Once more Tehran

We fly over the desert into Tehran and there is just enough time to visit the Golestan Palace and the National Museum. Much of the original Golestan Palace has been destroyed, but the remainder is good enough to give an impression about the Shaw’s lifestyle. The rooms are full of mirrors and marble, much inspired by European culture.

Food

We have mentioned ‘drinks’ already. Reading travel guides is mouth-watering and one arrives with high expectations. Reality is different. Since 99% of all tourists travel in large groups, it is no surprise that “romantic, cozy and traditional” restaurants are absent. In many cases the restaurant of a major hotel is the only option. There dozens of stainless steel containers are keeping nearly tasteless food warm. In order not to intimidate foreign tourists spices are not used at all. It is almost like British food.

A few times we were able to find delicious Persian food. Lamb kebab is delicious, also the barley soup. Dizi is a cheap soup-stew meal and is considered the food of the poor. It is delicious and filling. There is however, an art of eating it. First, drain the soup into a bowl full of bite-sized pieces of bread – and eat it. Then, using a pestle, grind the ingredients (chickpeas, potatoes, tomatoes and fat mutton) and enjoy it.

The flat bread is a delight, as long as it is fresh from the oven. Otherwise it is a chewy, dried, almost indestructible rubbery pancake.

Tea is excellent, coffee is a torture.

Health

No precautions whatsoever. No vaccinations. We followed our regime: cook it, peel it or leave it. We tolerated the food very well.

Persian Carpets

Is world famous and the best known cultural export. The oldest known carpet is 2500 years old. It is not the purpose of this report to cover this topic in great detail. On our last day I thought that we would return without a Persian carpet however, on the last evening Hertha found something that was “love at first sight”, and not much later we owned it.

Basic Facts

Iran has the size of Alaska and 70 million inhabitants (more than California and Texas combined). The population is very young. They have twice as many youngsters (%) than us, but we have 4 times (%) as many senior citizens as Iran. The country is the 4th largest crude oil producer in the world however; half of the gasoline has to be imported and is rationed.

Economically Iran remains a dwarf. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the US is about 60 times the GDP of Iran. Western media create the impression that Iran is heavily armed up to their teeth. If you look at annual spending for military per year and inhabitant, you will see that the US top the list with $1617, peace-loving Austria spends $337 and Iran, in the middle of hostile and crisis-shaken countries spends just $61 per person and year. Iran’s military budget is less than 4% of the US budget.

Return Flight

Tehran International Airport is not really busy

The flight on Iran Air to Vienna takes less than 5 hours.

Waiting for the plane

Summary
What did we like best? The friendly people? Isfahan, Shiraz or Persepolis?

We still don’t know. In order to find out one would have to make at least one more trip and stay for a month.