Family Blog

Continued from: Isfahan

On route 65 we went from Isfahan over Abadeh to Shiraz. The first station we stopped was Pasagardae where you can find the tomb of Cyrus the Great.

In Naqsh-e Rustam we found four giant tombs of Achaemenid kings which are carved into the rocks. These tombs were near to Persepolis, another highlight of our Iran trip. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is very impressive and gigantic. We were all buried from all the details you can discover on this huge area. But the current government wanted to blow up the whole system some years ago. They had brought the explosive already on-site but were prevented by the inhabitants of Shiraz - thank God.

Late in the evening we reached our hotel in Shiraz. I wanted to go into the internet but it was already closed.

Next section: Shiraz

Continued from: Hamadan - Isfahan

Space... the Final Frontier. We write the year 1390 A.H. These are the voyages of the starship Flying Carpet. Her ongoing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life forms and new civilizations, to boldly go where no tourist has gone before. (free after Star Trek)

As I wrote this lines in my (paper) notebook we were sitting in a tea house right in the bazaar which is pretty smoky and is attended by all the locals (and in former times by our leader). The bazaar itself is several kilometers long and you can easily be lost in it. Before we had visited some sight seeings around the Naghsh-e-Jahan Square. The mosques around this place have a turbulent past and served as role models for other mosques. We stay three days at the Abbasi Hotel where you can can think you live in another world. Esfahan (and the hotel) was one of the highlights of our tour. We visited the Shaking Minaretts, some churches in the Armenian Quarter (e.g. the All Savior's Cathedral).

When we go in the late evening to the Naqsh-e Jahan Square (also known as "Shah Square" or "Imam Square") there was so much life on this place. Several times we were asked what we think about the Iran. Most of the people were students but also other peoples (e.g. one who works for the army) spoke to us.

Next section: Isfahan - Persepolis - Shiraz

continued from: Kermanshah - Hamadan

In Hamadan we visited two mauseoleums: Baba Taher and Mausoleum of Avicenna. On the way to it we met an Irani who asked us on German - he had worked over 10 years at Stuttgart and was also very happy that we visit the Iran. As he noticed our leader he meant we are good guided.

On the way to Isfahan we did a stop at Saveh were we eat our melon we bought two days before. Also here we were the attraction of the village.

There were many trucks on the road when we continued our journey. For us as German tourists the overtaking on a normal road with two lanes were very adventurous. Not only that trucks were overtaken regardless opposing traffic but also trucks opens a third lane to overtake two trucks if there is no opposing traffic.

At a radar control we had luck. The police exempted us the penalty because we were tourists. And he railed against the mullahs before us who drived without any ID cards ("They believe they have control of our country...").

The Abbasi Hotel in Isfahan was stunning and well attended. In general Isfahan is a lively and very clean city. After dinner (where we had first to wait because there was Mother's Day in Iran) we visited the famous bridges who unfortunately were standing in the dry.

Next section: Isfahan

Continued from: Merivan - Kermanshah

After breakfast we visited the reliefs from Kermanshah (Taq-e Bostan). Our local guide as again very interested about our opinion about the Iran. Iran is a country where over 4000 years ago the first brain surgery had taken place. And we should judge Iran not by the political leadership but by the people (and don't confuse them with the Arabs!).

Next object of interest was an over 100 year old house where the governor lived in former times. Impressive was not only the Hall of Mirrors but also the sophisticated architecture. The architects in former times knew how to keep the climate cool and nice without any technical equipment. Unfortunately it seems that this knowlegde is lost if you see the modern hotels where we were.

After that we wanted to visit the Relief and Inscription of Darius, a World Heritage of the Iran. But unfortunately this highlight is closed for the moment because a German professor examins the level of the pollution of this heritage. But also the other attractions like Farkad Toras or caravanserai were it worth to visit this place.

In the evening we wanted to go into the Ali-Sadr Cave but we were to late. But the restaurant were still open an I tried an Iranian cuisine, "Dizzie" (I don't know how it is written but this is the pronunciation).

