“Were you sold a carpet?”

“No, not even once.”

After our most recent visit to Istanbul, I’m surprised both by the number of times I’ve been asked that question and how pleased I am to offer my answer. When buying carpet is not your focus, but discovering the people and neighborhoods of Istanbul is, there’s an art to making it work and choosing strategically where and how you stay.

This time we did it. And we’ll tell you how, but not before we tell you about our first visit to Istanbul when Dan and I attempted, rather unsuccessfully, to pull off being Canadian.

“Don’t Go!”: The First Visit to Istanbul That Almost Wasn’t

It was late 2000. Dan and I had been backpacking around Europe. We’d just poked around Romania and were hanging around Sofia, Bulgaria. Next up: Istanbul and three weeks in Turkey.

Then an email arrived from my mother. She was worried and she asked us to reconsider our visit. The second intifada had just begun in the Palestinian Territories and demonstrations were taking place outside the American Embassy in the Turkish capital of Ankara as the U.S. Congress considered a resolution officially recognizing the killing of Armenians in Turkey in 1915 as genocide.

Conventional wisdom said all of this did not bode well for Americans visiting the region. We hemmed and hawed. But on our final morning in Sofia, we picked up an International Herald Tribune to find news that Congress dropped the resolution.

It’s a sign!!, we thought. In fact, it was just the excuse we needed.

We’re going to Turkey!

I informed my mother of our decision and assured her we’d be careful. “Don’t worry,” I said. “We’ll pretend we’re Canadian.”

Staying in Sultanahmet

After arriving in Istanbul from Sofia via a wheezing 17-hour train, we followed the advice of our guidebook and bee-lined it over to Sultanahmet to find a hostel.

We settled down near the Hagia Sophia. Over the next several days, we’d wake at 5:00 A.M. to a howling call to prayer, struggle to fall back asleep, and head out early to consume Istanbul’s must-see sights.

Hagia Sofia: A beautiful visual confluence of Islam and Christianity.

Our few days in Istanbul were consumed with the Hagia Sofia (or Aya Sofya if you like), Grand Bazaar, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and the Egyptian spice market. We hung out with fishermen on the Galata bridge, rode along the Bosphorus, and visited Uskudar for a taste of the “Asian side” — and mixed it all with great bits of Turkish food and topped it off with a scrub-down at a Turkish bath. Dan insists to this day that his Turkish massage at the baths remains the most satisfying beating he’s ever received.

Oh, and I almost forgot: the carpet salesmen.

Fell off my chair laughing when I found this photo from our visit to Istanbul in 2000.

We have nothing against carpets, really. They’re often works of art, and for many they serve as mementos that last a lifetime. (Yes, I realize I just sounded like a carpet salesman right there. This shows how effective repetition can be.) But when walkabouts in and around the touristy areas of Sultanahmet become an endless echo of “My friend. Where are you from? Do you want to buy a carpet?”, it’s possible to begin bearing a grudge.

“Maybe later.” That was our mantra. Talk about empty promises.

Carpet salesmen can monopolize your visit if you let them. They are friendly enough, they’ll give you lots of tea, their stories can be great — they may even feed you — but their ultimate goal may just get in the way of your experiencing the real Istanbul.

How NOT to Pretend to Be Canadian

Speaking of carpet salesmen, a lesson. One day as we walked down the street minding our own business, a Turkish guy flanked by two westerners approached us.

The Turkish guy jabbed himself into our conversation: “Where are you from?”

“Canada,” Dan replied.

“Where in Canada?”

“Toronto.”

“Really?! I used to live there. Which part?” (At this point, the Turkish guy rattled off a bunch of Toronto neighborhoods.)

Shit. The one guy on the street we decide to lie to just happens to have lived in our Canadian cover city. Insult to injury, we weren’t even swift enough to do our research beforehand to come up with a viable answer.

Dan mumbled something lame like, “The eastern part.”

The Turkish guy pressed on with more questions, pulling our proverbial lying pants down to our ankles. Finally, he exploded, “You’re not from Canada, you’re American!! Why are you lying to me?!!”

“Americans! Liars!” he yelled at full lung capacity in the middle of the street.

In retrospect, we should have moved on as if he were loony. (He was.) But his display was mesmerizing; it paralyzed us. I considered the irony. Had we only been honest about being American, we could have avoided all this.

As we came to and began walking away — the Turkish guy was still ranting — one of the foreigners asked in a feeble voice, “Well, wait. Don’t you want to buy a carpet?”

The Turkish guy then broke stride and followed up: “I’ve got some great deals. I can even ship it home for you.”

Insane. So this whole display — a ranting Turkish guy and his two flunky backpacker sidekicks — was all about selling us a freakin’ carpet??

Next time, we’re from Labrador.

Since then, we never again suggested that we’re from Canada. (Aside: A big shout out to our Canadian friends. We love you and your country and we are often mistaken as Canadian, but we learned early that faking Canuck-ery doesn’t suit us and that we should stick to being who we are. For those of you following our current journey around the world, you’ll know that we embrace being American and view our travels as a form of citizen diplomacy.)

Istanbul, Take Two

Eleven years later, almost to the day, we returned to Istanbul.

We had changed as travelers. So had the goals of our visit. Instead of revisiting all the big sights, we were in Istanbul to apply for our Iranian visa, pick up some appropriate clothes for Iran, explore some different parts of town and discover more local foods.

