26 - North Shore News -— Friday, March 31, 2000 iran we comes tour Kindly, smiling people foster desire to return Andrew Renton Contributing Writer IRAN Air Flight 472 trundled down the runway leaving Tehran and the snow-capped mountains behind. My fellow passenger, t ner- vous chap, had been noisil ted from his seat of choice for the third time to be reset- tled reluctantly at my side. He took a deep breath and Tet out some loud utterances. | braced myself. The whole plane responded in unison. | mumbled with relief. It was a prayer for a safe journey and was repeated as thanks on touchdown in Kerman. A visa application form finally popped out of the fax machine after a week of entreaties to the Tran Embassy in response to their Web site instructions. Three weeks later, a once tough to obtain tounist visa, arrived by courier just days from my departure. Despite an anti-Western perception hardly eased by giant bill- boards in Tehran proclaiming “Down with PROUD grandfather Shiraz poses for a photograph with two of his grandchildren. U.S.A.”, American dollars are the hard currency of tourism and mandatory for most hotel bills. Everyone wants to visit their cousin in L.A. or uncle in Toronto. Newly trained tour guides await the hordes that President Khatami’s more open policy would like to attract. The attention [ received was almost over- whelming. I spread a map over the kitchen table in the generous suite at the boutique Hotel Omid, a favourite in Tehran of Western b ness people (reduced to $30 US by the Chador-clad receptioni who unexpectedly prenounced me to be a handsome man). The enormity of the task of cherry picking this huge, diverse country in three weeks became clear. ‘My decision was to fly south then zigzag by bus back to Tehran, a city of mad traffic, awtul smog, and great museums. Each place of interest turned out to be a convenient, cheap (never over $1) and comfortable five to eight wour bus trip apart. There is also an extensive airport infrastruc- ture. The 1,000-kitometre flight by irbus to Kerman, my most southerly point, cost a ridiculous $20 US. 1 arranged a car and frenetic driver to take me the 260 kilometres to Bam, an echoing walled desert city, once occupied by 13,000 peopie until a final bloody attack emptied the place in the 1800s. Twelve hours later with 600 km on the clock, inchding sidetrips, my driver w: content with the prearranged $14 US. Shiraz is farned for wide treed avenues, poets Hafez and Sadi, teahouses, gardens and fine mosque: ent ruins of Persepolis fie just bevond fer- tile plains once known tor the Shiraz grape betore the Islamic state banned alcohol. ¥ tragedy for tipplers like myself! “UNESCO has it that the desert town of ¥ i est in the workd. From behind high adobe wails in the old quarter, orpate wind tov protrude inte the ing the slightest by through bafiles to ce 101 the liv- ing rooms below, Water was accessed through “Ghanats,” man made tunnels tapped into wells 40 kilomet N Some are still in use. Pot mak- ers, WoO! dy flatbread ba this friendly living museum. Esfahan, once the sophisti- cated capital of Shah Abbas, still thrives. Here, the often used as a fashi k trimmed to match platform shoes, a purse or p fect makeup. Built in the 1600s, ornate bridges cross the park-lined Zayande River where Esfahanis stroll or meet at a teahouse, Khomeini Square, is one of the world’s largest. Presided over by the monolithic and exquis- itely tiled Masjed Imam Mosque and Alighapu’s Palace, the Square marks the begin- ning of the lengthy Roval Bazaar. The goal posts from polo playing days still remain. Esfahan is a haven for lovers of fine Persian architecture. The sobering, Martyr's Graveyard displays s photog phs of some of the million young victims of the Iran /Iragq w Eating is a bargain in fran. At the finest establis $1-S3 buys a pile of ing kebabs or other entree. The water is drinkable se the bot- tled stuff is hard to find. Hotels are dual priced for Westerners but the reasonable include breakfast. Forget nightiife, bring some thick books. [tis the people who indelibly leave the At on a fine travel experience. The sharing of food on buses. The instant help to an Jost tourist. The myriad of people out to practise English and learn about your country. [ranians are kindly, smiling people struggling to break into the 20th Century. Enshallah, or God ‘willing, © will return. sensibly obtained through a travel agency. Allow at least 14 working days. Safety: [ felt totally safe at all times. Women travellers £ met who adopted the chador, were equally well treated. This is not a country in which to make feminist statements. Useful guide: Lonely Planet which now encompasses a variety of travel modes from back packing to up market. Iran embassy Web site for interesting info: . Hotel Omid, Tehran: phone/fax (9821) 6414564 THREE littie girls in their first chadors smile for the camera in Yazd. ‘Photos Andrew Renton A ceppersmith works his materials in the ancient desert town of Yazd — according to UNESCO it is the oldest settlement in the world. THE desert-walled city of Bam emptied in the 1800s. Roseway hosts African talk The Grand African Adventure: South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Kenya. Oct. 29 departure. West Vancouver’s Roseway Travel hosts a special evening Tuesday, April 11 to present the itinerary for a Grand African Adventure planned for departure on Oct. 29. Goway representative Alison Scott will be on hand to answer questions and discuss the specifics of che trip. A slide presentation is also scheduled. Limited departures for 8, 14, 18 or 24 days are available on dates other than Oct. 29 as well. The full package includes a first-day arrival in Johannesburg, 18 days of travel through- out South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe with the final week spent ia Kenya and the Masai Mara National Reserve. Admission to the talk is $5. For more details and to RSVP contact Roseway Travel at 926-4344. Their West Vancouver office is located at 106-100 Park Royal South (Black Office Tower).