibly could.  We started in northern Iran, about an hour drive north of Tehran in a town known as Boomehen.  As with most US cities, the tap water in Boomehen is not suitable drinking water, so one of the first sites we visited was a fresh-water creek on a mountain where people would fill up large water containers to use as drinking water.  Women and children would easily carry 2 large canisters of water (one in each hand) while I had difficulty carrying a single one with both of my hands.

In Tehran, we visited mostly Lawdan's favorite sites...the Bazaars.  Iranian bazaars are the equivalent of the US shopping malls, but they leave a lot to be desired if you are used to the mega super stores.

Now Shahr and Namak Abrud

Next, we went to some of the cities surrounding the Caspian Sea (a very popular vacation site for Iranian residents).  The landscape is gorgeous and lush with greenery.  In a city known as Namak Abrud, we rode on a telecabin to go to the top of one of the Elburz Mountains.  From there, the view was simply amazing.  You could see many of the cities beneath as well as many miles of the Caspian Sea.

Hamadan

After spending a couple of days in Northern Iran, we headed out to Hamadan.  As it turned out, we had picked a 3-day weekend to visit Hamadan and to our big surprise, Hamadan was packed with tourists.  Even the locals had decided to head out to the parks (and any other green areas) for a picnic.  We couldn't find a vacant room and everywhere we turned, there were people gathered around a "sofreh" (a traditional mat where most Iranians place their food in preparation for lunch or dinner) on any piece of grass they could find.  In Iran, round-about intersections are extremely common and many round-about intersections are beautifully landscaped with flowers, trees and grass.  On that night, all the grass areas in round-abouts, parks, even in the middle of large boulevards were covered with people on blankets or tents.

Our trip to Hamadan had a significant purpose so we weren't about to turn around and go home just because we couldn't find a room.  Approximately 50 Miles Northwest of the city is home to one of the world's largest known caves (the 3rd largest), named "Alisadr".  We decided to buy a tent and camp for the night near the cave.  On our arrival to the cave (at around 2AM), we found that we weren't the only ones who had a camping idea.  Tents filled the area and a number of people were just sleeping on a blanket on the hard concrete ground.  The next morning, after a 4-hour wait in line, we were finally able to visit one of the most astonishing sites I have ever seen.  The pictures simply don't do it justice.  Inside the cave is a maze of hallways and large stadium-like rooms that can be as large as 300 feet wide and about 35 feet high.  The Alisadr cave is called a lake-cave because most of the cave's floor is covered with water that can be as much as 30 feet deep.  We took a 30-minute tour of the cave on a series of 3 boats that are tied to a single bicycle-like boat powered by the tour guide.

Here are some facts about Alisadr cave:

• Inside is a cool 70 degrees Fahrenheit year-round (even when there is a snow-storm outside)
• The cave's length is estimated at approximately 7 to 9 miles with much of it still undiscovered
• Some of the larger rooms can be as big as a football field in length and a bit higher than a 3 story building

If you ever go to Iran, you have to visit the Alisadr Cave.

Isfahan

After our trip to Hamadan, we moved south to Isfahan where I lived from about 4 years of age until I was around 7.  People in Isfahan modestly refer to their city as "Isfahan, nesfe jahan" which means Isfahan is the equivalent of half of the world.  Although not quite accurate, Isfahan does have some amazing historic architecture and was home to some of the most astonishing structures.

Our first stop in Isfahan was at Menar Jonban.  Constructed about 700 years ago, two minarets are built on the tomb of Abu Abdollah (probably some famous guy for his time) in such a way that the minarets can be shaken from the inside without any structural damage.  In fact, they have been shaken for the past 700 years and the mystery is that nobody knows how they were built so they can withstand the stress of the shake and still last so many years.  Thousands of tourists visit the site each day, subjecting this structure to even more stress than it could have possibly been designed for.

Another of the sites to see is known as "Emam Square" which is home to a number of historical monuments all built around 400 years ago.  The monuments which surround three sides of the square include the "Emam Mosque" (formerly known as "Shah Mosque"), "Sheykh Lotfollah Mosque" and "Ali Qapu".  The fourth side of the square is home to one of the largest, most famous and oldest Bazaars in Isfahan. Much of Isfahan's hand-crafted goods are made in this bazaar.

Bandar Abbas

Let me just tell you that summers in Phoenix Arizona are heaven compared to the weather in Bandar Abbas - the city in which I lived for the last 3 years prior to our move to America.  Bandar Abbas is at the southern most part of Iran near the tip of the Persian Gulf.  Temperatures during our stay were in the 100s (the lows) to the mid 120s (the highs).  But it wasn't the temperature that made it intolerable for me; it was the humidity.  At 95% humidity combined with 120 degree weather, combined with poor cooling systems in most houses (and no air conditioning in most cars or taxies), this city was as close as you can come to hell if you are hoping for a round-trip ticket.

