What is in your cup?

[desertblues]

Thursday: Not quite fit, folks(only rice as yet), but hé...who's complaining.... I'm seeing the wonders of the Middle-East.

Esfahan
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There is a well known poem from a Dutch poet, P.N van Eyck, about Esfahan called " the *Gardener and the Death". It is about fate,destiny....
(a rough summary, as I don't have the poem at hand)

One morning, Death knocks at the door of a rich man, somewhere in Persia. He is invited to come in and have a look at the man's beautiful Persian garden.*
In that garden he sees a gardener working and is slightly surprised at that.*
(The gardener, in the meantime; having recognized Death for what he is, flees to Esfahan;for he thinks that Death is coming for him, now.)
The rich man asks Death, why he is surprised at seeing the gardener at work.*
Death replies: I am very surprised indeed, to see the gardener at work here, when I'm scheduled to go and get him this afternoon in Esfahan!
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The sights of Esfahan.
Today we saw the main sights around the Imam Square, the square that Shah Abbas the Great, ruler of the Savafid Empire started building in 1602. For people from all over the world, it must have been a marvel to behold in those days. As it is now; a square so elegant and well proportioned, with the most beautiful buildings and double layer of arcades around it.

Nowadays it has a pool in the middle and fountains. These were added by the Palavis(1925-1979). Before that, this open space was lawn and used for polo games. I saw the heavy stone goal posts. Paintings of these games are still to be found in the little shops in the arcades.

This morning it was quiet on the square. No fiacre's, drawn by little Arab horses, with tiny bells on the harness, trotting the tourists around the square (on plastic horse shoes).
It is friday, but sunday to the Muslim.
Beautiful weather, the fountains bringing life to the big pool in the middle.....wonderful.Almost no traffic at the one edge of the square and the lawns free of picknicking Iranians. I have never ever seen so many people picknicking then during my trip in Iran.*

The first we went to see, but closed for public on sunday, was the Imam Mosque. This is one of the most beautiful mosques in the world. We saw only the entrance portal, 30 m. tall. Decorated with mosaics with geometrical designs, floral motifs and calligraphy, predominantly turqoise in color. And the honeycomb patterned mouldings in the niches. Splendid. The mosque is topped by a huge, main dome, ornamented with tiles in every shade of blue. Two elegant minnarets adorn the entrance portal;encircled by balconies and decorated by calligraphed tiles with the names of Mohammed and (nephew)Ali.

Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque was the next. Build between 1602-1619 by Shah Abbas I. It's dome is not blue as others, but cream colored. It's tiles change color during the day, till they glow orange-golden in the evening sun.
The mosque was probably meant for the women of the shah's harem. A small staircase, a corridor and then the prayer hall with no seperate hall for the men. It goes without saying that this hall faces Mekka, as in all mosques around the world. It's interior is decorated with calligraphed tiles and complex mosaics in yellow and blue. High latticed windows let the sunshine and shadows play on walls and floor.

BTW: About the direction of Mekka. In every hotelroom we've been, there's a small sign with an arrow, depicting direction Mekka hammered somewhere. Under it invaribly lies a small prayer-rug and a qoran.

One splendor after another: Ali Qapu Palace, build at the end of the 16th century, again by Shah Abbas I, for himself. It is 6 stores high. It stairs are inlaid with blue/ yellow tiles with floral design and on it's walls are frescoes. Partly they function as a kind of wall-paper and partly they represent paintings in an European style. Very nice.It is being restored as it was severely damaged by the revolution in 1979.

On to the next beauty: the Chehel Sotun Palace that was build in ca.1614, but rebuild in 1706 under the reign of the Safavids (1502-1736). It is said to be an architectural masterpiece that combines the magnificence of the structural element of the Persian garden, with architecture.*
I can certainly see that. The inside splendor reaches out, and becomes one with the outside stillness of the water in the pool and the huge Persian garden.
It was build as a ceremonial palace; to receive kings, political/economic/cultural relations from the Safavids.*
It is called the House of the Forty Columns: (chehel sotun means forty pillars). There is the palace, then the terrace with 20 columns, and then a large pool in front of it ( as wide as the terrace), which reflects those 20 columns.
The wall of the pool used to have mirrored walls, and is quiet as a mirror itself today; not a ripple..
The terrace has tall wooden pillars, each made out of a single cedar tree, with four stone roaring lions at it's foot. The wooden ceiling has crossbeams with inlay-work of wood and mother-of-the-pearl,and painted decorations.
The walls and ceiling of the entrance of the palace are tiled with mirrors, that once again, reflect the water from the huge pool.*
Inside the palace are frescoes, miniatures and ceramics. Historical themes, courtlife, scenes of war with the Uzbeks or the Indian,among other things.
And the outside of the palace is also richly decorated with frescoes. That palace was build to impress kings, and it does, to this day.

