Tehran
Flew out of Dubai at 1.15 am and landed in Tehran at just after 3 am. To my surprise I flew through passport control and customs. Of course it helped that I had an entry visa. If you try and get one on the spot, you will often be turned down.
Got to Paul’s place around 4 am, and caught up on some sleep. Then just after lunch, I headed into Tehran.
This is the NZ Embassy. Not quite on the same level as NZ House in London!
And in the reception area, a photo of the supreme leader 
We then headed up to the Saadabad Palace, which was the Shah’s summer palace.
This is a statue or Arash. A mythical legendary archer who was reputed to fire an arrow 1000 leagues!
The décor is very 1970s, despite being a palace. The most valuable thing in the room would be the carpet.
The Shah’s bedchamber
The Shah’s carriage
This was a statue of the last Shah, but it got chopped off in the revolution
These are the old city gates.
The city of Tehran is huge – around 10 million people if you include the outlying area. Surprisingly it looks more like a western city than any other so far in the Middle East. The cars, the streets, the cleanliness, the architecture etc. However what is noticeable is the lack of any global franchises.
The highlight was going to see the Iranian Crown Jewels. This collection of gems and treasures is unsurpassed in the world I would say. The British Crown Jewels do not compare. If you ever are in Iran, this is a must see. They are displayed at the Central Bank of Iran.
No cameras allowed in, so photos are from Wikipedia.
This is the Kiani Crown. It has 1800 pearls, 300 emeralds and 1800 rubies. It was used in coronations from 1796 to 1925.
This is known as the Globe of Jewels. It consists of 34 kgs of gold and has 51,636 gems in it.
And this little diamond is the Darya-ye Noor or Ocean of Light and is the largest pink diamond in the world. It is 182 carats. That would impress the fiancée!
And the legendary Peacock Throne. Again you could not even begin to try and calculate its worth. The jewels are actually used by Iran to back their currency up.
Locals have been very friendly. Several, upon hearing you are from New Zealand, mention the All Whites beating Bahrain to make the Football World Cup and how pleased they are. This is more because they hate Bahrain than love New Zealand, but was still very nice and amusing.
There was a large group of school girls visiting the Crown Jewels at the same time as Paul and I. I think they were from outside Tehran as their reactions indicated they don’t see a lot of western men. Lots of pointing, staring and giggling.
Even in Tehran, there are very little noticeably foreign people about – quite different to the other Middle Eastern countries. No surprise to a degree. It is hard to get in – you have to list in the visa application everyone you plan to meet etc.
November 23rd, 2009 at 11:21 am
“impress the fiancee”
Something you need to tell us David?
November 23rd, 2009 at 11:26 am
“lots of pointing and giggling”
Uhmmmm….I think they were wondering just what sort of species you were….remember that in Iran Jews are depicted as monkeys and evil
November 23rd, 2009 at 11:37 am
Did you notice the no photography sign out front of the NZ embassy?
Those crown jewels look seriously impressive – when will NZ be getting some?
November 23rd, 2009 at 11:44 am
You do realise that for these Iranian schoolgirls you now represent the archetype Western male?
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Are you sure that’s the NZ embassy? Because with all that fencing, locked doors and bars on the windows it looks just like a little corner liquor store in South Auckland.
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:00 pm
That Tiger’s head would just be an annoying tripping hazard.
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:29 pm
If you want to see something truly amazing there are a few synagogues in Tehran.
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:35 pm
But I don’t know for how long!
Iran holds ‘largest ever’ war drill one day after threatening Tel Aviv http://tinyurl.com/y9exczm
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Is is a tiger? I was picking Asiatic lion.
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:37 pm
I think the Crown Jewels are infinately more tasteful.
The phrase Persian knock shop comes to mind looking at those things.
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:48 pm
I’ve been to Tehran a few times and there is of course a wonderful restaurant there called McMeets … not sure there was any real meat in anything they sold.
If you can, take the cable car to Tochal in the mountains….. it a very long cable car and some of the little cafe’s and tracks up the mountain are amazing…… and if you ask nicely someone will find you a bottle of Shiraz to make the day more passable.
November 23rd, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Can’t imagine Jonothan Hunt accepting a posting to that Embassy, no matter how big the wine cellar is.
November 23rd, 2009 at 1:13 pm
@Murray 12:37
Please share your intimate knowledge of Persian knocking shops with us. We await in breathless anticipation.!!!
November 23rd, 2009 at 1:24 pm
david; They’re full of Persian whores, intense incense and are generally inexpensive although you should take at least a dozen shots before and after with possibly a booster during, the decore would impress any DPM dicerning shopper for its colour and various syntentich animal skins. Think cloe of Wainui on steroids.
Basically value for money if you can hold your breath long enough, don’t look at the decorations and don’t mind your dick dropping off.
I leave the kiddie sex trade to others more qulified than myself.
Thanks for the email, your VIP card is on its way.
November 23rd, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Yeah, no, good point. The Asiatic Lion evolved a smaller, rounder head for the benefit of human feet.
November 23rd, 2009 at 2:25 pm
I’d love to visit Iran, see the sights, soak up the history. I’ve read a couple of stories of guys going snowboarding in the mountains – sounds amazing. And the history, the history. I’d love to go …. if it wasn’t for the dickheads running the show. I don’t know if I could go and be relaxed, knowing at any one moment someone could grass on you, and you’d be a whole pile of trouble.
Friend of my family went to North Korea a few years back. Said it was amazing, but scary at same time, constantly watched by lots of intimidating guys in uniform.
November 23rd, 2009 at 2:37 pm
>There was a large group of school girls visiting the Crown Jewels at the same time as Paul and I. I think they were from outside Tehran as their reactions indicated they don’t see a lot of western men. Lots of pointing, staring and giggling.
School girls often point and giggle at me. You get used to it.
Did you shout “death to America” or burn an effigy of George Bush?
November 23rd, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Davidp 2:37 “Did you shout “death to America” or burn an effigy of George Bush?”
LOL
Like – “when in Rome…” and all?
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:35 pm
Are you getting down to Isfahan or Yazd? The latter is a stunning old town and a Zoroastrian centre.
November 23rd, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Bloody hell DPF!…Iran, Turkey, what is next…..Palestine?
Is this the DPF ‘please shoot me’ world tour?
November 23rd, 2009 at 7:35 pm
…I can suggest a few places (from experience) where the threat of being blown up or being shot at is a little more palpable.
I can recommend Isfahan also as a travel destination.
Baluchistan still has some crocodiles left if that appeals
November 24th, 2009 at 8:33 am
Ah, the Shah. What a lovely guy he was. And a real human rights nut too. Can someone remind me how he came to power again?