Shiraz

Group shot with Mr Froggy.

I can't decide who looks more out of place in this photo, Mr Froggy or me. I really do think that the best photos from Iran are those taken by my camera's timer. Shiraz was a grueling 15 hour bus journey from Tehran, a journey that I thought would never end. Although it is a desert town, Shiraz is home to the most beautiful gardens in Iran. It was autumn when I was in Shiraz and the trees were a beautiful shade of golden brown. For some strange reason, this reminded me of the Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer. It is truly amazing how rose gardens can grow in the middle of a desert, a reflection of the ingenuity of desert cultures. Shiraz is also the hometown and final resting place of many a great Iranian poets such as Hafez. It is said that in Iran, every household must have two items, the Quran and a book of Hafez's poems.

I met Hamid and Zahra at the tomb of Hafez which is situated next to the Shiraz University. Hamid is currently pursuing his Phd at the Shiraz University and Zahra, his wife, is a Masters student at the Shiraz University too. They offered to bring me around the University which was a real treat as Universities are off limits to non-students. We had dinner at the university cafetria followed by tea and fruits at their apartment. It was an insightful evening as I soon learnt that Iranian uni students live a life not very different from ours. Come to think of it, I don't even know why I should find the similarity startling to begin with. Iranian hospitality will never cease to amaze me. We talked and talked until it was too late. At the end of the evening, I felt ashamed that I had nothing to offer in return but an email address.

More photos of Shiraz here