Our accommodation this time was a 9 Flats apartment on a side street in Beyoğlu, just down the hill from Taksim Square and Istiklal Caddesi.

As we wandered our street and the surrounding neighborhood, we noticed very few foreigners, only a guest house or two, and absolutely no souvenir stands. People were friendly and life seemed very real. Not to take away from the beauty of Sultanahmet, but this was a different view of Istanbul. One that suggests: this is what life would be like if you lived here. It was immersive. We loved it.

Just up the hill, Istiklal Caddesi was flush with hip Turkish kids sporting the latest fashion trends and traditional women wearing the hijab (Islamic dress). Endless cafes, brands and shops, bustling and modern.

Is this where Istanbul is headed?

Perhaps, but turn off on any side street and you’ve found where Istanbul has come from, and in many ways remains. Local fish vendors and seafood restaurants, turn-of-the-century covered passageways, and simple family-run shops. The mix was eclectic and reflected all the fascinating layers of modern day Turkey.

Some mornings we would take the tram — just down the street — over to Sultanahmet to run errands (e.g., headscarf shopping) or to catch a few sights we’d missed last time (like the New Mosque).

But then we’d welcome a retreat to our neighborhood in the late afternoon, where the routines of ordinary people ruled the streets.

We began to feel at home. We knew the guy on the corner pressing fresh pomegranate juice, the sons who’d taken over their father’s kebab and Turkish pizza (lahmacun) shop, the friendly ciğ köfte master who knew just the right amount of spice and lemon to add to a mountain of raw meat, and the soft-spoken man around the corner who made sure to pile our plates with ample servings and fresh herbs.

We’d quickly developed our own routine, so much so that when we departed a week later, we made our rounds to say goodbye to our neighbors and the places where we’d become regulars.

We left Istanbul this time feeling like we had a better grasp of its living history as well as a hint of the direction its headed.

And to think, we were never once offered a carpet. Maybe next time.

What are your favorite neighborhoods to explore in Istanbul? And if you’ve visited Istanbul, did you buy a carpet?

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Disclosure: We’d like to thank 9 Flats for providing us our apartment in Beyoğlu that helped introduce us to a new side of Istanbul, and delivered an experience that made us feel like we lived locally.

Possibly Related Articles:

• Panorama of the Week: New Mosque (Yeni Camii), Istanbul
• Good Friday Guatemala: Sawdust Carpet Panorama and Semana Santa Slideshow
• Traveling to Iran as Americans: All You Need to Know

Originally posted on the Uncornered Market travel blog. Find beautiful travel photos from around the world. | 18 comments

The other day, Audrey and I walked into a laundry service here in Oaxaca, Mexico and after a confounding exchange we discovered that they don’t accept underwear.

You heard right: NO UNDERWEAR!

Now try to imagine the charades that yielded that understanding, before we read the sign:

It has been said that the only guarantees in life are death and taxes. Allow me one more: laundry.

Maybe you do it yourself, maybe you have someone do it for you, but you gotta’ do it. In fact, laundry is so integral to today’s human existence that “What do you do about laundry while traveling?” is easily among the top five frequently asked questions readers have about our around-the-world travels.

So the intersection of the “no underwear” episode and the general importance of laundry to the human condition got me to thinking about my own complicated relationship with laundry. As I thought deeply about my duds, a few themes and questions emerged.

Laundry As Meditation, Laundry As Martial Art

When things are busy and my mind is crowded (almost always), I sometimes escape to the sink for a little meditative laundry. While the opportunity to dump my duds into a washing machine might satisfy an occasional compulsion for everything to be clean at once, working my duds by hand brings me to higher ground.

Cambodian girl and her laundry. A kindred spirit?

Hand washing my clothes is like the martial art I never learned when I was a kid. Wash your skivvies, get into the zone. Sometimes when I scrub the ends together (like they used to do in those liquid detergent commercials), I hear Miyagi from the Karate Kid, “Wax on, wax off.”

I keep thinking that if I wash enough pairs of underwear by hand, I will eventually become one with the universe.

Blue = Clean Laundry?

Since when in the world of wash and laundry does blue equal clean? And when and who on high made this decision?

If you do your own laundry by hand, I suppose you have two ways to go in the way of a formal cleaning agent (I say “formal” because it is entirely possible to wash one’s clothes with a bar of bath soap, something I have resorted to more times than I’d like to admit.) The first is a tiny bag of detergent (remember we pack light, sort of).

Fine print: BARF means snow. International marketing fail.

The second is a bar of laundry soap. Laundry bars come in all flavors and colors, but it’s those universal chalky bright blue bars that make me wonder.

Can anyone explain to me how a bar of soap dyed a horror show dark blue makes everything appear cleaner?

Two Birds, One Stone: Laundry in the Shower

Sometimes I like to kill two birds with one stone and do my laundry in the shower. I find this is a little bizarre. And I figured you might, too. It’s my little concession, my little confession.

The broader story? Family and old roommates all know that if I could spend the rest of my life in the shower under a stream of warm water, I just might. Sometimes I use the need to do my laundry as an excuse to get a few more minutes closer to that nirvana.

Aside: I once fell asleep doing my laundry in the shower (a shower rather bizarrely in the shape of a bank vault, turn-lock and all) in Cordoba, Argentina.

The Magic Dryer You Never Knew You Had

Our marriage almost ended over this disagreement, but I finally came around. I’m here to tell you that the quickest way to dry clothes (especially those t-shirts) is to wrap and ring them inside a towel, thereby transferring their moisture to the towel.

