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| Jujuy - Argentina in Iran |
Story 1: But I think this was a special flight, 2 days before my flight I was bitten by a dog, who left 34 wholes in my hands and arms, and I know some of them will be forever in my body. I was a bit worried that I wouldn't be able to go, actually I was told that if the infections worsen and the reach my shoulders, then they would have to cut my arms, so it was better to stay in England, but my tickets were already there... so as a good disobedient guy I decided to go anyway, even though I couldn't move on of the fingers in my left hand (the one where you use the wedding ring - is that a signal of something?)
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| Day 0 |
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| 5 days later |
Story 2: In the plane an Iranian man decided to smoke, so... this was the first time in my life where I heard the alarms and the cabin crew moving, I was waiting for a bigger show, but it wasn't really like that, the only thing to highlight was that the captain called the "criminal who smoked in the bathroom" to tell him off.
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| Patriotic Iran |
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| One of the many mosques here |
Story 3: It's Ramadan time in all the Islamic countries, that means that people fast since till the sun comes up until the sun goes down. They need to sin less than in other times of the year and they should be better. This time also calls them to reflect on how they are living their lives as Muslims. So the first 3 days I stayed in a house with 2 practising Muslims, and I really wanted to try Ramadan, so for 2 days I fought with my hunger and ate my first meal at 8.45 pm and my last meal at 4am, I didn't drink water either. Anyway... I think this is too much for me and on the third day after walking a heavy sun and a high temperature (+45 C) I decided to drink water... and I didn't feel guilty, but it made me think about my Muslims friends. Some of them don't practice it, and they have to eat and drink hiding, I did the same, why? because if the police finds me eating and drinking in public I can spend 1 or 2 nights in jail.
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My first hosts and another guy from Isfahan
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| "Breakfast at 4 am" |
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| taxis and more taxis |
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| Perfect Roads in Tehran |
Story 4: My Argentinian Iranian family. A guy invited me to his house to watch the World Cup Final match, I accepted but I asked him also if I could stay at his house as the match was going to finish very late (around 3 am in the morning here), and he accepted, I left my first house and went there, and because I twisted my ankle I took a taxi and guess what? the taxi driver changed the arranged fee because I was carrying a bag... so he asked me more money... I don't like Iranian taxis!!!! The good thing about that day is that as soon as I arrived at their house I met people I felt I've known for ages! As soon as I enter I knew my family wasn't a typical Muslim family but I will not enter in details here :) My hosts were twins and they were with their cousin and the father who went to their house because he wanted to meet me. We shouted the goal of Higuan that was offside, and we cheered Romero, Mascherano, Messi, and it really moved me to see the girl of the house crying because Argentina lost... and I wasn't alone... I was allowed to cry (THANKS ARGENTINA FOR YOUR FOOTBALL - YOU ARE THE REAL CHAMPIONS!)
Story 5: I look middle eastern I know that, I remember when I was in Armenia people there thought I was Iranian, when I was in Georgia people there thought I was Turkish, when I was in Turkey people there thought I was Kurdish, and when I went to Iraq, I was a westernised Iraqi walking with shorts and Argentinian shirt. In Iran is the same, sometimes people talk to me in the street in Farsi, and I have to say I don't understand in order that they will realise I am not from there. (sometimes they think I am Turkish or Kurdish). This might have an explanation but it's just a thought of a friend of mine in Turkey... I don't know if you know, but once upon a time...Southern Spain used to be Islamic Spain, and my Spanish family comes from Southern Spain, whoever who knew my father with beard might remember that he looked like a Taliban. I asked him and other relatives about our past, but they told me that the register books were burned in Spain, so we don't know where we come from, my Turkish friend opened my eyes to this theory.
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| a map to help you understand Islamic Spain |
Story 6: "Everything that has to do with fun is forbidden in Iran", that was the phrase another host told me most of the time, I met him in another city called Rasht. This city is known as sin city, where most of the people are non-religious, but they have to say they are, because it is the law. My new host took me to a restaurant where he arranged a guy to play Persian music for me, then we went to his house and talked about many things. It is because of him that I can write here, he gave me a filter to use in Iran so I can log in facebook and in blogger, and many other millions of millions of websites! He also took me to the Caspian Sea and just to let you know, the beaches are divided in male and female, and they don't mix unless they are married. Surprisingly, people let us enter in a part where families were enjoying the sea, I just need to remind you that women have to wear hijab all the times, it is law, so even if they want to swim they have to wear it. The police is patrolling the beach to see that everybody is behaving and not eating, so near us the made a sound because a lady was touching the face of a man, and then they came to tell us to move away because there was a woman near us.
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| The separated section |
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| The Caspian sea |
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| A lady swimming with her hijab |
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| A whale in the Caspian Sea :) |
Story 7: Iran is a safe country to visit, nothing to do with what we think in our minds. I have felt very safe these 7 days, I only struggle with taxi drivers... but I struggle with them all over the world. I went to the Argentinian embassy to ask for letters of recommendation and the Consul wanted to see me! That was the first time in my life that I met a Consul, we chatted and he told me that there is another Argentinian living in Iran... and he is the priest of the Armenian Church in Tehran, so I may pay him a visit soon, Iran has Persian, Turkmen, Azerbaijani and Kurdish people living here. The Consul also told me that Iran is the safest country in the region and they can face any terrorist attack as the army is well prepared to do so, that is why there haven't been attacks here for a long time. Everything is controlled, yes, even the terrorists. I will risk to say, Iran is even safer than some parts of Buenos Aires or Paris. Freedom is monitored and controlled. There is freedom of religion until a point, there are Jewish Iranians and they have a place in the Parliament by law, there are Armenian Orthodox Christians and they have a place in the Parliament by law, but at the same time, if a Muslim becomes a Christian there is a law that says that they must be put to death. But the Consul told me something else, the worst thing in Iran is to be an atheist, at least Christians believe in something, but an atheist denies also Allah, so that can be penalised.
Story 8 (extra): Vasectomy is prohibited in Iran, the President asked people some time ago to have children, so now Vasectomy is penalised as well. Iranian people in the street always want to help, I have asked so many of them for help to fins streets, and some of them only know how to read Persian so they don't understand even my numbers, but they always ask other people for help to help me. A police officer gave me his phone credit card so I could make a call from a public phone and he said, "when you finish, look for me, don't worry if you use all", another man paid my shared taxi as the driver didn't have change, one girl even thought she didn't speak English or Spanish took me to a place I needed to go, even knowing that it is forbidden to be with foreigners. 2 girls walk with me for 20 minutes to take me to another place. Another invited me to show me the city. Hospitality is written HOSPITALITY here.
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| at least I know it's lemon! |
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| bazaar |
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