How to Get Into Trouble In Iran
I had said in a previous entry how "normal" everything seemed when I was in Iran last week, but about a week since I've returned I've noted some exceptions. Of course, some of these are via word of mouth through our interpreter, but this is the closest I'm ever...
Magical Moments In Switzerland
If it's not already playing, press play. And then start reading. After 5 hours in Frankfurt, we landed in Geneva, Switzerland where we had a whopping 20 hours to kill. Our options were: Stay in Geneva, meet a friend, and rest up before heading back home...
5 hours In Frankfurt
We had a 5 hour layover in Frankfurt after leaving Iran, which we made the most of despite being severely underslept. From the airport we took a 10 minute train ride (4 stops I believe) to the main area of Hauptwache. Scatter up to the top of...
Our Free Day In Tehran
As Americans, you're not allowed to wander around Iran alone. You're supposed to be guarded by an MFA-approved tour agency at all times following a strict itinerary. But that was not the case today. In true Monsooning fashion, we decided to skirt the rules a...
Respect For The Dead / Sneaking Around The U.S. Embassy of 1979
We approach the mauseoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini with caution. If there's anything I learned when I visited the mauseoleum of Kim Il-Sung in North Korea, it's that you do not screw around when it comes to visiting the grave of the present...
The Revolutionary
He was a youth in 1979, toppling the statue of Reza Khan in defiance of the Shah. And as one of the many emerging activists of 1979 , he supported the historic regime change that led to the era of Ayatollah Khomeini. But before he was to bear witness to the...
The Soul Of ‘Half The World’: Esfahan
The next morning we made a bee line to Naqsh E Jahan Square, which the Persians are proud to call it the 2nd largest square in the world (the first being Beijing's Tianenmen Square). The truth, according to Wikipedia, is that this is the world's 12th...
To See Half The World: Esfahan
They call my hometown New York City "the city that never sleeps." They call Petra, "The Rose city, half as old as time." They call Luang Prabang, "The Pearl of the Orient." They call Uganda, "The Pearl of Africa." (thanks Shivani!) And they call...
Where Are We Now?
Where Are We Next?
