Friendly faces (THR)

From day 2 in Tehran I've stayed with Ali. On the tenth floor of the Sattar Khan complex in West Tehran, we look out over the city in the morning, with a cup of chai and Ali's special omelette that he prepares with tomatoes, onion and spicy peppers for breakfast. He has been all over the world, and on many ocassions he used his bicycle to move around. Nowadays he works for a travel agency that specialises in eco-tourism.

Going around town with Ali is great. He knows all the special places and, more important, many nice people.

This is the clown that appeared in the intermezzo's of a play I saw a couple of days ago. She and a big brown bear wearing a t-shirt with the word 'Peace' (in green; V) were the sidekicks.

When I reached Tehran I stayed in hotel 'Mashhad' for one night. Typical, after 900 kilometres I got to Mashhad again. In this place I met Ini and her husband Yura for the second time. Our paths had crossed before when we were waiting for the Turkmen transit in Tashkent. Ini and Yura are cycling from South-Korea to Turkey. They have crossed the the west of China by train, but did most of the rest by bicycle. In 'normal life' they work for a travel agent in New Dehli.

That same night I met Kohei, from Japan. He mainly travels over land, but manages to fly a lot while doing so. I was yearning for a chill, Kohei offered me a true détente.

This guy sells big kidney bean type beans on the Sattar Khan street where I am staying at the moment. He seasons them with salt and vinegar. It's a delicious snack.

Another guest of 'Mashhad': Steve, from Hong Kong. He had just started his travel. Steve has a good understanding of the economy and whenever someone mentioned a certain improvement, he would reply: "you design, I mass produce in China!" He had all kinds of funny gadgets, like a tea cup that you stretch out like old-fashioned binnoculars. "Only one problem, you have to hold it all the time!" Also the water cooker had only one problem: "Wire too short!"
He gave me a blue whistle on a key ring. "Only 10 cents in Hong Kong."

Duncan and Daniel, two Brits that have travelled for two months together. They visited Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Iran. Afghanistan was their favourite. Lovely people and beautiful places. No sign of the war. They traveled over land between most cities.

Daniel has been on the road for more than 32 months with his pick-up truck. He zigzags through Russia, Central Asia, the Middle East and the Subcontinent. He likes people that know how to enjoy themselves.

Last week Daniel and I visited an old Mongol tower out in Rey (Shar-e-Rey), a settlement that is estimated to be more than 5000 years old (way older than Tehran), but that nowadays is nothing more than a gritty, poor suburb of the capital. This man is the Toghrol Tower's caretaker. Part of his face was chipped away by pieces of shrapnell during the war with Iraq.

Mehdi invited me for two hikes in the mountains surrounding Tehran. The first day we walked up Kolak-chal, to the north where we ate delicious lentils and bread. The second day we went to the west to climb Gandom-chal (bit more than 3000 meters). We took a route that Mehdi had spotted during another hike, so there was neither a path nor footprints. It was a splendid walk, most of it through snow.

I was also invited to come and have dinner at his parents' place. His mother had prepared a vegetarian dish just for me. It was delicious.

This market vendour sells fresh cookies straight out of the oven. Bought some at the Afghan market (there are approximately 1 million Afghans in Iran at the moment, many have fled the mess at home; not everyone would be willing to admit this, but they are looked down upon). Not too sweet, still warm, fantastic.

Sogol came to talk to Daniel and me in the metro when we were heading for Rey.

"There are some seats free over there."

"Thanks, but we're fine.."

"Where're you guys from?"

"England and the Netherlands."

"OK, you have to come to these seats."

"O-kay.."
A few days later she took us out around the old basaar and to the 'House of Arts', a wonderful bohemian place in the center of Tehran where we saw a modern interpretation of Hamlet.

The picture shows her in front of the ex-embassy of the United States.

This is my friend Alfonso, a.k.a. Coco. Brave traveller. 21 years old, he left home (Sevilla) with practically no money. In Europe he hitchhiked, ate in social centers, got stuff from people. Here he does more or less the same, although the price level difference offers him some relief. Had a few late night talks with him when we stayed at Ali's place, our couch host. Was funny, during the first three days that I stayed with Ali I managed to bring 'one more Spanish person' every day. Ali didn't mind, which makes
him one of the coolest couch hosts I've met so far.

This guy was selling sheep out on the streets close to the address where I am staying. A man and his teddy sheep. Southpark in West Tehran.