Long live the Iranian people!

Dear all,

I finally found some time to write, set up a blog and upload some pictures. I’m writing my first report on my bustrip from Teheran to Kerman. I firstly would like to thank all the friends who have replied to my earlier mail. Somehow my trips to India get me in touch again with friends from the past. To the friends who are currently residing or living in India, I am really looking forward to meeting you all soon. Until now I do not regret my decision to make this trip over land. On the contrary! I met amazing people on the way. To start with some locals from my hometown, pelgrims on their way to Valkenburg, a CEO who was a member of the German Green Party (there are not many!), several students, small businessman, several truck drivers and friendly gypsies. I travelled in a brand new Chevrolet Corvette, expensive bmw’s, old vans, trucks and a minibus that could fall apart any time in 20 pieces.

I got into this minibus in Belgrado, it was the car driven by local gypsies and it was my first experience on the way that brought me closer to the Indian subcontinent.

It’s hard to write a lot about the countries and places I passed through. I mostly stayed for maximum one or two days. I can only describe some impressions, Belgrado for example left a deep impression on me, although I only stayed there for a few hours. To all westerners: go and see the Balkan! In Croatia and Serbia I could still sense the signs of the previous war. Serbian people seem to hate the US government and the NATO as it invaded their country several years ago. When I finally reached Istanbul I was lucky enough to walk along the seaside where I curiously could stare across the Bosphorus to the Asian side of the city… Staring at Asia… In some ways I found Istanbul resembling the big South-Asian cities although it is generally much cleaner and wealthier. Through Hospitality Club I met Ozde and her housemate Aileen who made my short stay much more pleasant.

I’m so happy I just reached on time to catch my train to Teheran. It became one of the most beautiful travels in my life. Not the train itself nor the ride or the landscape made it. It were the amazing hospitable Iranian families who took care of me as I would have been their own sun. In three days on the train we became friends and established relationships which will hopefully last for a long time.

Although forbidden by the Iranian mullahs, the Iranians I met were dancing wherever and whenever possible. In the restaurant of the Turkish train, on the bus who replaced the missing bit (broken locomotive and ferry across lake Van), on the platform in Van and even in a couchette on the Iranian train! We sang, danced, played music, talked, played cards and above all, ate together. The Iranians I met brought me laughter, warmth, happiness and love. The second day already I felt lonely if they were not surrounding me and I saw myself longing for there company.

What amazed me as well was there patience and strength. They were most likely all middle class up to upper middle class families returning from holiday in Turkey. And although the train was ten hours late, although they had to sit in a bus for 8 hours and although the Turkish and Iranian border officials let us stand in a line for more then one hour at 5 am in the morning; those people took the first object which they could use for making music and started dancing and singing. And if not, they would enjoy talking, laughing and joking with each other. Instead of being relieved at the end of the long and tiring journey, we were all sad we had to say goodbye and that we would soon miss each other.

The families I met were mostly Turkish Iranians, Muslims and Bahai. Most of them didn’t seem to be too happy with the political regime in their country. And most women only putted up their headscarf when crossing the Iranian border. Nonetheless they were all very proud of being Iranian and one of the jam sessions was ended with the Iranian national anthem.

I ended up in Teheran in the house of a loving Iranian Bahai family. It was my first visit to a Bahai household and if I could I would have stayed much longer. Apparently Bahais are very much discriminated in Iran as there religion is not considered legal in Iran. They end up being prosecuted and have to organize their own universities as they are not allowed to enter ‘normal’ Iranian universities or government jobs.

Instead of visiting historical places or the local bazaar, I ended up eating, dancing, laughing, singing, meeting nice people and even inlineskating! As a sociologist (well, a becoming one) I refuse to draw conclusions about Iran as I stayed here only at such a short notice. But it is definitely not what most westerners might think it is! Come and visit it! For now I’m seriously considering of returning a bit earlier from India and visit all the amazing people I met on the train in their hometowns.

It’s Ramadan right now and in countries such as Iran and Pakistan this is strictly followed in public. I decided to take part in the fasting for several reasons. For myself as I believe it is a beautiful act of worship towards God and the world. Out of respect for the people here around me and most of all because I don’t want to get into trouble here with the police.

From tonight onwards I will start the most ‘dangerous’ part of my journey. It will take me on the road between Kerman and Zahedan. Exactly the place where the two Belgians got kidnapped lastly. I’m taking local transport so I should be safe! If everything goes fine I should be in the Pakistan town of Quetta by tomorrow night. I’m looking forward to the amazing desert of Baluchistan!

(I will upload some pictures soon!)