Hang your clothes up in your favorite sunny, dry spot and you’ll be ready to go in no time.

I know this is probably an age-old trick that Audrey was wise enough to divine on her own without searching the internet. But I’m a guy. And sometimes I’m stubborn.

OK Audrey, all the time.

Know Thy Laundry, Know Thyself

Laundry can also be a path to self-knowledge.

When you only have a couple pairs of underwear, a few shirts and two pairs of pants, you develop a pretty close relationship with them all. You might even say “intimate” even though that word sounds like it should always be whispered. You know their ins and outs.

Speaking of ins and outs, “turn ‘em inside-out,” you say? Cool, but what happens when my five-sided pair of underwear can’t take it anymore?

Coincidentally, this reminds me of the guy who did a science experiment with his jeans by wearing them continuously without washing them for 15 months. His solution to beating back the stink — which, by the way, jeans resist like nothing else — was to occasionally freeze them.

Well, I know myself and I don’t freeze my clothes. Ever.

You also become familiar with your own stink. That is, if you stink. Which, by the way, I do not.

OK, I kid.

Familiarity with self-stink is double-edged. I will say no more.

Oh, except that when Audrey and I ate southern France out of cheese and decided to sweat it all out in a sauna across the border in Switzerland. I won’t belabor this story except to say that you know you’re in trouble when your wife’s socks begin to smell like crottin de chèvre.

Laundry By the Pound

Sometimes I like to have someone else do my laundry.

When it’s cheap, that is. Because I am cheap. (Ah, there I’ve said it. I feel so much better now. Laundry is also cathartic, apparently.)

Laundry services effectively come in two pricing models: by the pound and per piece. Per piece laundries are usually a heist. By the time a few t-shirts and underwear are rung up, I’m taking out a mortgage. Unless someone else is paying for it or I’m on business and I need to look like a champ, I don’t do per piece.

I go by the pound (or kilo). Many countries and cultures around the world have laundry shops where you can drop off your laundry and have it returned to you, washed, dried and folded for anywhere between $0.50 – $2 per kilo. Southeast Asia, Nepal, and places in Central and South America come to mind.

Launderer beware: Some laundry joints feature rigged scales. Be sure that the scale actually balances at 0 and doesn’t somehow mysteriously register your little bag of laundry at 10 kilos (22 pounds). If ever you’re in doubt, take your bag down the street and get a second or third opinion.

Zen and the Art of Lost Laundry

We travelers are a funny lot. We’re all about minimalism and doing without, but god forbid our favorite pair of underwear vanishes at the laundry.

When you hand your laundry over to someone, you must do so with a Zen-like willingness to accept that you may never see any of it ever again. Ever. Sometimes pieces get lifted, most times they get lost to your neighbor, and sometimes they go to the great laundry graveyard in the sky.

That favorite t-shirt. I’ve lost it.

Favorite underwear. Check.

I’m over it. (Sort of.)

On second thought, I’ll never forgive that laundromat in Kyrgyzstan that vanished my Land Mine Museum shirt from Cambodia.

Washing Machines: Of Hummers and Minis

When we’re traveling and we happen upon a guest house or apartment that features a washing machine (I use that word “features” rather deliberately), Audrey reacts like she’s won the lottery. Her eyes light up similarly to the sight of artichokes and avocados.

Here’s the scoop: European homes favor small washers, American ones big washers. No surprise there, but the difference is like that between a Mini Cooper and a Hummer.

American washers are so large I’m certain Audrey and I could live in one if it came to that. (It just may one day.)

But here’s the curious thing about European wash cycles: they go forever. Not sure what’s going on in those small machines, but I’d like to think our clothes come out all the cleaner for it.

European washers are also curious because they usually offer a built-in drying function in the same machine. Not a gas dryer, but an electric dryer without an exhaust. It’s akin to roasting your clothes in a convection oven. When we lived in Prague, we had one. We called it the clothes cooker. Clothes never quite dried. They were warmed, like a pre-dinner face towel at a fine sushi bar.

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And when you have neither a large washer or small, you get lazy and wait until your clothes are about to walk out the door on their own in protest of their own stink. Then you go next door only to find that they don’t accept underwear. And finally, you go to the sink, whip out that dark blue bar of soap, throw on some tunes and scrub away.

Wax on. Wax off.

Ommm.

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What’s your best piece of laundry kung fu?

Possibly Related Articles:

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Originally posted on the Uncornered Market travel blog. Find beautiful travel photos from around the world. | 37 comments

More than five weeks in Bangladesh? Is there really enough to do there?

– A typical response when we shared our Bangladesh travel plans.

Let’s face it. Reliable independent travel information about Bangladesh doesn’t flow quite as freely as it does for some other nearby countries in Asia.

And even when you get in country, information can be hard to come by: ask five people a question and you’re likely to get ten answers.

But persevere and show your curiosity and you’ll find that Bangladesh actually offers more diversity in sights and experiences that you might first expect, from UNESCO pre-Moghul mosques to cycling through tea estates to tracking tigers in mangrove forests. But perhaps more distinct are the human interactions that make visiting Bangladesh such a unique experience.

A dye-drenched rickshaw driver in Dhaka after a wrong turn during the Hindu celebration of Holi.

Next time you wonder what there is to do and see in Bangladesh, take a look at the list below for inspiration. Seek it out, understand that things don’t always go as planned, and enjoy the journey.

