Further Along the Road to Tehran

From Shiraz, it was time to head northeast to the desert city of Yazd. I stayed a little too long in Shiraz, making my visit to Yazd quite short. Nonetheless, I was able to see a lot in the evening and following morning that I was there.

Yazd was hot, extremely hot. Situated in Iran's eastern desert, it appears out of nowhere with a sprawling network of modern buildings that lead to the old city, made almost entirely of a combination of brick and clay. Arriving just after sunset, I meandered my way through the old city to my hostel. With small rooms surrounding an oasis courtyard, it felt truly authentic. Again, I was greeted with many hellos and questions about what I was doing in Iran. After some nice kebab and a glass of non-alcoholic Islamic beer, I ventured to a viewpoint of the old mosque, which was both lit up by its colorful lights and a crescent moon. It was a perfect night.

The last city before Tehran would be Esfahan, commonly known as the cultural capital of Iran. Upon arrival, I instantly noticed that it was different to the other cities. Life was a lot more relaxed, with a lot of central areas for the young and old to enjoy evening tea and socialization. With the Zayandeh river flowing through most of the city, it also felt much cooler than Yazd or Shiraz. I was staying with a mutual friend that was able to show me the local way of life. I was fortunate to visit the nomadic tribes in the mountain south of the city and make my way to the sand dunes situated on the cusp of one of Iran's largest salt lakes. Truly, Esfahan was an authentic Iranian experience.

Tehran, the capital of Iran, was bustling when I arrived. The friend I made on the flight to Tehran a week earlier had offered to pick me up, so we went for dinner and strolled around Tehran's immense public parks. It was peaceful, a word many in the western world do not associate with Iran. These stereotypes need to be broken, and the only way to do that is to go out and see these places for yourself.