Special VIP area

The first bus in Iran takes us from Tabriz to Tehran overnight. Akro, a guy we met in Tabriz, helps us book a ticket through an agency. We arrive at the bus terminal with only a letter written in Farsi, stamped and signed. No idea what it says, but it is supposed to be our guarantee for tickets to Tehran. It works! Our bus has 'special VIP area' written on the windows. I think it's divided into classes, like economy class and VIP class (for us obviously economy class). Instead it's all VIP class, even for us! The seats are very spacious, reclining and even the footrest lifts up. Almost like a bed. However, there's no possibility of recharging the phone and no drinks+snacks offered as in Turkey. Fine, we'll sleep anyway. We are the only foreigners and we arouse curiosity. So much so that at the first stop in the rest station we begin to be surrounded by Iranians asking us where we are from. No one speaks English, so we manage on intuition, gestures, and a bit of google translator. They all ask for our instagram contact, take selfies with us, offer us cool drinks, dinner that they had prepared and brought themselves, homemade sweets and candy. We get back on the bus and I struggle to fall asleep such is the emotional impact!

All the buses we took afterwards were the same, and so were all (or the vast majority) of the Iranians we met! Walking down the street, we have like a shimmering neon on our heads that says 'tourists', and especially European tourists. I think it's mostly fault of Peter's Sampei hat, me all dressed up and with the hejab actually managing to blend in quite well. So many people address us with a "where are you from?" Or simply with a "welcome to Iran". Some limit themselves to a couple of questions, others linger for a few minutes, others go as far as inviting us to dinner! We thus experience the well-known Iranian hospitality in all its sweetness.

The most beautiful experience was in Kashan, a city that fascinated me greatly because of its architecture and the people we met. It was also the hottest city in which we stayed. Kashan was our first encounter with the typical desert citadels: sand-coloured buildings and half-steeped streets of the same colour. Small and never straight streets, lined with high walls made of dried straw and mud bricks. We arrive at sunset and the atmosphere is simply magical with the low sun tinging the sky pink and the buildings ochre. After sunset the heat continues to be stifling. We sit in the square to eat something and are approached by an Iranian lady, Fatemeh, and her son Javad. After the first few questions we are invited to dinner for the next day, we are happy to accept. We then stroll through the bazaar, which is now closing, and towards the end we are approached by a voice behind us "Where are you from? Do you want to see the roof?". Asghar, a gentleman in his sixties, wearing a (once) white shirt, grey trousers, and a hat rarely seen in Iran, offers to take us up to the roof of the bazaar. Hesitant but curious, we accept. The view is surreal. The bazaar is covered by many domes, built with dried mud and straw, which create a surreal landscape, like being on the set of Star Wars. After the view of the city we are invited for many many teas in the cubbyhole where Asghar works or partially lives or is not clear. It is a cubbyhole in the basement of the bazaar. Almost more like a hole dug in the ground, about 5 square metres in size. There are no windows and not even a fan so we drip sweat constantly (when we go outside, the 40°C temperature feels refreshing). Cleanliness is certainly not the forte of this place, but the hospitality warms the heart. We make an appointment for the next day at noon. Unexpectedly, Asghar has prepared lunch for us, a typical Iranian dish (abgoosht) consisting of a soup of potatoes, mutton balls and spices. Delicious!!! Then he gets us on his little motorbike and takes us on a tour of the city (despite the heat and the tiredness in his eyes).

In the evening we are invited to Fatemeh's for dinner. We arrive and are welcomed as important guests: the whole family has gathered to share dinner with us. Seated on the floor, in a traditionally Persian living room decorated with beautiful carpets and cushions, we have the honour of experiencing Iranian family life. As an aperitif, we are served fresh fruit, cucumbers, and rose and saffron juices. The tablecloth is spread out on the floor and we eat sitting on the floor. Dinner is served around 10pm. We have the pleasure of tasting another traditional dish, Gheimeh, which includes (my favourite) bademjan (aubergines). Definitely among the tastiest I have ever eaten!!! Dinner is accompanied by doogh (a yogurt-based drink similar to Turkish Ayran and Indian lassi). After dinner we play with the children and then a herbal tea sweetened with saffron sugar is served - good for the digestion! Other family members arrive in the meantime, interested in us, our lives and habits, in our journey.

Leaving Kashan, our journey continues with numerous buses, always in special VIP areas throughout the country. And so the meetings continue, the people who stop their cars to tell us "I love you!" and the numerous invitations to dinner or for a tea! All the time in this wonderful country we really feel like we are living in the 'special VIP area'.

The friendliest people: Asghar, Fatemeh and his son Javad, and all the Iranians who offered us food, drinks, or even just a smile!

Food: bademjan!

Music: Mardome Shahr by Hamed Homayoun

Highlights of the trip: during the four days in Tehran, between Tabriz and Kashan, we stayed overnight in a hostel populated by lovely people, both staff (Dorsa, Amirrazi, and many others) and travellers (Sacha, Olga, Kumeait ...)

Lowlights of the trip: the heat increases with every move and we have to get used to living drenched in sweat

Pic: Agha Bozorg Mosque at sunset, Kashan