Wanderlust
Aug-27-2006, 09:11 AM
My guide an I spent a tremendous 5 weeks in Iran, ( it means land of the Aryans as it turns out and the people have a predominant Caucasian / Persian / Asyrian / Kashmir etc. influence), checking out the tremendous range of independant cultures and historical sites to be found there. Some dating back in the tens of thousands of years or more. A lot of important religious sites to Moslems, Christians, Jews and Zorastarians. Visited with some of the 2 million Afghan refugees being used currently as a large semi illegal construction force. Or the 2 million mainly Christian Armenians who came as refugees fleeing Russian opression at the time. They were given land and still mostly live in thier own large communities. Went to pretty much all of the major cities and some incredibly backwater places. Checked out the traditional Turkmen, the Arab areas mostly near the border areas with Iraq. Of course the dwindling numbers of nomads (down to only 2 million now), and the roving Gypsy settlements that serve as seasonal field labour. Nothing but friendly good natured people wherever I went, (helpful when you get lost). It was easy to keep interested just walking randomly in every town we ended up in until midnight.
The nude beaches of the Caspian Sea are deserted, the Casinos are tea houses now. The night club strips are automobile parts stores. Although pool halls and rock or pop music are popular. The young people get dressed right up in thier designer best and fill the sidewalkes in the trendiest parts of tow or the shopping malls (Turkish, Latin, and Persian from California mostly). Alcohol is forbidden except for Christians (Armenians mostly) and the Jewish folks, so everone has become proficient at brewing thier own sauce. Probition doesn't work anywhere. Also bootleg is readily available.
I got a great education from my candid tour guide and people we met along the way about a lot of the issues facing Iran. About the democratic federal elections and several peoples theories on how the guy in power now managed to get there. About the religious leader and his far, far right place in Iranian government. (Not a widely popular bunch.) About the "burned generation" as the youth who grew up since the revolution call themselves. A treasure trove of history. Ruins and restorations galore. A good (Loud) dance party. Scotish grant whisky on the black market. Actually cheaper than here a little bit due to there being no tax or duty on it since it is supposedly not allowed. (Other than the few missing bottles from the case I'm sure.)
It was an eye opener and there is no doubt a lot of pain left for Iran in thier current situation. But generally our view of the place is wildly misconcieved.
I took 3500 pictures. Most not visually interesting other than they remind me of a situation, conversation or the like. I didn't take pictures of the nuclear reacror site because the sign said not to, but it's right next to the highway and the road weaves through the anti aircraft guns as we go by. The enrichment facility was not advertised so openly but everyone knew it was there. I ended up in the money printing / destruction area of Bank Meli in Tehran by a very strange set of circumstances where I wanted some fresh off the press currency for my collection. There were no sets on hand at the time where they usually had some. They were just trying to be helpful and my driver / interpereter and I just kept getting passed to the next guy until we got so far in passed security that we were two of the only people not wearing white pajamas without pockets, and people just sort of seemed to start thinking we were supposed to be there. The manager (I assume) was a bit surprised to see us but we had our little note (clearance) from the last guy we were passed to and he dug up some fresh bills and gave us some souvineer wallets to boot. Note Iranian officials like "Little Johny jokes too."
I had only a point and shoot Sony DSC-P200 (7.2 MP) and my hindsight desire for a better low light camera with a better zoom and more options led me on a search that led me here. I'm going to buy the new Canon Rebel XTi with a view to someday getting a Canon with a full 35 mm sensor. At least some of the lenses should work in both systems.
Here are a few pictures that look OK from my simplistic viewpoint. I have tons of pictures of museum stuff, ruins, UNESCO world heritage sites. I have a perfect one of a cow waddling down the former nude beach in the twilight, like some youth might have done in the past, but it's very blurry because the camera I had needed massive shutter time and it was a good distance away even with the little 3x zoom. I don't think I'll post anything involving anything where I probably wasn't supposed to take a picture or if the photo involves something not aceppted oficially in Iran. I got chastized a bit for not heeding the warning (I didn't understand a word) not to take pictures of some movie star when we accidentally ended up in the shoot location at a bazar in Isfahan. Movie people are just full of themselves.
If this works here is a picture of a herdsman not far from the Iraqi border area.
The nude beaches of the Caspian Sea are deserted, the Casinos are tea houses now. The night club strips are automobile parts stores. Although pool halls and rock or pop music are popular. The young people get dressed right up in thier designer best and fill the sidewalkes in the trendiest parts of tow or the shopping malls (Turkish, Latin, and Persian from California mostly). Alcohol is forbidden except for Christians (Armenians mostly) and the Jewish folks, so everone has become proficient at brewing thier own sauce. Probition doesn't work anywhere. Also bootleg is readily available.
I got a great education from my candid tour guide and people we met along the way about a lot of the issues facing Iran. About the democratic federal elections and several peoples theories on how the guy in power now managed to get there. About the religious leader and his far, far right place in Iranian government. (Not a widely popular bunch.) About the "burned generation" as the youth who grew up since the revolution call themselves. A treasure trove of history. Ruins and restorations galore. A good (Loud) dance party. Scotish grant whisky on the black market. Actually cheaper than here a little bit due to there being no tax or duty on it since it is supposedly not allowed. (Other than the few missing bottles from the case I'm sure.)
It was an eye opener and there is no doubt a lot of pain left for Iran in thier current situation. But generally our view of the place is wildly misconcieved.
I took 3500 pictures. Most not visually interesting other than they remind me of a situation, conversation or the like. I didn't take pictures of the nuclear reacror site because the sign said not to, but it's right next to the highway and the road weaves through the anti aircraft guns as we go by. The enrichment facility was not advertised so openly but everyone knew it was there. I ended up in the money printing / destruction area of Bank Meli in Tehran by a very strange set of circumstances where I wanted some fresh off the press currency for my collection. There were no sets on hand at the time where they usually had some. They were just trying to be helpful and my driver / interpereter and I just kept getting passed to the next guy until we got so far in passed security that we were two of the only people not wearing white pajamas without pockets, and people just sort of seemed to start thinking we were supposed to be there. The manager (I assume) was a bit surprised to see us but we had our little note (clearance) from the last guy we were passed to and he dug up some fresh bills and gave us some souvineer wallets to boot. Note Iranian officials like "Little Johny jokes too."
I had only a point and shoot Sony DSC-P200 (7.2 MP) and my hindsight desire for a better low light camera with a better zoom and more options led me on a search that led me here. I'm going to buy the new Canon Rebel XTi with a view to someday getting a Canon with a full 35 mm sensor. At least some of the lenses should work in both systems.
Here are a few pictures that look OK from my simplistic viewpoint. I have tons of pictures of museum stuff, ruins, UNESCO world heritage sites. I have a perfect one of a cow waddling down the former nude beach in the twilight, like some youth might have done in the past, but it's very blurry because the camera I had needed massive shutter time and it was a good distance away even with the little 3x zoom. I don't think I'll post anything involving anything where I probably wasn't supposed to take a picture or if the photo involves something not aceppted oficially in Iran. I got chastized a bit for not heeding the warning (I didn't understand a word) not to take pictures of some movie star when we accidentally ended up in the shoot location at a bazar in Isfahan. Movie people are just full of themselves.
If this works here is a picture of a herdsman not far from the Iraqi border area.