Again we reached our next hotel (Baba Taher Hotel, babetaher-hotel@yahoo.com) in Hamedan in the dark. What I noticed in the hotel room were the telephones - an application from the "Deutsche Bundespost" with a dial which I knew very good from the beginning of my career at Alcatel SEL.

Next section: Hamadan - Isfahan

Continued from: Kandovan - Merivan

Actually we wanted to go to the water lilies on the lake but we had to go by motor boats and you need a permit from the authorities (because of Environment) - so no water lilies for today. Yeah, not really, the inhabitants showed us a place where we could go by foot.

The first part of the trip to Kermanshah we used a road which never has seen a modern car like our little bus. It was more a bigger path as a road through the wild Kurdistan - also a smuggler area or, as our guide said, the duty-free area. The mountains are rugged but the scenery is wonderful. The men wears wide trousers and the women colorful clothes. We need 4 till 5 hour for this first part where the inhabitants needs only 2 (the fly over the rocks with their cars). At the end of this road our driver shouts suddenly "asphalt" when he saw the normal road - he was so happy to be on a normal road again.

Late in the night we arrived Kermanshah. The hotel there has internet access and was the first opportunity for me to come in contact with the rest of the world. But not all addresses were accessible, e.g. Twitter, Flickr, Facebook and also blogspot.com I can't access.

Next section: Kermanshah - Hamadan

Continued from: Masuleh - Kandovan

I'm now sitting in a small office at the BabaTaher Hotel in Hamedan, which can be also used by the guests for the internet access. But let me continue with our trip.

From Kandovan we started later as expected because there was a Windows / Excel problem - our bill was much to high and it costs our guide some discussion to solve this problem. So we started over one hour later as planned.

Our first station was the Orumiyeh Lake to take pictures from it. This lake is a salt lake and has changed his color since two years from deep blue to red because of the algae. The people from there guess, that the lake will be dead in a few years.

In the Kurdish area we visit the Sahoolan Historical Water Cave, a big cave which were used about 2000 years ago. Before we reached it we drove through a big gate (see photo) - don't know for what it is but it remembers me at Stargate. Characteristic for this cave was a big transmission tower in the middle of the cave - there is no place in Iran where you get no signal for your mobile phone.

Later in the afternoon the number of police station increased because we were now driving through smugglers area. And we also were able to see how a normal road with two lanes could be expanded temporarily to three lanes for a passing maneuver.

Next section: Merivan - Kermanshah

Continued from Iran: Teheran - Masuleh

Today we will continue our journey to Hamadan and I have time to write some lines about our Iran trip. Last Wednesday we started from Masualeh to go to Kandovan along the coast of the Caspian Sea. Again we saw a lot of green and paddy fields. We even saw water buffaloes in Iran.

The Caspian Sea is at a level 20m below sea level. From this level we climbed up to height of 1600m where the color changed from green to brown. Also the weather was more sunny now. We did a side trip to a hot spring where we had a bath - first the women and later the men. Also here the Iranian people (most of them where nomadic people) where very friendly and happy, that we visited them. They even wanted to donate us the admission price.

In the evening we reached Kandovan, a small village build into the rocks. Also our hotel (www.irtdc.ir) was build into it - we feel like Fred Feuerstein, when we enter our room.

Next day we visited Tabriz, a city with about 2 million people. It was Friday and a lot of traffic and buses around the mosque so we decided to visit some old buildings (the East Azaberjan Cultural Heritage) first. At the exit we were received by an friendly man who wanted to invite us into his house. He was an IT specialist at the university. Also a school boy came to discuss about our impression from the Iran. At the end we changed our facebook and email contacts.

In the evening we visited Kandovan with one of the hotel boys as guide. He showed us his village and also his house (or should I write cave because the whole village is build into the rocks?). It has one "big" room with about 10-12 sqm where 6 or 7 people lives.

We will continue now to visit Kermanshan. Stay tuned...

