A Persian Odyssey: Iran RevisitedEvery good traveler plans his or her itinerary carefully to use time well and benefit as much as possible from the trip. I did not have an agenda, however. I wanted to travel Middle Eastern style, that is, with no prior planning. It would have been a nuisance to stick to a set timetable in a country that was, except for the language, entirely alien to me. I had decided to spend five weeks in Iran and had certain ideas as to what and whom I wanted to see, but my choices had to be la carte one bite at a time. I wanted to feel the pulse of the country by meeting and talking to as many people as possible. I knew that as a man traveling alone in a Moslem country I faced certain limitations. My quest had to be limited to interacting with men, with little exposure to women and their concerns. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Afghans American Amir Amrika ancient Arabic Armenian arrived asked Assyrian Azarbaijan bazaar bearded Bijan Birjand British building built called capital centuries chadors Christian church clerics courtyard dome door dressed driver Emam entered Esfehan European faith Ferdowsi fire temple foreign French front hejab Iran Iranian Iraq Islamic Kashan kebab Kerman Kermanshah Khomeini killed knew Kordish Kords language later learned leave living looked Mashhad mobads Mohammad mollahs Mongols Moslem mosque mountain never non-Moslems palace passengers Persepolis Persian Persian language prayer Prophet province Qajar Qor'an religious restaurant Reza Shah rugs ruins Sanandaj Sassanian seated Shah Abbas Shah's Shahnameh Shi'a Shiraz shrine sitting soon started street surrounded Tabriz talking Tehran told town traditional Turkey Turkic Turkish Urmi Urmieh village walked walls wanted wearing women Yazd young Zoroastrian