Planning the trip - Do´s and Don´t

          

      

With my mountainbike I will ride 3 months through Iran, climb the highest mountain in Iran, the Damavand (5671m). I like to see the historic cities, Isfahan, Shiraz, Qom, Mashad and many others, and travel off the main roads to enjoy nature in the mountains. Already I have heard a lot about the Iranian hospitality, read some comments from other travelers, including two women who were traveling alone.

I recommend the book „Der Iran – Die verschleierte Hochkultur“ (German only) by Andrea Claudia Hoffmann. There is no better way to describe Iran - it gives a good insight into the history of the country.

"Couchsurfing im Iran" (German only) is  a very clear written book by a journalist and it´s also worth reading.

I like the idea of ​​couchsurfing, a platform on the Internet, where hosts can be found who offer a bed to travelers around the world. This can either be in the Community Room (in Iran quite common) or in a separate room. Mostly you will be taken up as a family member, they cook for you, sometimes they even show you around. Thus you get to now the local family life.
In addition there is the platform from warmshowers. On this page mainly bikers find local people, who are hosting travellers. Again, the idea is not money but the cultural exchange

I think I'll do that in the larger cities. On the road it will depend, either in the tent or if I get invited somewhere maybe there. But be careful, because there is T´aarof everywhere (more about that in my next blog). Even in mosques or the red crescent (similar to the Red Cross in Germany) you can spend the night. Just ask and you´ll be surprised where you end up.

My absolute favorite book is "59 days in Iran - They would rock" (German only), since it has been written by a woman who traveled with a backpack through Iran for 2 months. I like how the author wrote a love-rock-song on the people and their hospitality. It´s written from back to front in Persian reading direction.

I experience the Iranian hospitality for the first time at Azadeh´s, an Iranian woman, who fled with their parents from Iran as a teenager and now lives here in Munich. I got to know her through an Internet platform and she spontaneously invites me to her home. Recently she has adopted a 2 year old boy from Iran and told me about the problems of adoption from abroad. Never would she do that a second time. For 4 hours she told me a lot about her country, plans the route with me on the map, hands me some documents, maps, CDs and novels, to prepare for the journey.

On this evening when I had to leave, she told me: "I would offer you to sleep here, because in Iran nobody would let you go home now."

Her cousin Alborz, who is in Munich for almost 2 years now, studying electrical engineering at the University of Rosenheim is happy give me Farsi lessons. In exchange I should teach him to speak German better, which we have not trained very much, since he already speaks very good German.

Farsi is the language of Iran and not to be confused with Arabic. The letters are the same as in arabic language and it is also written from right to left, but the language is completely different. (more about culture and writing in one of the next blogs)

Iranians don´t want to be compared with Arabs. They are proud to be Persians.

Of course I'll have to get used to the habits there first. To cover my head with a scarf every day before leaving the room, is something not everyone is willing to do when traveling. Also long pants and long sleeves, when cycling in the heat is not really something I look forward to. But if you want to explore this country you have to grin and bear it.

You should know some important things in advance, for example, that "Thumbs up" in Iran is comparable with our "&*#$-finger" and should be avoided at all times. If you want to hitchhike, by no means put out the thumb, but simply raise one hand.

It is also very rude, to blow your nose at the table - you should leave the room in any case.

You should not participate in any political discussions, but certainly there will arise many questions about Germany and the West, when invited by somebody. Azadeh explained a lot to me and how to answer best.