So far all the places I've talked about have not been Amir's actual hometown. So today, Kermanshah and Amir's childhood home.
Hey, awesome story, even Amir didn't know this. Marzieh (Amir's mom) said he was a beautiful child. And she thought he was so dear, she had his ear pierced. I don't understand the connection between piercings and cuteness, but he had a little gold ring in his left ear. Like a little Persian pirate. No she didn't have pictures! I would soooooo have loved pictures. I really need copies of all his mom's photos Maybe next trip.
Persian meels. Not my photo. Found on Google.
Something else I learned about my sweet Amir. He used to work out with these wood thingies called meels. (I think that's how you say it.) Apparently they're used in Iran and India for weight lifting/ muscle building. He also had a little mustache he wore through high school and university. And very stiff, very high hair. Yeah. He personified 80's awesomeness. (Picture the movie 'House Party' and you'll get pretty close to Amir's look.) So happy I met him in his mature years.
Amir in front of his gate. This totally looks like a 'first day of school photo'. Am I right?
Amir's high school.
Mahmood (Amir's dad) in front of his shop. Which is right next to the house. His dad is a welder. He made the rocking cradle in the foreground. Wish I could have brought one home.
Mahmood's shop. The cages hanging from the ceiling all have canaries in them. And yes they sing.
The front hall of Amir's house. As you can see, breakfast is being set out. We ended up moving into the room to the left to sit in front of the heater. It was a wee bit chilly in the mornings.
Leila coming out of the kitchen.
The kitchen. Notice the washing machine in the corner. Almost every house we visited had the clothes washer in the kitchen. I think it's rather convenient. No dryers though. Stuff hangs on a line outside or a rack inside.
The one and only bedroom. I asked Amir where he slept. He said on carpets in front of the heater.
Had to get a picture of this. I thought it was powdered sugar. Nope, it's milk- in a plastic bag. I guess the cow should have given me a clue. But the orange juice comes in a carton. Go figure.
Taken on the road to 'Bisotun'. That may be how you spell it, but it's not how people pronounce it.
Amir the Persian mountain goat.
Fatimeh, the other goat.
These are ruins of something. We kept asking and no one seemed to know what they were.
This and the one below are two different views of the same caravan. We didn't get to go inside. But it was neat looking so I had to take pictures.
So this is a huge section of the mountain that has been carved flat. It actually has a legend attached with it. There's a beautiful princess named Shirin.(Of course she's beautiful. Did you ever hear a story about the fat, ordinary, dimwitted or plain princess?) Anyway, a man named Farhad falls madly in love with her, but can't marry her. (I don't know why. I'm a little fuzzy on the details) So the king says, in order to marry her, Farhad has to carve the mountain flat. So off he goes to carve for his true love. Now, depending on who tells the story Farhad ends up dying from his labors or the king lies and says Shirin is dead so Farhad throws himself off the mountain. Either way he dies tragically never getting to marry his pretty princess.
But the rock really is carved. And it's HUGE. Amir down there gives you a little perspective.
There's a spring at the base of the mountain that's been enclosed into a pool. There's also a small park. In the summer, the pool would be way tempting. As it was, it was beautiful, but sooooooo cold.
Molly, Fatimeh, Leila and Mohsen.
The videos are a panorama and the drive to Bisitoon from Kangavar. Yeah, I need to slow my panning shots. Again people, I'm not a professional. (It was also way windy and I was standing on a not so steady rock.)
Bisitoon is one of the few touristy things we saw. Well, we saw part of it. The most famous part with Darius was covered with scaffolding. I found a picture at a travel website so you can see it.
This is not my picture it belongs to http://www.bavanatecotour.com/iran_bistun.htm.
Yeah, I travel halfway around the world and it's covered up.
Bisitoon is quite pretty. There's a natural spring and a lovely park. But it was waaaaaay cold the day we went. Cold and windy. I had to tie a knot in my headscarf as it kept from flying off.