Cox’s Bazar Spoiler: We’re prepared for flak from Bangladeshis regarding the fact that Cox’s Bazar does not appear on our list. Cox’s Bazar, home of the longest continuous stretch of beach in the world didn’t make the cut during our visit. We’d spent plenty of time on beaches in Thailand before visiting Bangladesh, and frankly we were having too much fun in the Bangladesh countryside to up and make our way to the beach.

Make your way to old town Dhaka (Puran Dhaka) and Shakari Bazaar for interaction with some of the friendliest and most energetic people in the world. Go early in the morning or on a holiday so that you have a chance to see it all and engage with the crowds before things become too hot or busy. Take a rickshaw ride through the narrow old town streets. Wild, fun, human. Our favorite part of Dhaka by far.

A quiet day in Old Dhaka (Puran Dhaka)

Also recommended is the walking tour of old Dhaka by the Urban Study Group working to protect Dhaka’s historical buildings (ask for Taimur). Our tour happened to coincide with the Hindu holiday of Holi so our walks through the Hindu parts of town were in full festival and color mode. A fulfilling, educational experience all around.

Kids in full color during the Hindu holiday of Holi.

The easiest way to get to the old town is by CNG (compressed natural gas auto rickshaw ) – ask to use the meter. Traffic in Dhaka is horrible, so plan your way around the city wisely or risk spending hours stuck in traffic that may leave you never wanting to exit your hotel again.

Other things to see in Dhaka: hiring a boat at Sadar Ghat boat terminal, Khan Md Mirdha Mosque and Lalbagh Fort, Louis Khan’s Bangladesh parliament building and government complex.
More photos: Dhaka Photo Essay

While the rocket steamer may not be one of the fastest ways to travel, but it is one of the most pleasant. Bangladesh is a country of rivers; you have to travel them to get a feel for the country. The Rocket Steamer is a great way to do this.

The Rocket Steamer: an ironic name for this slow-moving boat.

Although we’re usually cheapskates when it comes to transport, we do recommend splurging for an overnight first class cabin (around $25 total for the two of us). On the route from Dhaka to Khulna, this allowed us access to the front of the boat along with a handful – as opposed to hundreds – of other people. Pull up a chair outside and watch Dhaka disappear in the rear view as the river opens wide with fishermen, villages and the occasional brickfield (brick-making operation). We will never forget drinking tea after sunset on the front deck as we exited Dhaka’s orbit and made our way into wider, more silent waterways. Epic and soothing.

Life on the river, as we make our way to southern Bangladesh.

Because water levels were low, we chose to exit the boat at Pirojpur. From there, we took a bus the remainder of the way to Khulna (about 2 hours). In Khulna, we met up with our Sundarban tour boat the following day.

A note on safety: You might be asking, “Is it really safe to take a boat in Bangladesh? I keep hearing reports of boats sinking.” The Rocket Steamer does indeed have a good safety record. However, be aware that other public river ferry transport options may not be as safe due to overcrowding and spotty maintenance.

The scene on shore at Dhaka’s Sadarghat.

Buying tickets: The Rocket Steamer departs around 6 PM from Sadarghat in old Dhaka. Although touts may suggest otherwise, you cannot buy tickets for the Rocket Steamer at Sadarghat in Dhaka. We advise going directly to the BIWTC (Bangladesh Inland Water Transport) office at 5 Dilkusha. Call ahead to confirm that boats are running. Schedules are subject to change based on water levels and repairs: +88-02-9559779. You can also buy Rocket Steamer tickets through local travel agent for a fee that will include a commission.
More Photos: Rocket Steamer from Dhaka

The Sundarbans, the largest tidal mangrove forests in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a big attraction in Bangladesh. A Sundarbans tour is usually among the first items on a visitor’s Bangladesh travel itinerary. The Sundarbans feature mangrove forests, visits to the Bay of Bengal, and an often unsuccessful search for tigers.

Fresh tiger print in the mud. Found on one of our treks through the Sundarbans.

Most journeys to the Sundarbans depart from Khulna and travel south and east along various rivers and streams towards the Bay of Bengal. Within a few hours of leaving Khulna, industry, towns, fishermen and villages fade in favor of virtually uninhabited mangrove forests. Birds, deer, crocodiles, and wild boar become your new companions. Oh, and tigers — whether or not you get a chance to see them, they will likely see you.

Sundarban tours include a few landings to walk through the thick mud of the mangrove forests in search of the shy Bengal tiger. Although it’s unlikely you’ll actually see a tiger (there’s an estimated 400 of them remaining in this vast land mass), this is still a recommended trip to get yourself into the middle mangrove forests, see some different animals, and just enjoy nature and its silence.

Sunrise in the Sundarbans

Booking a Sundarbans Tour: We went with Bengal Tours. The boat, food, and staff were all great. A standard tour for two nights/three days is around $150. If we had known in advance, we would have better timed our visit to coincide with the honey harvest season (April) and booked a “honey-hunting tour.” Honey-hunting tiger tours run at the very end of the Sundarbans tour season, as the dry season becomes full-blown. This special tour follows villagers in the northwest reaches of the Sundarbans and includes as they harvest honey, a rather dangerous undertaking because of the apparent relative profusion of curious tigers in the area.

