My last stop in Iran was Esfahan, often referred to as ‘Esfahan nesf-e jahan’ (Esfahan is half the world), is the number one tourist destination in Iran thanks to its beautiful Persian gardens, huge bazaars, massive UNESCO-listed central square and numerous artisanal handicrafts. In Esfahan, you’re constantly surrounded by the arts — painting, pottery, calligraphy, metalworking and architecture. My favorite thing to do every time I’ve visited here is to watch artisans make their beautiful handicrafts, things like the famous Persian carpets, engraved metal plates and enamel working. Needless to say, if you’re a tourist in Iran, Esfahan is the place for souvenirs.

But for me, Esfahan isn’t just about cool crafts; it’s also where my parents are from and where many of my relatives still live. At this point in my trip, I met up with my mom, who up until this time had been holding down the fort in Esfahan while I backpacked through Iran. One of my sisters also made the trip out from New York, so it was a nice change of pace to end my many days of solo travels with some family and familiar faces. We shopped, lounged around in my parents’ condo and ate, which was maybe the best part of it all. As good as the food had been throughout the entire 15-month-trip, nothing compares to mom’s homecooked meals.

Take a look at Esfahan and my last days in Iran.

Naqsh-e Jahan Square (“pattern of the world”) is where polo, which was actually founded in Persia, was played hundreds of years ago but is now just used as a park area surrounded by bazaars and mosques.

One of a few 400-year-old bridges in Esfahan. When I went the river was unfortunately dry.

View from my parent’s condo in Esfahan.

As it always happens, I was having a little too much fun catching up with my family to remember to take a lot of photos. But I did manage to get one snap of my two uncles in their factory. There are six brothers on my dad’s side, and all of them have storefronts on the same street. I went to each of their shops and drank tea with each before ending my trip.

Mud-brick houses and narrow, ancient streets make up the beautiful, sand-colored city that is Yazd. And within these winding lanes is a city rich in history, one that’s frequented by foreigners and locals alike. Yazd is believed to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities of the world and is home to the largest population of Zoroastrians, people who follow Iran’s indigenous religion, which was in place prior to the arrival of Islam. Plus, where else in the world can you see a fire that’s been burning for 1,500 years? (Hint: It’s found in Yazd and is called the Ateshkadeh, or fire temple.) I’d never get tired of wandering and getting lost in those streets — the architecture, the people, the smells of home-cooked food coming from the old homes. When it comes to Yazd, pictures definitely speak louder than words. Take a look.

The fire temple known as Ateshkadeh.The 1,500 year old Eternal Flame.

The hotels are sometimes just as much of a sight to see as the ancient stuff. Former mansions, these hotels are beautifully decorated, like the one below, which happens to be the most famous one in Yazd. I didn’t stay here, but I did take a few snaps.

The courtyard in a different, similarly stunning hotel.

In the old town, a local man weaves a silk blanket.

On my last night in Yazd, I played ping-pong against the hotel receptionist and some Japanese tourists.

 **We’re currently enjoying the end of 2012 with my family in Oklahoma before we move to San Diego in January. Here, I get back to my last few posts about my six-week backpacking trip through Iran.**

One of my major goals in blogging about Iran is to show our readers the real Iran — the one not depicted in the news and the one so few are familiar with. I mean, would you have ever guessed early traces of wine came from Shiraz? And that Iran is home to a poetic, laid-back city like Shiraz? Well, my open love letter to Shiraz continues now. Here, I share with you the nine places — ones with history, culture and stunning nature — that everyone should know.

Aramgah-e Hafez or Tomb of Hafez. Look at the books in an Iranian’s home and you’ll almost always find a book of Hafez’s poems. Hafez, who lived from 1325-1389, is one of Iran’s most beloved poets, who frequently penned verses of the mystical nature. His tomb, an octagonal structure with a beautiful tiled ceiling, is a pilgrimage site for many.

My friend introduced me to this man who spends a lot of time at the tomb. He loves Hafez, but funnily enough, he told me hasn’t read much of Hafez’s works. He relies instead on the spiritual connection and force he gains when he holds the books.

Aramgah-e- Shah-e Cheragh. This mosque is set in a beautiful courtyard that’s a perfect place to just “take it all in,” but the real draw is the retina-blinding mirror tile work inside. I challenge you to find a glitzier holy site.

Qalat. This ancient village located 45 minutes from Shiraz is a popular weekend getaway for Shirazis and for good reason thanks to mountains, waterfalls, pomegranate trees and hiking trails all to be enjoyed while sipping exotic teas, drinking sharbats (sweet herbal drinks with health benefits) and smoking hookah.  I mean, it doesn’t get much better than barbecuing kebabs next to a waterfall. There are even a couple of small modern art galleries!

A piece from one of the galleries.