Somewhere to rest in this wonderful garden, full of roses, flowers, trees, fountains and other waterworks. In the back of the garden we had tea: a pot of black tea, two tiny glasses on gold saucers, sugarlumps, yellow sugarleaves, fresh dates and some kind of large dry cookie. Sitting,reclining in that beautiful garden, on benches with oriental rugs, in the shade......heaven.
And I needed that, as I was warm/clammy/plain tired. Very nice.

We walked the other gardens we could find in the afternoon. Whole families were picknicking: carrying stoves, crockery, samovars(!),kettles, lots of food, pans and men carrying oriental rugs to lie on. Crowded and relaxed all that.Children playing, football, cycling.

We bought some scarves and things under the arcades and that was it for this day.

Saturday: back to Tehran
An early start today. Breakfast at 7 and away we are, to Tehran. We go back to the North now through the desert Dasht-e Kavir. Yes, deserted; nothing to see, but some purplish mountains on the left and right. Clumps of grass, no people as yet, no animals, rocks, sand.
*
The driver puts his Arabic music on. I don't think I like this Iranian music much. It somehow is harsh; grates along my ears. But that's personal, I guess and the drivers choice. (I sit under the loudspeakers at my vantage-point in the back of the vehicle).

On the edge of the desert appartments buildings are being build and small villages. It is a strange way of building houses: a kind of metal skeleton is put up(also defining the perimeters of the house), and concrete staircases. Then bricks and mortar fill up the space in between the metal parts. When finished, it is plastered; in some cases with a mix of clay/plaster(??)and straw, also in the big cities.*

Nearing Theran; there are some trees and fertile plots.Herd of sheep further on, farmfields, hay, mud-clay houses.

Before reaching Tehran we'll see The Holy shrine of Ayatollah Imman Khomeini, which lies between Tehran and the holy place Qom. Khomeini got his theological training in Qom. It was in Tehran that the revolution started in 1979. Here's some background:

Ever since the Pahlavi's dynasty ruled(1921), people were complaining. The first ruler, Reza Khan wanted Iran to be a modern country, the same as Atatürk had done for Turkey. It didn't work out, also due to the Iranian support for the Nazis during World War II, mismanagement of their oilproduction. Countries as the UK and the UK became more involved...

From 1970 on students wanted faster reforms and devout Muslims wanted the reforms rolled back. Both were outraged by the conspicious consumption of the Pahlavi's dynasty.*
People in Tehran, Qom and Tabruz protested, and hundreds of them were brutally killed. The discontent of the people couldn't be stopped however.
Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi(son of Reza Khan) and his wife Farah Diba were forced to flee abroad on the 16th of Jan.1979. *

By that time, Ayatollah Khomeini had become the spiritual leader of the conservatist religious Shiit opposition. He founded a clergy- dominated Islamic Republic and destroyed/removed all the other former opposition against the Pahlavi's rule.
Khomeini became leader of the first Islamic Republic on 1-4-1979 and died on the 3rd of June 1989.
I won't go into the relationship with Iran and the West;there are some good books about that.It is shaky, however.....

As for Khomeini's mausoleum:
It is a huge complex, and it is said to be very crowded at times, as a lot of (poor)Iranians visit on sundays(friday)and holidays.Entrance is free for all.
The out-and inside of the complex is being renovated, so apart from three domes(one silver, two blue), there isn't much to be seen.
I saw the shrine of Khomeini, snowed under by paper money.People,also little children,kissed the iron screens surrounding it.
The rest of the inside building didn't make a big impression on me, as the walls are covered with plastic sheets.The ceilings are bare and under construction.
There are all kind of buildings being added to the complex, like a madressa(qoranschool).
The martyrs are buried in a nice cemetery in a garden close by.
It was, after all the beautiful buildings we saw, not the highlight of the journey.But,from an historical point of view, interesting of course.