A quick tip- good shoes are an essential part of any traveling experience. Because you have to take your shoes off and on in Iran, I recommend something sturdy, yet non-tie. Slip on is the way to go. Heels are a mistake. I have great Mary Jane's from Landsend that have a walking tread. Super cute, super comfy and super easy to get on and off.
I mention shoes because Mohsen did not have good shoes at Bisitoon and he cold not walk on the rocks very well. I shouldn't laugh, but it was way funny. Fatimeh is a mountain goat like Amir. (I call my husband that because he runs up mountains. Not walk. Run.) Maybe it's a Persian thing. Hercules is not Persian. But he was carved by the Greeks. See the sign below; it explains things. I have more Bisitoon, but it will wait for the next post.
Amir the cave man.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
This one is just for Caitlin. I forgot about the chickens! Mohsen has Afghan fighting chickens. Youtube them. They really do fight. We had chickens, but I don't know if I'd be brave enough to have these in my yard. On the other hand, they could totally take a New Mexico coyote. Yeah, they're that tough.
Be careful. They'll take your finger.
Amir is far braver than me.
Why Sohrab? Why?
You talkin' to me?
Monday, February 4, 2013
Driving in Iran is an ADVENTURE!! I didn't actually drive while there, Amir did that. He was pretty good too. I was not afraid to drive, I did learn overseas after all, but I can't speak Farsi. So how would I talk my way out of a ticket? Or jail? How does one flirt in a headscarf anyway? Also, it wasn't my car and I was afraid I would be a little too aggressive. (It was Mohsen's fancy new car we were driving.) Yes, Iranians drive on the right side of the road.
The freeways, or autobahns (yeah, German) are OK The signs are in Farsi and English, so they're not hard to figure out. Exits can be either to your left or right, so watch for the arrows. Just remember that lane demarcations are merely suggestions. Seriously. The only time drivers stay in one lane is when one car passes another. During the day you honk to signal you want to pass, at night you flash your brights. Its a good system.
Be careful of trucks. Good advice in ANY country. But if you get lost, truck drivers know where everything is. Which is good to know since once you get off the autobahn and into the cities, there are NO signs. Well, maybe a few street signs, but good luck seeing them at the same time you're avoiding a collision.
I saw a few traffic lights in bigger cities, but mostly they have roundabouts. Now, if you are unfamiliar with this system or familiar only from Europe...HA HA! Good luck. You pretty much just go. Don't hesitate. Don't crash. Just go. The right-of-way is to he or she with the most chutzpah. (See video)
They also have speed bumps in random places. And they aren't necessarily marked. So you can be driving down the main streets of a town and BUMP. On two lane highways between towns, just assume you're going to hit the bumps right in the middle of town. Amir says its to slow people down. I say its to stimulate the auto mechanic industry.
Parking is another stimulating experience. You don't just park next to the sidewalk or the side of the road. You can park two or three cars deep. And just stop wherever you want. (The Tuyserkan video shows this parking phenomenon.) No really. Just stop and get out. And this doesn't just apply to parking. I saw a guy get out of his car in the middle of the road to see why the traffic had stopped. (it was one of the rare traffic lights) I think he just couldn't believe people had actually stopped for a red light. Ha Ha!
On the way to the airport we got into a traffic jam and Mohsen got out to see what was happening. He just walked forward and got news from the other drivers (who had walked forward to get it from the cops and by-standers). I personally think this is fabulous. Then people know what's going on and no one gets too upset because everyone knows what's happening. And when the road was cleared everyone ran back and got into their cars.
Tehran is of course famous for traffic And like in other countries I have lived, there are merchants who peddle their wares in the middle of the freeways. A captured audience makes for great marketing prospects. Lots of food vendors of course...I'm trying to think if I saw non-food items for sale...sunglasses maybe? Hey some people see traffic as an annoyance, some as a business opportunity. Capitalism at it's finest!
I've told a number of people that the places we visited in Iran reminded me of Eastern Oregon/ Idaho. The following video demonstrates the similarities. Sorry again for the shakiness- we were driving. I also apologize for my narration if it is unclear. You can Google the towns I am referring to, Kangavar and Kermanshah, to get a better sense of where these are in relation to the rest of Iran.
