After 5 days in Esfahan, we waved good-bye to the most generous couple we’ve ever met in our lives. Just hours later the wheels of the plane were lifting off and we were flying to Tabriz (that’s right we flew… only $40 each!). We arrived around midnight and took a taxi to our hotel where we checked in and passed out.
Prepare For Tabriz!
As the end to our amazing adventure was growing near, we were less interested in “seeing the sights” and more interested in just enjoying the little things in life that make travel so wonderful. We slowly sauntered around the central bazaar (the largest covered bazaar in the world), and did a little bit of Christmas shopping and hard-core bargaining.
This Rug Is Worth US$20,000!
We met an overexcited guide from the Tabriz Tourist Information Office and he set us up with a driver to head out to Kandovan, a cave village known as Iran’s Capadoccia.
Canada Will Look Worse When We Go Home!
We met our driver and headed out on the road. The drive to Kandovan was almost as beautiful as the village itself, with the highway winding through hills and desert valleys. As we approached the little town we could see a small skiff of snow on the mountains in the backdrop not very far from where we were! Winter is approaching Iran and our walk around Kandovan was a chilly one.
Cave House In Kandovan
During our time in Tabriz we didn’t get up to too much. We did the one day trip to the Cave Village and after that we just wandered around the town and enjoyed our last Date Milkshake before hopping on an overnight train to Tehran, Iran’s bustling capital.
Date Milkshakes… How We Will Miss You!
We arrived in Tehran early in the morning and checked into our beautiful hotel, Golestan. Our room was very nice with a beautiful view of the Damavand and Alborz mountains that fringe the chaotic capital. We figured we were pretty lucky to see as far as the mountains in one of the most polluted cities on earth so we immediately went out on the town to enjoy the clear sunny weather.
We headed out for lunch and then on to the American Embassy, the site of the Iran hostage crisis of 1979. Today, the building is not only a “den of espionage” but it is now also home to some pretty impressive anti-American graffiti. We snapped a couple of photos to show here but we had to be careful because these pictures are technically illegal (you see the risks we take running Goats On The Road?).
After the Embassy we headed over to the National Jewel Museum which houses a bewildering collection of jewlery from the previous Shahs (Iranian kings). There were countless rubies, diamonds and emeralds set in the strangest assortment of everyday devices. One king had his horses laden in diamonds, even the ring on the horses tail was covered in precious gems. You know you’re rich when you can let your horse shit on some of your jewels!
Preparing To Go To London… Back To The “Real World” Soon.
Our time in Tehran came to an end and with it the end to this amazing adventure. We had travelled from China to Iran, through Central Asia on on of the most epic overland journeys the world has to offer. We “slept” in the airport the night before our flight and as the plane lifted off, we were too tired to realize how profound this trip had been, but we knew it was over as we fell asleep. Our true feelings about the trip didn’t surface until we returned to Canada. More about that later…
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Date milkshakes?! How did I not know such a thing existed? Sounds like it was a bitter-sweet ending to your time in Iran and central Asia generally. Looking forward to hearing how coming back to Canada was!
Seriously, they were one of the best things we’ve ever had! Sooo good. Our time in Central Asia and Iran was amazing, but we were also ready to come back and enjoy Christmas with friends and family. I think we weren’t as weirded out by coming home this time because we knew we were leaving again in 1.5 months!
Thanks for the comment Sam. All the best to you in 2014
This is crazy. You two have taken traveling to the next level. I would love to see the hostage crisis area in Iran. Absolutely amazing. I’m curious to read about your next traveling experiences. I’m tuning in from where you started… in China. Happy Travels!
Thanks for taking the pix of the graffiti – interesting to see the propaganda!
Hey Dan!
Thanks so much for the kind words. Seeing the former US Embassy in Tehran was pretty surreal. This last trip we were on was so amazing, I hope you enjoy reading about it 🙂
Cheers
Ya, the graffiti was pretty interesting/shocking!
Thanks for the comment.
Happy New Year Goats on the Road :)! I am a avid reader of your blog and I am planning to post SELFIE SUNDAY on my blog featuring Travel Blogger’s Favorite Shot of a Place that include him/her on a photo. This is my way of getting to know (or re-knowing) fellow travelers who share the same passion I have. Please send your photo and a short description of the photo (where it was taken/why is it your favorite) with your blog’s address at oman_serapio@yahoo.com. Each SELFIE SUNDAY shall be posted every, erm, Sunday so please share if you have time. Thanks a lot and your fans in the Philippines (me included) shall be very pleased if you participate. MABUHAY!
Just finished reading Hooman Majd’s; latest book; An American Family in Iran; actually title is different; he’s @hmajd on twitter. The book AFTER the two earlier on the Ayatoolah’s. Nonetheless great informative read.
Great to find Yout two!
Thanks for the tips. I love reading books about Iran 🙂
Cheers.
This sounds so great! I’m headed to Iran in March as a solo traveler, and reading about your experiences has been reassuring and made me all the more excited. I also traveled through Central Asia in the fall and loooved it. Seems like I’m accidentally retracing your travels, ha.
Hey Silvia!
That’s awesome that you’re going to Iran. You’ll have such a great time. Being a solo woman traveller, you’ll really be able to connect with the women and will be invited in by families.
Too funny that you’re following our footsteps,…I guess you’ll be off to England after that and then Canada 😉
Happy Travels!
Oh I want to live in that cave house so bad!
haha, ya, it would be pretty cool!
Have been following you guys as you have had yet another great adventure! The big rug pictured in Tabriz is a pattern I would describe as Gonbad or mosque dome. A 2 dimensional picture of what you would see if you were standing directly under the centre of a mosque! If you had a chance to visit the Sheik Lotfollah or ladies mosque in Isfahan you would see a more fabulous colour variation of a similar design complete with the “secret” peacock pointing to Mecca.
Hi,
I came across your blog by accident. I am Iranian living in Canada. I am glad you enjoyed your trip to Iran. My colleagues here in Calgary have recently started questioning me about Iran and whether it is safe to travel there. It is great that people like you share their experiences to others and I wish more and more people travel to Iran. It is very unfortunate that so many misconceptions exist about Iran. world would be a more peaceful place if there are more and more direct interactions between people of all kind.
Cheers.
Isn’t the architecture in the Islamic world fabulous? We absolutely love the colours and designs. Each mosque is different from the next.
Thanks for the comment 🙂
Thanks for the comment Amir.
We are getting many replies on our Iran blogs from people who are actually from Iran. It’s great to hear that you appreciate our writings about your country. We felt very safe when we were travelling there. Everyone was so welcoming and warm.
Cheers!
Hello Goats.
Thanks for all your info. As I will be travelling to Iran myself soon, I have a quick question for you guys. How did you book your airline tickets for your domestic flights in Iran? I have looked at many airlines’ websites (such as Mahan and Iran Air) but none of them seem to take credit cards because of the embargo. So does this mean I will have to do it though a travel agent (who might rip me off) while I am in Europe, or I will just have to show up at the airline’s office when I get there? Many thanks.
Pierre
Hi Pierre,
We went into a tour agent/airline agent when we were in Esfahan and looked at flights through Iran Air that way. We paid cash for the flights when we were in Iran, which were very cheap.
Enjoy Iran!