I made it so you don't have to log on to post comments.


I can't get to a USB port on this machine, so keep anticipating pictures.

Back to the traffic. It's not just a nightmare, it's a circle of hell. Manifested as multi-lane traffic circles at most intersections. But there are also traffic lights here and there, which are treated as optional. Interestingly, both red and green last a long time (30-60 sec) and there's usually a countdown display for both. Did I mention pedestrians cross literally everywhere?

The National Museum is a smallish archeological museum, with dug-up dishes, jewelry, etc. Most things were thousands of years old and would be great fodder for episodes of Buffy (if only they were still writing them). The museum had parts of a limestone relief from the Persepolis site (so it was about 2500 yrs old), showing a king (either Darius or Xerxes, they're not sure) and various visitors, successors, etc, to the king. By far the coolest thing was they had a head! of a dude! yes a real live dead dude! Someone over 200 years old, found in a salt mine in a recent decade. Definitely look forward to pictures of that.

Before getting back in the tour bus, it was time for a visit to the museum's facilities. The sign to the women's room was adorable, not the skirt we're used to but a headscarf and button-down manteau! I want one for my home. Anyway, the real suprise was the introduction to squat toilets. They aren't that different from regular toilets, except that they're set into the ground (and they don't have a lid and you definitely shouldn't sit right on it.) There is also no toilet paper, but instead a faucet with a small hose attached. I suppose the idea is a makeshift bidet, but I have no idea how you avoid making a mess of everything if you do that. Otherwise not too hard to adjust, kinda like backpacking (easier even).

Once back on the bus, we swung past the front of the American Embassy, which has of course been closed since the hostages in 1979. There are official-looking virulently anti-American comments on the wall surrounding the embassy, which I didn't take personally. It's hard to when every street sign is transliterated, every store has signs in English, tons of people speak English, and even the highway signs are in English. I hadn't expected nearly so much stuff would be translated. Plus the people are incredibly friendly and hospitable, which I'll detail more later.

Then we navigated over to the palaces where the shah used to live and work. We only toured the building of former offices, which was incredibly lavish. Furniture from France, soundproofed walls in the meeting rooms, of course Persian carpets, glittery chandeliers and even glittery bits of mirror set into some of the walls. More rooms than I could keep count of, and all set up differently. All I could think was if the place was filled with zombies, you could play Axis of Resident Evil.

Then we rolled over to where Khomenei had lived, which was quite spare in comparison. Just a 2 bedroom home (couldn't enter but viewed thru glass, only 1 Persian carpet was visible) with a mosque attached. The mosque was very non-ornate as mosques here go.

I can't believe I still haven't gotten through the first day but I am tired and going to sleep now. The later days aren't so detailed so they'll go faster. We are in Yazd now, which is in the desert so they don't have as many internets, but tomorrow we travel to Esfahan, a big city with, I believe, many more internets.