Exploring the Streets of Tehran
Tehran is a huge city which at first feels like Chicago with its industrial and impersonal feel. Later as experienced the city more, I would also add the characters of Bangkok and Cairo, mixed together. Traffic was typically challenging as drivers would avoid the traffic signals and signs and followed their own rules. When we crossed the street we were taught to avoid eye contact with the drivers and just walk boldly together looking inward with your group. I felt the wind of some passing cars nearly brushing me!
It felt very strange at first to be seeing large Iranian flags flying freely everywhere. Part of the brainwashing I wanted to eradicate from my mind made it a good therapy to look at and snap photos of Iranian flags, and my unreasonable feeling of discomfort gradually diminished. Unfortunately when I see the American flag flying I do not get the feeling of freedom but see it as a symbol of brash aggression and bad political diplomacy which is an embarrassment. Seeing photographs of Ayatollahs was not strange for me as I was used to seeing them in Damascus and in Lebanon.
I made it a priority to have real contact with Iranian people as much as possible. The cheerful and ever helpful and willing to please lads in the humble and modest Tehran hotel I stayed at were a good starting point for me. I am ever thankful to them!
Here are some everyday typical Tehran street scenes caught by my novice photo taking capabilities camera.
A nice respite from the city traffic as we wandered around the opulent Golestan Palace which is in the city centre.
typical scene with guys is to have many guys on a motorbike. It is fashionable among modern guys in Iran now, especially if they have a nice body to wear muscle t shirts like the man on the back of the motorbike in the photo.
Wandering through a peaceful park, I saw this sign.
Unfortunately the peace museum was closed. Unless the peace museum was just an addition to the peaceful atmosphere in the park?
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