Next section: Kandovan - Merivan

Continued from: Arriving at Tehran

On the third day we started with a bus our trip to the North of the Iran, to the Caspian Sea. On the way to it you saw a lot of green and paddy fields you wouldn't expect there. At Bandar Anzalī we wanted to see the water lilies but we were to early - only at summer you can see them.

In the evening we reached Masuleh, a mountain village which is build direct at the flank of the hill. The roof of the lower building is the fore court of the upper building.

On the next day we took a walk around Masouleh and visited the castle Rutchan where you have to go 1400 steps upstairs before you reach it. Unfortunately the weather was rainy and foggy.

Next section: Masuleh - Kandovan

At the moment of this writing I'm at Kermanshah, a city in the south of Iran with about 600,000 inhabitants. The hotel here (Grand Azedgan) has internet access but the Iranian keyboard is a little bit unusual for me.

One week ago we (a small group of 7 persons with me) arrived at the airport of Teheran. The local time here is 2.5 hours before ours and I need over an hour to adjust my watch. At the airport we were well received by the sister and niece of our tour guide and friend.

The first day we use the taxi to visit Teheran. The Iranian way to drive by car is much different from Germany because each centimeter of the road is used for driving. It is not unusual that for a road with two lanes three cars drives side by side. It is like driving in Italy but with more traffic on a smaller area. But my biggest care was that I loose our leader (who is born in Iran) because we must use two taxis. If that would had been happened I would be completely lost in Teheran and could not write this lines here now.

The first evening the sister of our leader organized a party for us where we had the opportunity to get some Iranian people to know. They are very interested to know what we think about them and are open-minded about other cultures. And they know how to party.

Teheran has about 15 million inhabitants and normally there is smog over the city. But we are lucky and got some rain here also it does not rain in Teheran (Jahan said). So the air was clearer than normal and we had a good view on Teheran when we go uphill on the surrounding mountains.

These were the first two days in Teheran. More will follow at the next internet access point...

Next section: Teheran - Masuleh

In a few hour my flight to Iran will start at Stuttgart Airport. For nearly 3 weeks I will go with friends to Iran. Our trip will start in Teheran before we go to the North to Masuleh. It is the first time that I go in this area and I'm very excited.

Next section: Arriving at Teheran

Yesterday we went to the cabaret "Die Galgenstricke". This cabaret in my home town Esslingen was a wine-cellar in former times and it was over 20 years ago that I was there with my wife. Reiner Kröhnert was on the program where we also haven't seen since 20 years. In some respects the event yesterday was a journey back to the past and it was a funny and thoughtful evening.

While Philip goes to college now (see his blog) Manuel has successful finished his first semester in politics. Last week he moved inside Freiburg to his new apartement-sharing community. His new apartement is more central and nearer to the university. Now there is semester break and he is at home in Gerlingen again.

What will bring us 2011? Manuel will continue his study in Freiburg, Carmen will finish school. And before Philip will come back from New Jersey we will visit him and do a trip through the USA. The flights and motorhome are booked now. I guess this will be the last vacation with the whole family.

America, we will come...

On the 24th it began to snow for two days and now we have really much snow. I don't remember whenever we had such much snow.

Yesterday Manuel and Carmen needed two attempts to get out of the garage with our family car (which is a Smart for the moment) before they decided to get in the car of my father-in-law and to drive with us to my parents.

This evening Manuel will sing together with the Hymnus Choir the Christmas Oratorio from Johann Sebastian Bach.

Since last weekend Manuel is back from Freiburg to celebrate Christmas at home. So only Philip is missing now - he is in New Jersey and waiting for snow, as you can read on his blog.

Here in Germany we had the last days a lot of snow. But since yesterday it rains and the snow began to smelt down. But for tomorrow the weather forecast promises us a white Christmas.

For next year we all plan to visit Philip in the USA to do with him a trip through the states (New York - Niagara Falls - Chicago - Whitefish Bay - San Francisco - Lincoln and some national parks).

There once was a man made of snow,
Who grew happy and bigger whene'er the wind would blow.
But some kids playing a trick
Gave him a candle and a wick
And soon he was only H₂O.

Merry Christmas