A peek into Parsi Iran

We travelled in a group of seven girls piled into two 70’s Peugeots through Iran. There has been no real development in the country for the past 40 years, giving the country a quaint 1970’s feel.

Shiraz was the first destination, though there was nothing spectacular about the city. There was much more to see in our second destination, Yazd.

There is a large Parsi population there, and a few historical sights. We went to the first fire temple in the world, located in Yazd. The food was very fresh, with lots of meat and saffron pulao. I would definitely recommend the beri pulao and the kebabs which aren’t as spicy and oily as ours. I also fell in love with the dried mulberries that they served. The Iranian are experts of drying and preserving food.

The people of Iran are warm and receptive, and are always ready to have a good time. But it is compulsory for everyone, even visitors, to dress according to local customs. Women have to wear a head scarf and long black robes or coats. Even if you were in a restaurant and your head scarf came off, they would tap you on the shoulder and tell you to cover your head.

After Yazd, we went to Isfahan, a historic and beautiful city. I loved the romantic, old architecture, and there were lots of little rivers that ran through the city with old charming pedestrian bridges across them. There were lots of quaint carpet shops all over Iran, where you can pick up a rug of your own. It is not a place to go clothes shopping, though. Lastly, we went to Tehran, where to the north stood gorgeous snow-capped mountains, but otherwise, Tehran was all hustle and bustle, a lot like Mumbai. In all, it was a memorable experience. Iran is definitely a place I will visit in the future.

— as told to Neel Bhasker