The Guide Tours also runs Sundarbans tours. Although we didn’t travel with them, one of our close friends did and he recommended them.
Rupantar Eco-Tourism, was also recommended to us, but there were no tours running at the time of our visit.
More Photos: Sundarbans Photos

If you’re a “find the most obscurse UNESCO sites” type of person, then Shait Gumbad Mosque (60-Domed Mosque) is definitely for you. The mosque’s interior is impressive with its dozens of columns, pre-Moghul architecture, and faded wall decor wiped out by heavy-handed plastering. However, what we enjoyed most was that the mosque is not a museum, but is still actively used by the local community. Like all their Bangladeshi countrymen and women, they are a curious and friendly lot and will pay you oodles of attention, as this site currently does not get many foreign visitors.

Fisheye view of the interior of the Sixty-Domed Mosque

If you have more time, take a rickshaw to Khan Jahan Ali Mazar where you’ll find a pond full of well-fed crocodiles and the Nine-Domed Mosque a short walk away. Keep an eye out for this friendly Imam who will take you around the 15th century building.

Join the kids for a game of cricket at the Nine-Domed Mosque

There isn’t really a place to sleep here, so visiting Bagerhat is best done as a day trip from Khulna. For a taste of beautiful peaceful brick-lined village lanes, a visit here is an absolute must.
Khulna Hotel: We enjoyed staying at Hotel Jalico on #77 Lower Jessore Road. Around $14 for a double room with A/C, including breakfast served in your room. Request a local breakfast – the “western breakfast” includes soggy eggs and toast.
Related article: Panorama of the Week: Sixty Dome Mosque, UNESCO in Bangladesh
More Photos: Bagerhat Photos

Take the early morning train from Khulna to Rajshahi for one of the most pleasant rides in the country through villages and rice fields. Besides offering an absolutely beautiful journey, this train seems to run on time. Purchasing a ticket at the Khulna train station is fairly easy. Foreigners will likely be directed around the back of the building to make their visit even easier. 1st class cabin tickets run about $3-$4/piece. Among the world’s greatest train ticket values.

Views from the train trip from Khulna to Rajshahi

At dusk, go down to the Ganges/Patma river front: kids play cricket, families gather around food carts, and boats carry people back and forth towards the Indian border. You’ll soon be surrounded by Rajshahi’s students; curious, outgoing, and sporting good English. A good sign if these are the future leaders of their country.

Nearby Puthia is worth a stop to walk around, see the Hindu temples, and chat with the temple caretakers and other locals. You can see the town’s former prominence in the Hindu Temples and Palace. We particularly enjoyed the Govinda Temple with its exterior of carved terracotta tiles.

Govinda Hindu Temple in Puthia
Note that the representative from the Puthia archeological association can be a bit overbearing and ultimately hijack your visit and your sanity, so be firm in expressing your wishes.

More reading: Dollywood Rickshaw Art in Bangladesh
More Photos: Rajshahi and Puthia Photos

Another UNESCO World Heritage site in Bangladesh: the 8th century Paharpur Monastery in northwestern Bangladesh is one of the largest Buddhist monasteries south of the Himalayas. Today, much of the site is in ruins but it’s still worth a visit. Fascinating to imagine how this university-style “dorms” where Buddhism and Buddhist monks thrived for several centuries under in what was once Buddhist Bangladesh.

Paharpur Buddhist Monastery

If you visit Paharpur, we recommend spending the night in Joypurhat and taking an electric or auto rickshaw to the the site.
Paharpur Hotel: We stayed in a great guest room at an NGO called DMSS for around $11/double room. Our host, Aburpa, was wonderful and the money from your stay goes to support DMSS’ work with indigenous people in the region. He can also arrange a rickshaw to the ruins. Contact the organization in advance to see if they have availability. A great place to stay.
More Photos: Paharpur Buddhist Monastery

Bangladesh’s cities are busy, harried and full of people, traffic and commotion. From our perspective, an absolute must in Bangladesh: spending time in rural Bangladesh to get a completely different perspective. One of the highlights of our trip was a two-day village homestay in the village of Hatiandha outside of the city of Natore.

Bangladeshi kids, everywhere in the village.

In the village, we stayed with a local family for two nights and enjoyed delicious home-cooked Bangladeshi food. We also had an opportunity to visit rural schools, walk around the village and fields to learn about agriculture, see a pottery village, various aspects of harvesting, puffing rice with hot sand and enjoying the pace of Bangladesh village life.

Arranging a Bangladesh home stay: The home stay program we used is a new initiative from Eco Connexion, the rural tourism arm of the NGO ESDO.
More Reading: Bangladesh Village Homestay: Becoming One of the Family
More Photos: Bangladesh Village Homestay

From our perspectives, another must see during a visit to Bangladesh. The aim: to get out of town and enjoy the countryside; tea estates, ethnic villages, national parks, lakes and greenery. You can hire a car, or as we did, rent bicycles and cycle your way through the teaberry flavored air of tea plantations, take up a local or two on their invitation for tea (or a birthday party). Go, enjoy the outdoors and let your days unfold by themselves.

Cycling through tea estates from Srimongal to Madhabpur Lake and back.

Our suggestion: rent bikes and head out to Madhabpur Lake, not so much to see the actual lake but for the adventure on the way there and back. Beautiful scenery, villages and people. The fragrance of tea bushes in the fresh air of early morning is like nothing you’ll experience in life.