On to the hotel then, from where we will be transported to Khomeini-airport this night, to fly to Amsterdam Schiphol.

This is my last entry of my travel-journal. I may(given the time),put it together and add some photo's to illustrate each day.

AND NOW ..........HOME*
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What to think of Iran after 4 weeks of travel?
PEOPLE.....GO AT ONCE,IF AND WHEN POLITICS ALLOW IT.
IT IS AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL AND FRIENDLY.*

Positive:
beautiful,cultural, exotic, interesting, friendly, cheap, drinkable water,internet/wifi in most hotels.
Negative:
frequent police-roadchecks and restricted movement for tourists,few restaurants and no meals for vegetarians, veil and clothing, toilets(hole in the ground,dirty,no paper,no lock).

When I talked to people:
80 % of the people want reforms (no revolution).The 20 % which don't, work for the governement or the religious institutions.
70 % of the people is under 25,highly educated or still going to university, also the women.The veil made the latter possible;but, not enough jobs for all.
Veils/ chador:most women hate them; but ordered to wear by law.Restriction is getting slacker.
A huge gap between the outside life with veil and chador, and the inside life without any.
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[GeoffC]

This is my last entry of my travel-journal. I may(given the time),put it together and add some photo's to illustrate each day.

AND NOW ..........HOME*
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We shall look forward to that . Safe journey home ....

[GeoffC]

Coffe Black ...

[bjones6416]

Originally Posted by desertblues

What to think of Iran after 4 weeks of travel?
PEOPLE.....GO AT ONCE,IF AND WHEN POLITICS ALLOW IT.
IT IS AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL AND FRIENDLY.*

Positive:
beautiful,cultural, exotic, interesting, friendly, cheap, drinkable water,internet/wifi in most hotels.
Negative:
frequent police-roadchecks and restricted movement for tourists,few restaurants and no meals for vegetarians, veil and clothing, toilets(hole in the ground,dirty,no paper,no lock).

When I talked to people:
80 % of the people want reforms (no revolution).The 20 % which don't, work for the governement or the religious institutions.
70 % of the people is under 25,highly educated or still going to university, also the women.The veil made the latter possible;but, not enough jobs for all.
Veils/ chador:most women hate them; but ordered to wear by law.Restriction is getting slacker.
A huge gap between the outside life with veil and chador, and the inside life without any.
************************************************** ***

I put a documentary entitled "Grass -- A Nation's Battle for Life" in my instant queue on Netflix last night. Here's the description:

In 1924, pioneering filmmakers Merian Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack documented the punishing annual migration of the nomadic Bakhtiari tribe of Persia (now Iran) as they heroically trekked across harsh terrain to herd their livestock to pasture. With 500,000 animals in tow, the barefoot Bakhtiaris ventured through unforgiving deserts; the icy, half-mile-wide Karun River; and over a 12,000-foot, snowcapped mountain to reach their destination.

Then there's a newer documentary made in 1976 covering the same area -- "People of the Wind." Description:

An Oscar and Golden Globe nominee for Best Documentary, this captivating film traces the incredible journey of the Bakhtiari migration, one of the most rigorous tests of human endurance. Each year, the tribe braves an eight-week, 200-mile trek along Iran's Zagros Mountains to reach summer pastures -- with no towns or roads along the way. Breathtaking cinematography reveals much about the tribe's culture and fascinating rituals.



I put that one in my queue, too. Have you seen either or both of those? I'm going to watch them in honor of your travels!

[desertblues]

Originally Posted by bjones6416

I put a documentary entitled "Grass -- A Nation's Battle for Life" in my instant queue on Netflix last night. Here's the description:

In 1924, pioneering filmmakers Merian Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack documented the punishing annual migration of the nomadic Bakhtiari tribe of Persia (now Iran) as they heroically trekked across harsh terrain to herd their livestock to pasture. With 500,000 animals in tow, the barefoot Bakhtiaris ventured through unforgiving deserts; the icy, half-mile-wide Karun River; and over a 12,000-foot, snowcapped mountain to reach their destination.