Citadel of Karim Khan. This picture doesn’t really do the citadel of ruler Karim Khan justice, but trust me when I say it’s huge. It was built in the mid 1700s and features a lovely courtyard with a pool and fruit trees inside.

Tomb of Cyrus.  Cyrus the Great, considered one of the greatest leaders in Persian history, was the father of the Persian empire when it was established 2,500 years ago. His 30-year-rule established the Iran that stands today, and his tomb can be seen in nearby Pasargadae which was the first capital of the Persian empire.

Bathhouse. You can either take a shower yourself or have one of the workers scrub you down and give you a massage. It’s less homoerotic than you think! It’s actually a traditional bathhouse where the massages are more in the vein of painful and muscle-wrenching than relaxing. I couldn’t snap a lot of photos at this place — I’m sure you understand and also, not sure you’d want to see that anyway — but I did manage to get a shot of my guy.

Persepolis. If you haven’t heard of Persepolis, well…shame on your world history teacher. The ancient city, dubbed a UNESCO World Heritage Site, dates back to 500BC and is filled with spectacular relics from the grand Achaemenid Empire that rival the more commonly known sites of ancient Egypt. What you can see now are remnants of the once glorious palace and the bass reliefs, which are still in quite good condition.

Rock tombs at Naqsh-e Rostam. Another relic from the Achaemenid Empire in Persepolis, the grand rock tombs, which allegedly house four great kings (only three are pictured below). It’s a beautiful site made all the more grand by its setting on a high cliff.

Zurkhaneh or house of strength.  This 3,000-year-old  exercise is, as Lonely Planet calls it, “a mix of sport, theater and religion.” As a leader pounds on a drum while reciting verses from the Persian epic, the Shahnameh, men stand in a circle, performing various feats of strength. Back in the day, when the zurkhaneh was frequented to prep for battles, weights would be covered in spikes; the equipment is a little less austere these days. You can usually watch for free, as it’s open to the public, and while local women aren’t often seen there, Western women are welcomed.

Wine, poetry, music, art galleries and parties — the makings of great cities like New York, Paris, Rome, Buenos Aires…and Shiraz, Iran? Yes, Iran’s most progressive, liberal city is host to all these things and more. (Some of the world’s earliest traces of vino were found in Iran, and Shiraz was the wine capital of Iran before the government outlawed alcohol nearly 30 years ago.) Thanks to the people I met, the culture they shared with me and the ancient sights that I saw, my intended four-day visit in the central Iranian city turned into a nine-day extravaganza. And actually, one post isn’t enough to cover everything I did. Here, I’ll focus on the friends who gave me great company — much needed since this was when I began to hit a bit of a wall — the parties they took me to and the food that filled my belly.

I’ve mentioned in passing how hospitable of a country Iran is, and if you don’t believe me, just check out the Lonely Planet Iran, which lists “Meet the People” as #1 on its list of top 16 experiences. Travelers are always stunned when they realize how little money they spend while traveling through Iran; it’s because locals constantly invite them to tea, meals and even into their homes to sleep. Of course the point isn’t to score free food and accommodation; the point is that Iranians can be so welcoming that they’ll invite you into their inner circles to make you feel at home and show you the real Iran.

Shiraz was no exception. I once again Couchsurfed — for two nights with this family who prepared a lavish meal for me…

Their son also took me to lunch at a traditional hotel.

…and seven days with a new friend whom I met indirectly through Couchsurfing. (While Couchsurfing in Hamadan, my host also hosted a Swiss traveler, who told me about this guy in Shiraz.) I was initially supposed to stay with him for two nights, but we got along so well that I actually canceled my bus twice to extend my stay. Thankfully, my friend was more than happy to have me. Over the course of the week, he shared some of his poetry with me, played the piano and guitar and took me to two mehmoonis, or parties. Yes, Iranians party! It was there that I met tons of other young locals, mostly musicians. We’d dance, smoke hookah, play music and eat, eat, eat.

They dressed me up like an old Iranian woman.

But it wouldn’t be backpacking if I weren’t sometimes left to my own devices to explore. So on another day, I took myself to Shiraz’s Bazar-e-Vakil, one of the best and most famous of the city’s many ancient markets. It houses more than 200 stores, which sell everything from carpets and clothes to spices and handicrafts.

This sweet shopkeeper asked me to print out a copy of this picture and bring it to him the next time I’m in Iran so he can hang it in his store.

Fruit shakes are wildly popular in Iran. Banana and milk shakes are found all over (below, center), but the carrot juice-ice cream concoction (second photo below), which I found just outside the bazar is particular to Shiraz. I wasn’t going to try it until my friend told me it was surprisingly tasty. He was right.

Next up, the ancient sites, modern art museums and Persian bathhouses that filled up the rest of my time in Shiraz.