I have no idea how I could have tolerated such extreme heat when I was a kid.  I remember playing in the streets in the middle of the afternoon during the summer.  Come to think of it, this may help explain some unrelated issues.

About the only thing we saw in Bandar Abbas was the house I used to live in and the ice-cream shop I used to go to for a float each day after school.  Both our old house and the ice cream shop seemed untouched from 19 years ago.

Lifestyles in Iran

The People

Contradiction is about the only word I can think of that describes the people of Iran.  On the streets, everyone looks to be in a rush to get somewhere, but walk into any store and chances are the storeowner will completely ignore you as he is relaxing and playing chess with his buddy.  As much as they seem to be in a rush on the streets, everyone seems to have a lot of time.  A 3-hour lunch is normal as most people go home to eat lunch around 1pm, take a nap, then head back to work again at 4.  They then work a few more hours and go home for the night.  I really like the afternoon nap idea and will be submitting a formal request to the department of labor to see if we can adopt such a work practice in the United States.

One of the strangest traditions in Iran is known as "tarrof".  Tarrof is when somebody offers something to someone regardless of whether the offer is genuine.  Tarrof is something that's done universally across Iran by everyone we encountered.  When we would try to buy something at a store, every storeowner or cashier would first say "don't worry about it" (as in just take it without paying).  They might say this several times before finally accepting payment for the merchandise.  Of course, this is an example of non-genuine tarrof, because you wouldn't make it 2 steps out the door if you tried to leave without actually paying and often times you would find that you've been "had" as the merchandise you bought should have cost 1/2 the price.  There are a number of examples of genuine tarrof too.  Many taxi drivers won't take any money for short distances.  You often have to beg Taxi drivers to take your money and if during the course of the ride you become friendly with a taxi driver, he often will force you out without taking a dime.  It's not unusual for people to invite total strangers to their homes for lunch or dinner.  Iranians typically love company, so anytime you talk with someone for longer than a minute you are risking an invitation to their house that same day.

For a society that can be so friendly and is so rich in culture and tradition, there is a surprising dark side.  There isn't anybody in Iran who hasn't lost thousands of dollars (which is often a family's life-savings) to some scam pulled by someone they fully trusted.  Iranians are very trusting people when they decide (rightly or wrongly) that they know someone.  But the exact opposite is also true - they don't trust anybody they haven't met.  This total lack of trust (and respect) for people they haven't met causes total chaos in situations where everyone's cooperation is required.  Examples of this would be any line in which you'd have to wait your turn.  Whether it's at a red light or at the ticket box for a movie, Iranians don't want someone they don't know to get ahead of them, so everyone simply goes to the head of the line and battles it out with shouting and pushing until they finally get their way.  Fights often erupt as a result of the total chaos and lack of respect for their fellow citizens.  I even found myself in a few shouting matches as I had to stop people from cutting in front of me as I waited at airline security or tickets for the Alisadr cave.

Living Conditions

Lifestyles in Iran are generally extremely modest.  The middle class of Iran, in terms of living conditions and finances, might be compared to the lower class in the US.  Most homes don't have dining tables or sofas and many families don't even own a car.  The typical middle class family of 5 (people have more kids there) has a modest 2 or 3 bedroom house between 1000 to 1500 square feet, they own a 20 year-old car (equivalent to a Honda Civic), they have a single 25" TV as well as a small dining table and a set of sofas reserved for the guests.  Meals are usually served on a traditional "Sofreh" that's laid down on the ground and the whole family (plus a few guests) all eat sitting together on the floor.

Meals are normally prepared by the woman in the house while the men are working.  After the meal, some will engage in a game of backgammon while others will choose to take a nap.

Although it's normally not worth mentioning, toilets are a big part of the conversation for tourists in Iran.  The worst part of my trip to Iran was the use of the Iranian Toilet.  Although everyone in Iran will claim that the Iranian toilet is far superior to the western toilet, it simply isn't so!  Some houses and most hotels do have the western style toilets, but to be on the safe side, make sure you take your own Toilet paper.  Enough said.

The Money

Iran's money has been taking a beating since the change of the regime from Shah to the new Islamic Republic of Iran.  The official currency of Iran is known as the "Rial", however, because the value of Rial is so insignificant everyone talks in terms of "Toman".

1 Toman = 10 Rials

The exchange rate for US Dollars to Toman during our visit was approximately 825 to 833 Tomans for each dollar.  Unfortunately, Iran's biggest currency is only 1,000 Tomans (or 10,000 Rials), so when you exchange a single $100 bill, you get a stack of Iran's largest bills (about 83 of them) making you feel super rich!  For western tourists who earn their money in dollars, euros or pounds, Iran is a fairly cheap country.  Here is a list of the typical prices of things in Iran (converted to dollars):

In general, anything that's made in Iran is very cheap; however, anything that's imported (most electronics, cars, some clothes, etc.) are about the same prices as you might find in the US.  *One exception to this is hotel rooms.  Although hotels are reasonably priced for Iranian citizens, for tourists who don't have an Iranian birth certificate handy, prices are often three to five times as high.  There is no good explanation for this discrepancy.