Then there's a newer documentary made in 1976 covering the same area -- "People of the Wind." Description:

An Oscar and Golden Globe nominee for Best Documentary, this captivating film traces the incredible journey of the Bakhtiari migration, one of the most rigorous tests of human endurance. Each year, the tribe braves an eight-week, 200-mile trek along Iran's Zagros Mountains to reach summer pastures -- with no towns or roads along the way. Breathtaking cinematography reveals much about the tribe's culture and fascinating rituals.



I put that one in my queue, too. Have you seen either or both of those? I'm going to watch them in honor of your travels!

Thanks, Betty, we have travelled through the Zagrosmountains a few times, so that will be exciting to watch. I'll see were I can get them.

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by desertblues

Another 21 hours to go before the plane leaves. We have a long drive to Tehran and will leave in the middle of the night for Amsterdam. There's no need for a fuelstop in Beograd, as there was on our way to Tehran. The Iranian plane wasn't allowed to refuel in Amsterdam, because of the boycott. It will be a 6 hours flight....customs ( the oriental rug that i have in my suitcase, a big brass lamp.....). And then a 1'5 hours drive home.
I will post the adventures of my last days tonight and then I'm done travelling for the moment.

Had a nice breakfast with eggs on toast.

I figure you have about another 8 hours to go!

[astra]

After a tiny little bit of bottled mineral water with xenoestrogen (a terrible carcinogen), cuppa #4. Gen-mai-cha.

[kindlekitten]

why on earth are you drinking it then!?

[Latinandgreek]

Earl Grey tea.

[astra]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

why on earth are you drinking it then!?

It took me a moment to realise you are asking me this question

question

answer

[maianhvk]

@ Blues: I like the poem. Death's such a lovely guy

@ Iri: don't forget to take a photo!

I just came home from French class. I'm truly struggling with it, that "language of love". (Gee, in my opinion French sounds really @#$%^&. Duh.) Why do they have to seperate nouns into masculin and feminin?
("voiture" and "Allemagne": feminin. "sac" and "miroir": masculin. Unbelievable.)

[astra]

Originally Posted by maianhvk

I just came home from French class. I'm truly struggling with it, that "language of love". (Gee, in my opinion French sounds really @#$%^&. Duh.) Why do they have to seperate nouns into masculin and feminin?
("voiture" and "Allemagne": feminin. "sac" and "miroir": masculin. Unbelievable.)

Although I know two languages with masculin and feminine I feel you pain. I also never understood "language of love" definition. I sounds harsh and dull to me. I find English much more beautiful. No. Not because I speak it (somehow) now. I felt this way in my school time, when I knew English as well as I knew and still know German, French, Italian and hundreds others. It was just my natural perception of foreign language. On the other hand I never disliked German as many do. It sounds robotic and harsh but somehow....precise Always disliked Arabic. For some reason it associated with the language of the land of Mordor for me, so unattractive and ugly it was. I guess it is a very personal thing, depends on your hearing. I cannot sing, so mayby I am limited in the range of sounds, though my hearing is absolutely fine (checked it 1 year ago).

[desertblues]

Originally Posted by astra

Although I know two languages with masculin and feminine I feel you pain. I also never understood "language of love" definition. I sounds harsh and dull to me. I find English much more beautiful. No. Not because I speak it (somehow) now. I felt this way in my school time, when I knew English as well as I knew and still know German, French, Italian and hundreds others. It was just my natural perception of foreign language. On the other hand I never disliked German as many do. It sounds robotic and harsh but somehow....precise Always disliked Arabic. For some reason it associated with the language of the land of Mordor for me, so unattractive and ugly it was. I guess it is a very personal thing, depends on your hearing. I cannot sing, so mayby I am limited in the range of sounds, though my hearing is absolutely fine (checked it 1 year ago).

I like English for its variety of meanings; more than Dutch will ever have. German is for me the language of Goethe and Weltschmerz. I also speak Schweizerdeutsch.
I love French as it is a logical language with just enough grammar to remember. I like to read and contemplate the French poets.

[astra]

Originally Posted by desertblues

I like English for its variety of meanings; more than Dutch will ever have. German is for me the language of Goethe and Weltschmerz. I also speak Schweizerdeutsch.
I love French as it is a logical language with just enough grammar to remember. I like to read and contemplate the French poets.

Your approach is more "scientific", based on the real knowledge
Mine...is simple, just how my ears take it

[desertblues]

Nothing in my cup.