Zanjan, known for its fantastic bazaar, knife-grinders and tea houses was the next stop on my journey through Iran. Zanjan was the first place I crashed at someone’s home in Iran — found through Couchsurfing — and got to sample some homecooking. From Zanjan, I visited nearby Oljeitu Mausoleum built for a sultan 600 years ago. In case you’re keeping track, at 80 feet in diameter and 160 feet high it’s the world’s tallest brick dome.

My hosts in Zanjan cooked Indian food for me one night since I had just traveled in India and they had lived there for many years.

Grand Oljeitu Mausoleum
One of many beautiful tea houses. As I mentioned, tea is like its own religion in Iran. This particular tea house is 400 years old.

From Zanjan, I made my way to Hamadan, which was once one of the ancient world’s greatest cities and is believed to be approximately 3,000 years old. It was tops on my itinerary for a lot of reasons. Not only were there a lot of cool historic sights, but the city itself is also beautiful and surrounded by snow-capped mountains. As has been the constant theme in Iran, I also made some good friends there who worked at a hip coffee shop, which became my hang-out spot when I just wanted to chill.

Hamadan

Original 3,000 year old walls of Hamadan

Had a multi-religion day and visited a 200-year-old church, Judaism’s Ester’s tomb and a golden mosque.

Also visited 2,500-year-old Ganjnameh — two cuneiform rock carvings from former Persian kings Xerxes and Darius to the Zoroastrian (Iran’s original religion before Islam came) god Ahura Mazda thanking him for making them very good kings.
Hooka’d it up and had some tea and nabat (sugar crystals) with my new friends after our visit to the Ganjnameh.

Barista friend and his delicious coffee ice cream drink concoction

Visited a friend’s bakery and had some fluffy, tasty komaj, a famous pastry in Hamadan.

Found wisdom in the park

Colonial building in Rasht’s city center

Made two super cool friends in Rasht. The guy offered to take me to Masuleh village (more info on that below) even though he’s been probably a thousand times.

Friends took me out one night to the Caspian Sea for some hookah and food. The guy in the green button-down is a writer, and gave me some of his and his friends’ books as a gift so I can practice reading in Farsi which is a bit slow-going at the moment.

Made another friend in the bazaar who spoke with me about life and told me something that I’ll never forget: “You’re not truly happy in life until you make someone else happy.”

The bazaar in Rasht is quite lively and fun to walk through. It’s also where I found an amazing deal on some great knock-off Adidas shoes.

Masuleh Village is a stunning, 1,000-year-old village in the mountains one hour outside of Rasht. No cars or motorbikes are allowed to enter the village or even able to due to the narrow streets, but what was even cooler is that the roof of one house forms the yard of the house above.

Enjoyed a hookah at a cafe overlooking the green mountains

Super tasty coal-fire baked bread

Guy barbequing some kebabs with a beautiful background

Assortment of really tangy dried fruit

“Kolooche,” a fluffy pastry with a sweet walnut paste filling

Last, but definitely not least, I spotted a cute baby in the village

Chay, or tea, is a religion in Iran. And if I had to pick a capital for tea in Iran it would definitely be the picturesque city of Lahijan in Gilan province, where the first successful attempt at cultivating tea took place in 1900 thanks to the Iranian consul to India sneaking in 4,000 tea plants to Lahijan from India.

Chay is such an important part of socializing that in Iran, when you’re in someone’s home, office or carpet shop, you’ll definitely get a piping hot glass of it. But get ready for more than just one cup. Most Iranians will typically drink at least four cups of tea per day — with breakfast, after lunch, after the afternoon nap and after dinner — and in a very particular way. The unspoken rule is to drink the tea black with a bowl of ghand (sugar cubes). The ghand is usually placed in the front or side of your mouth before sipping the tea. (Your dentist may not recommend this!)

Magical floating teapot and cup in a Lahijan park.

I bought two bags of organic, top-of-the-line tea for the equivalent of $1.50.

Lahijan’s beautiful city center.

I did a hike up the mountain pictured above (and realized I’m definitely out of shape). Here was my view.

But it’s not just about tea. Besides Lahijan’s lush green landscape, the entire Gilan province is known for the local, garlic-heavy, vegetarian-friendly cuisine. Dishes here typically incorporate fruit, nuts, olives, garlic and vegetables like eggplant and broad beans. It’s flavorful and healthy.

The gentleman below, 29, owns two side-by-side snack/nut stores in the bazaar. After trying to buy a bag of walnuts from him he noticed from my accent that I wasn’t a native Iranian and immediately invited me into his store for some friendly conversation, tea and free samplings of the pistachios, nuts, and eight types of walnuts he sells. Needless to say, that ended up being my lunch! (This was my first major experience with the amazing hospitality in Iran, but I’ll dedicate a full post to the locals’ generosity soon.)