The tea gardens surrounding Srimongal are remnants from the British Empire; workers were brought from other parts of the country and also from India. Today, this area is home to several different ethnic groups. Although working conditions are exceptionally difficult for the tea pickers, we found them incredibly friendly and welcoming.

Friendly tea picker at Finlay Tea Estates near Srimongal

It’s possible to arrange visits to indigenous Garo, Manipuri, and Khashia villages. Our suggestion is to go with a guide who is from that indigenous group and village so that you have a more personal experience. You can contact Nishorgo or Community EcoTour to arrange village visits. Don’t miss a visit to Nilkantha for a taste of 7-layer tea. There’s also an unassuming stand that serves up puchka. Makes for a perfect late-afternoon snack.

To rent bikes, contact Sablu at Classic Tours and Travels in Srimongal. He’s a really nice guy who can arrange other tours. He also knows where to find a get a good shave.

More Reading: The Destination Is Everything, The Destination Is Nothing
More Photos: Srimongal Tea Estates, Villages, Makets and Bike Ride

This little sliver of land in the southeastern corner of the country can be a bit tricky to get to, but it’s all worth the effort. More than a dozen ethnic groups share this region; it’s like a journey through Southeast and South Asia in one swoop.

A group of girls in Rangamati show the diversity of the region

Try to plan your visit around the weekly market in Bandarban and Rangamati on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Also highly recommended is hiring a guide for half a day in Bandarban to go through villages and take a boat ride down Shangu river. We arranged for this through Guide Tours Bandarban Hill Resort (about $8-$10) and it was a fantastic experience. Our guide, Royel, was a Baum man from the surrounding villages and knew everyone, everything.

Our visit to Rangamati overlapped with both local Buddhist water festival and Bangla new years; we were adopted by a local Chakma man and visited about ten groups of family and friends, each with outrageous amounts of rice wine and food. Let’s just say we didn’t do a lot more than that during our two days there.

Permits to CHT: It’s necessary to get a permit to enter the CHT. Most travel agents or hotels can arrange this for you for free or for a small fee. They will submit your passport details to the authorities so that your name appears on an approved list.

Bandarban Hotel: We stayed at Hotel Purbani on the main road in Bandarban town. Around $8 for a double room (fan) with some of the most attentive staff in the world. To enjoy the hills and countryside outside of town, take a look at the Bandarban Hillside Resort run by Guide Tours. We hired a guide from here and the facilities looked nice.

Rangamati Hotel: Banarupa Tourists Inn is on the outskirts of town. We were there during a big holiday, so rooms were hard to find. A double room cost around $18-$20.

More reading: Panorama of the Week: Buddhism in Bangladesh
More Photos: Chittagong Hill Tracts – Bandarban and Rangamati

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Of course, there is much more to do in Bangladesh than what is on this list. Our aim is to provide you a starting point to inspire your thinking, planning, and preparation for Bangladesh. Independent travel in Bangladesh is intense, so be sure to plan in enough down time; try to get out of the big cities. Once you do, you are sure to set yourself up for some unforgettably unique experiences.

And if you’re interested in more information on travel to Bangladesh, be sure to listen to our Bangladesh podcast interview with Chris Christensen from the Amateur Traveler.

Amateur Traveler Episode 309 – Travel to Bangladesh

Best of Bangladesh Photo Slideshow

If you don’t have a high-speed connection or want to read the captions, you can view the Best of Bangladesh Photo Essay.

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Originally posted on the Uncornered Market travel blog. Find beautiful travel photos from around the world. | 13 comments

Really.

As I assembled photos and descriptions for our recent 2011 travel round-up post, I kept getting distracted. Perhaps unsurprisingly for those who know me, food was the culprit. I was continually drawn back to memories of unforgettable meals from each country — memories not only of the taste, but to the time, the place, the people.

When I considered these experiences, a few instructive themes emerged.

So what were some of those great meals in 2011? And perhaps more importantly, what can we learn from them to take with us into 2012?

Let’s dig in!

Amari Valley, Crete: Go Local

“There’s no menu here. The grandmother just cooks what is fresh on the farm – either recently harvested or recently slaughtered,” our guide offered as we entered a simple mountain village kitchen-cum-restaurant in the Amari Valley on the Greek island of Crete.

Over the course of the next two days, Grandma Kaliope (pictured above) took us on a tour of Cretan mountain cuisine: snails in crushed tomato and garlic sauce, rabbit with artichoke hearts, sheep-stewed Cretan rice, sweet potato fritters and a constellation of small plates too vast to enumerate. Grandma knew how to combine fresh ingredients just so – each played a role, everything had its place.

Cretan snails. Eat them and you’ll get Cretan mountain cred.

Lesson learned: Simplicity and freshness are a powerful combination. You can taste each ingredient to its fullest flavor. What is needed for the dish is there; nothing extraneous needed. An apt lesson for looking at life ingredients.

Istanbul, Turkey: Don’t Judge a Book By Its Cover

Çiğ köfte is raw meat (beef or lamb) mixed with bulgur, tomato and pepper pastes, herbs and spices. Our first taste of it was in Berlin, where it was hand-pressed into something that can best be described as turd-like, then tucked into a lettuce leaf. But it wasn’t until we arrived in the Tophane neighborhood of Istanbul this fall that our love affair with this Turkish snack food really began. It may not look like much when you first see it as a large mound, it may look even less appetizing when it’s spread across durum flatbread, and even less delightful still when hand-pressed into a brown plug. But if it’s done well, it can taste of amazing.