Conclusion

Over the past 5 years, I had been wanting to visit Iran and see my relatives, but each year I postponed my visit due to concerns about the regime and the possibility of being drafted into the military.  My fears were really unfounded and were mostly based on the news-worthy stories that reach us in the United States.  If a story is news-worthy, it means it's not normal.  By definition, the news we hear about Iran and Iranians is the stuff that's out of the ordinary - not the normal day-to-day lives of Iranians.  That's what I had forgotten.  That's what most of us have forgotten as we sit in front of CNN and watch chanting Iranians say "Death to America".  That is not the norm!

And contrary to popular belief that Americans would be stoned in Iran, the truth is, Iranians welcome western tourists with open arms (probably for the obvious reason - they have money!).  We saw a number of European and American tourists during our visit to Iran and they all seemed to be enjoying themselves.  So regardless of where you're from, you have nothing to fear (assuming you are not a political activist against the Islamic Republic of Iran of course).  If you've been considering a visit to Iran, don't delay it any longer.  Get your paperwork in order and have fun.

Cool Sites About Iran

I found the following sites to be of interest:

CIA Fact book about Iran
Salam Iran
Iranian Embassy in Washington DC
Iranian Chamber of Commerce
Google in Farsi

Contacting Me

Please feel free to contact me at hamids @ mcpcentral.com.

High-resolution versions of each of these pictures is available here.  However, please do not use these pictures for commercial purposes without first asking me for permission.  Thank you!

Iran-Air 747 jet that I took from London to Tehran

4 people on a small motorcycle (with no helmets) is a common site in Iran

I took this picture in case you thought the above picture was a fluke.  This family is even eating ice cream while riding a bike with their helmet in hand

This is a moving vehicle that's so full that 3 passengers are riding in the trunk

Lawdan's 3 Year-old cousin helping us get some fresh drinking water

Lawdan and I in front of a Library in Boomehen

One of Tehran's Bazaars

The same Tehran Bazaar has a 5-story indoor facility much like US shopping malls

Typical traffic in Tehran - notice the pedestrians and bicycles in between the cars

While the Iranian people may be poor, many of the Iranian police drive the latest Mercedes Benz C Class

Having a Nissan Patrol (left) or a Peugeot 206 (right) in Iran puts you in the Elite class

Lawdan's cousins Behnam and Laya pose with Lawdan and I in front of a round-about in Now Shahr

Riding on a telecabin in Namak Abrud, you can see the town below as well as the Caspian sea (on top)

Here, we are reflecting on the beautiful scenery (ok, fine - we are posing!) on top of Elburz Mountain

One of the more famous structures in Hamadan

People camping in front of the Alisadr Cave on a busy 3-day weekend

Inside the Alisadr Cave, this natural rock formation is labeled Statue of Liberty because of its resemblance to Lady Liberty (this rock formation is about 5 feet tall)

Lawdan and I posing in front of one of the cave's many labyrinths

The house I used to live at in Isfahan

This 700 year old structure is known as Menar Jomban because it can be easily shaken (Isfahan)

Emam Square in Isfahan (formerly Shah Square - about 400 years old)

One of the most famous mosques in Isfahan known as "Emam Mosque" (formerly known as Shah Mosque) was built about 400 years ago

Here I am punishing Lawdan for misbehaving in front of 33-Pol, a 400-Year old bridge in Isfahan that is still in use today

Inside each of the 33 pillars of 33-Pol, you will find traditional coffee houses and small shops

Building in Isfahan known as 40-Pillars or 40-Sootoon.  It actually only has 20 Pillars, but the modest Isfahanis also count the reflection of each of the 20 pillars in the water for a total of 40

An Internet Cafe in Isfahan - lots of teenagers spend hours chatting with their American counterparts

All of my cousins from one uncle gathered around a "Sofreh" for dinner in Bandar Abbas

The house I used to live at in Bandar Abbas

Trying to cool off by drinking an ice-cream float at the same shop in Bandar Abbas that I used to go to 19 years earlier

That's me dressed in a traditional Iranian outfit so that the "Bassigies" would leave me alone - Joking, of course (Bassigies are a fundamental Islamic group in Iran known for being extreme - although they normally don't harass men, they are well known for harassing women)

Lawdan and one of my 2nd Cousins, Maryam, posing for a picture.  It's uncommon for such a young child to wear a "Chador".  We just wanted to take this picture because it looked cute

In some parts of Iran, this is a typical size of a street separating houses.  As you can see, people also drive on these streets

Here, I am happily exchanging a $100 bill for 83,000 Tomans (830,000 Rials)