Later that night I finally got to sample the awesome Gilani food. This picture doesn’t do the food justice, but let’s just say after that meal, I was ready to die and (hopefully) go to heaven.

OK, I caved in one night and had a pizza, too. I mean, look at it! I was using the WiFi at a pizzeria and couldn’t resist when I saw everyone eating this gooey goodness. But technically, I did eat Iranian food, because it’s believed that 2,500 years ago when Persian soldiers went to fight the Romans, for dinner, they cooked bread on their shields over fire and topped it with paneer (cheese) and dates. Apparently, the Romans then copied this and put their twist on it!

Next up, the friendly city of Rast and the stunning 800-year-old Masuleh village.

As I got off the plane in Tehran, I realized my experience in Iran was going to be different this time. Unlike my previous three visits, this time I was on my own — no mother, uncle or aunt to step in and show me the way. This was exciting. Not only was I going to see and learn about many new-to-me areas of Iran, but I also knew I had a task at hand (while having some fun, too, of course).

The typical image most conjure up of Iran is probably nuclear bomb-hungry terrorists riding on camels in the desert with AK-47s, searching for new killings. Well, that couldn’t be further from the truth. There’s the amazing hospitality of the people, lush Vietnam-esque scenery, ridiculously delicious food, ancient sites, exquisite handicrafts and a lot more that unfortunately, people may have never heard about.

I want these posts to be about not just Iran, but any country we may have preconceived negative notions about simply because of what the media tells us as well. (There’s a lot more to a country than its political news!) I want these posts to help you dig deeper on such so-called taboo places, and possibly even travel there and discover a hidden gem for yourself.

Let’s get started!

The journey began with meeting up with my mom in Iran’s capital of Tehran for the first two days before we parted ways — me to go backpacking solo, she to spend the rest of her visit in Isfahan. We hung around the northern part of Tehran, had some good food and people-watched. I unfortunately don’t have pictures to show, but I will say this: People were so fashionable — as if they had been transported from Manhattan’s SoHo to Tehran!

Once I was off on my own, I hopped on a nice, shiny, pink bus en route to northern Iran, specifically the city of Ramsar, located on the Caspian Sea. The area around the Caspian is a popular summer and weekend destination for Tehranis and others in Iran — in fact, the Shah of Iran used to frequent here in the summers — and is known for its beautiful green scenery and pleasant weather. I went in off season, a good choice because it meant fewer tourists.

The bus I took to Ramsar. Buses in Iran are actually quite nice since they’re the primary mode of transportation between cities of long distances.

The drive to Ramsar from Tehran was stunning. It winded through and around mountains, valleys and turquoise blue streams. That said, there were a few moments when I felt we were a bit too close to the edge of the cliff.

When I got to Ramsar, I had absolutely no idea where I was going to sleep. I knew what my budget was (50K Toman or approximately $16/night). Luckily, I walked into the right kebab shop. The owner answered my question by explaining that hotels weren’t going to be in my price range, but that instead, he had an empty villa he could offer to me for my price. Out of tiredness and sheer laziness, I decided to trust the guy and hopped on his motorbike to get to the villa.

As it turns out, the place was spotlessly clean with a big kitchen, two bedrooms and most importantly, a western toilet. Hallelujah! (I love my culture, but I’m not a big fan of the hole in the ground.) The villa was located on a charming street with palm, orange, and apple trees and plenty of flowers.

Bought some groceries to have a traditional Iranian breakfast and a beer…a nonalcoholic beer that is.

Beyond the pimp villa, Ramsar itself was beautiful. The sea and lush mountains joined quite nicely. And a little factoid – 95% of the world’s caviar comes from the Caspian Sea.

After enjoying the beach and town, I headed up the mountain to a quaint, foggy village reminiscent of Harry Potter named Javaherdeh (literal translation is Jewel Village) for a change of pace. The drive was again stunning (and a bit scary with the heavy fog) and reminded me of our motorcycle ride in Mai Chau, Vietnam.

Waterfall near the village…very foggy.

There were a lot of women and their kids selling freshly baked bread on the street. So tasty.

Coming back down the mountain, my taxi driver — a seasoned cabbie who had been doing the drive up and down the mountain for 35 years — was a very friendly old man, who told me how he can drive the mountain with his eyes closed. I told him not to just to be safe. For the next 45 minutes, he proceeded to tell me the history of the different cars he’s owned during his taxi-driving years and how he financed each one of them.

And what to do after staying in a villa and visiting foggy villages? Visit a natural sulfur hot spring bathhouse, of course.

And a visit to the Shah’s summer palace. The Shah and later, his son would come here when they needed to get away from their other palaces in Tehran. Tough life.

Next up Lahijan, tea capital of Iran, and Rasht, headquarters for the famous garlicy Gilani cuisine!