Çiğ köfte smeared onto durumflatbread with greens in waiting. Dazzling.

Lesson learned: Just because something looks like sh*t doesn’t mean it tastes like it. At life’s door, consider leaving the pre-conceived notions.

Tanzania: Manage Your Expectations, Find Pleasant Surprises

When we planned our trip to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and to go on safari, we didn’t expect the food to be a trip highlight. And for the most part, it was not. But one meal in particular stood out as exceptional — a veritable Tanzanian lunchtime feast served in Mto wa Mbu near Lake Manyara.

The flavors of our Tanzanian feast seemed to match the locally available vegetables and meat just nicely. Indian-influenced banana curry and pilau worked well with beef stew, spinach and the local Tanzanian-style polenta called ugali.

Tanzanian lunch, from start to finish.

Lesson: Manage your expectations, and your delight and disappointment just might find better balance.

Koh Samui, Thailand: Keep Digging, Experimenting

Thai food continues to be one of our all time favorite world cuisines. And we have a list of familiar dishes we just adore. But when we stayed on the island of Koh Samui at the beginning of last year, a friend pushed us to order something random with each new food outing. And with that push, we discovered even greater dimensions of Thai food deliciousness.

Our new favorite? Pla goong – a raw shrimp salad cooked with the heat of lime juice and tossed with lemongrass slices, kaffir lime leaves, and chili peppers. Like a New Year’s Eve party in your mouth. Terrifically fresh.

Lesson: So even if you have favorites, take a risk. Try something different. Pepper your selections with something new, something fresh. This approach can keep you on your toes and remind you that new favorites can only be discovered when you stray from your routine.

Azraq, Jordan: You Don’t Need to Be Fancy to Be Good

After our travels through Jordan, one of our friends at the Jordan Tourism Board asked us about our favorite meal in the country. We’d eaten in so many terrific restaurants and 5-star hotels in Jordan, but I offered a shocking response: a family meal at a home on the edge of the desert in the town of Azraq. Not only was the quality of the food top notch and the dishes unique, but the experience of eating in a Jordanian home firmly seated the experience in my permanent memory.

Click on the photo for an interactive image with all the names and descriptions of dishes.

Lesson: It doesn’t have to be fancy to be good. Family style, small plate eating: especially when you are attempting to get to know a cuisine, this is where it’s at.

Bangladesh: What Tools Do You Really Need?

Not only did the Bangladeshi food served to us during our village homestay turn out to be the best in the whole country, but I was humbled by how our host mother was able to churn out such vast quantities of quality food from a simple wood-fired kitchen dug into the mud. She also did absolutely everything by hand.

Imagine what this woman could do with a Viking stove.

Lesson: You don’t need a fancy kitchen to cook kick ass food. A simple pot or pan, a fire, some fresh ingredients and a little bit of love (don’t forget that) is about all you really need.

Makes me wonder what stuff we really need to make a kick-ass life.

Bali: Take a Cooking Class

It’s heartbreaking to witness how booming tourism can take its toll, even on the local cuisine. Bali was one such example where tourist traffic begat cuisine dilution. Many restaurants seemed to serve watered down versions of local dishes or altogether non-local Asian hybrid food just because it was cheap and easy. We were about to give up on Balinese cuisine when we decided to take a Balinese cooking class. Our opinion of and respect for Balinese food changed completely.

Seared tuna with “raw” sambal.

Lesson: Cooking classes offer one of the best routes to a basic understanding of the fundamentals of a cuisine. Same thing goes in life. It’s one thing to read about something, it’s another to get hands on and do it yourself.

Berlin: Seize Your Curiosity, Now

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you’ll know we have a love affair with Berlin and its ever-improving food scene. After riding our bikes around our neighborhood of Neukölln for a week, Dan kept noticing a Lebanese hole-in-the-wall cafe that witnessed a constant stream of people coming in and out.

We were intrigued, so we stopped in for lunch one day and and promptly fell in love with the place.

Not only did Azzam serve up fantastic Lebanese food with some of the best hummus and falafel around, but it also featured some unusual yet traditional dishes such as msabaha, a whole chickpea dip, and manaeesh, za’atar and cheese-topped breads. No wonder the Middle Eastern community came in droves.

And we joined them, all summer long.

Msabaha, a warm variation of your standard hummus.

Lesson: Follow your curiosity. Don’t put it off. Just do it. Now.

Tabriz, Iran: If You Want to Break the Ice, Break Bread

After two weeks of a heavy kebab diet in Iran, we were desperately craving vegetables. So when our guide invited us to his home for dinner, he smiled, “Don’t worry, my wife will cook. No kebabs.”

And his wife did not disappoint: vegetable soup and stuffed pepper and quince dolmas with just the perfect spice combination of cinnamon and cumin.

Perhaps even more crucial to our overall experience in Iran: as the meal progressed, the initial formality of meeting new people (we were introduced to the immediate family and their cousins) washed away as everyone sat together on the ground, sharing food and sharing of themselves. As the conversation continued, it moved from food to every other dimension of life in Iran.

Lesson: Food is the great leveler. Sharing meals is a way to break down barriers, build trust and develop friendships.

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So food, the pathway to the stomach, the pathway to the psyche. And food: where simplicity, curiosity and humanity can all find a home. Where great meals are more than just about the food you eat, but about the journey — the people, the experience, the memory and the places firm and far — and what it can teach you about life.

What are some of your greatest meals? And what lessons have they taught you?

