For the Iranian shepherd, wolves, bears and angry donkeys are never as bad as the bad economy. And now global warming threatens what’s left. Here’s an interview with someone we met on our Iran travels who experiences all this on daily basis.
In the words of this former mobster: “I didn’t even have to ask for protection money. Shopkeepers just came out in the street and gave it to me because they knew what I would do to them if they didn’t. But I have asked forgiveness from everyone of them.”
Getting non-industrial food in Iran is as likely as running into Joe Biden at the supermarket – unless you specfically ask for farm-fresh food. And beware of Iranian hotels many fake stars.
Here’s a story on I ate fantastic Persian food (after insulting the host) thanks to the legendary Iranian tradition of feeding the masses with free food to honor the dead saints of Shia Islam.
Don’t pass up the chance to attend a performance of classic Persian music during a trip to Iran. For me, it was an emotional experience tonight.
I stay in Iran partly because ALWAYS there’s something going on. Today it is helping make more than a ton of “nazri” food – food that is considered holy for both the people who make and those who eat it. For me, I just can’t pass up free food – which is plentiful during Iran’s numerous religious holidays.
Sometimes it’s impossible to walk away from tenacious Iranian hospitality, especially when there’s tea from a charcoal-powered samovar and unforgettable abgoosht.
Iranians are enamored with all things Western. Tourists quickly discover that from the way the locals greet them in the streets and boldly initiate conversation. Sometimes total strangers ask to have selfies taken with tourists they met seconds earlier.
