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...
The Road To Esfahan
It took us about 5 hours to get from Yazd to Isfahan by bus, and the some cinematic roadside scenery kept me awake (nearly) the whole time. I wish I could describe some of it to you in words, but I'm afraid I'd either overhype it or not do it...
“YAzd,” Queen!
From Persepolis we head onwards to Yazd... Along the drive we stopped for tea next to a 4,000 year old Bodhi Tree: It helped to have sunset vibes at the time: We arrive in Yazd 5 hours later. Yazd is a...
Persepolis
It may have been a chapter you learned in your 8th grade history class, or an afterthought from a Sunday afternoon episode on the History Channel. It may have been the name of your local Persian restaurant, or that Greek goddess you had to memorize in 3rd grade...
Where Are We Now?
Where Are We Next?