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• Persepolis: Ancient Persia, Modern Lessons

Originally posted on the Uncornered Market travel blog. Find beautiful travel photos from around the world. | 8 comments

Caught up in Holi celebrations in old Dhaka, Bangladesh

When we began 2011 we could not have even imagined where this year would take us. Not only has 2011 been a year of activity and reflection, but it has also been a year of many firsts.

Having never visited the Middle East, we traveled through three countries (Jordan, Iran and Egypt) this year. Having dreamed of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for over a decade, we made it to the top. Having regretted skipping Bangladesh on our previous trip through South Asia several years ago, we promised ourselves to return and visit this little known country; this year we did. And when we were invited to speak at a tourism conference in Egypt at the end of the year, we decided this was the right time to begin sharing our knowledge of the tourism industry while taking the opportunity to see a few pyramids along the way.

So without further ado, here’s a look back at 2011 and all the people and places we were able to experience and learn from.

We began this year on Koh Samui, an island in the Gulf of Thailand known more for its resorts and partying than a peaceful retreat. But we found a little beach house to get the year going with a view. Not a bad way to begin.

Our maiden journey to the Middle East began with Jordan. While the big sights on our trip included Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea, our hearts were touched by learning about Bedouin culture and Zikra Initiative’s tourism exchange program.

More Photos: Best of Jordan Photos, People of Jordan and Jordanian Food

We met a grand total of five tourists in almost six weeks in Bangladesh. If you want a place that’s “off the beaten track,” it’s hard to beat Bangladesh. And the people – all 150 million of them in the size of the state of Wisconsin – will be thrilled to meet you, take your photo with their mobile phones and ask many, many questions. It’s intense, crazy and wonderful all at the same time.

More Photos: Best Of Bangladesh, Bangladeshi People, and Bangladeshi Food

We went to Bali to catch our breath, relax and do a bit of yoga, but found ourselves scuba diving, climbing volcanoes and taking cooking classes before too long. While we enjoyed our few weeks on Bali, we realize we need to return with A LOT of time to explore the rest of Indonesia.

Sunrise at the top of Mount Batur, Bali

More Photos: Bali Travel Photos and Bali Food

Tanzania marked Dan’s first visit to Africa and also his seventh continent. More importantly, we had an opportunity to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, a shared dream of ours for over a decade. The journey to the summit was physical, emotional and epic, even more so since everyone in our group made it to the top.

Our travels in Tanzania continued with a safari through the Serengeti, Lake Manyara and NgoroNgoro Crater where we couldn’t believe our luck (or more like, our guide’s and driver’s skills) at finding the big cats–cheetahs, lions, and even a leopard.

More Photos: Tanzania Travel Highlights, Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and Tanzania Safari

This was not our first visit to Berlin, but it was the first time we had stayed in one place for more than three months since we began this journey around the world. We so enjoyed catching up with old friends, making new ones and exploring more of this city we love.

Dan hangs at 37-stories above Alexander Platz, waiting for his base flying jump to begin.

As for more firsts, we did base flying from the top of a 37-story building for our 11th wedding anniversary, went to the Dachshund races, felt the delightful burn of hot sauce tasting and learned more about Berlin’s changing and eclectic food scene.

More Photos: Berlin photos and Berlin Cheap Eats

We visited Crete during an interesting time as demonstrations were full on in Athens. However, life on Crete carried on much as it always had on this southern Greek island. From ancient Minoan cities to Venetian ports to endless mountain terrain, Crete pleasantly surprised us by what it had to offer to the independent traveler (we’ll be writing more on this soon!). But what really won our hearts on Crete was the food – fresh, full of fragrance and just hearty goodness (more coming on this soon, too!).

This had been a dream destination of ours for years, but we finally found the right opportunity this year to actually make a trip to Iran happen. What we found on the ground regarding the reception from and warmth of Iranian people shattered stereotypes and helped us understand better their challenges. Not to mention, we were stunned by the depth of Iran’s history and ancient sights like Persepolis and dazzled by Iran’s Islamic architecture and design like the sort you see in the photo below. What a trip.

Our trip to Egypt at the end of the year was not only our first time visiting this country, but our first experience speaking about blogging and what we do at a tourism industry conference. What we learned: we would like to do more of each.

Although our time in Egypt was short, we still managed to visit three different pyramid sites, stroll down the streets of old Alexandria and visit Coptic (Old) Cairo and other sites in a city that’s currently all over the news. Safety, perhaps surprisingly to many, was a non-issue. We also know that our Egypt experience is just a drop in the bucket for this huge country, so we look forward to returning and seeing more.

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We’d like to give a huge thank you to all our readers and friends who have supported us and joined along in on our travels throughout the year. We look forward to continuing to sharing our journey with you in 2012, and we wish you all the best for a peaceful, fruitful new year!

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2011 Travel in Photos

If you don’t have a high-speed connection or want to read the captions, you can view the Best of 2011 Travel photo set.

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Originally posted on the Uncornered Market travel blog. Find beautiful travel photos from around the world. | 30 comments

You guys are the Perception Busters.

– A comment on our Facebook page in response to our arrival in Cairo earlier this week. And a label we’re happy to embrace.

Egyptian man on the streets of Alexandria, Egypt.

If you’ve been following us on Facebook or Twitter recently, you’re probably aware that we’ve been in Egypt this past week.

Egypt? But isn’t it unsafe now?

When we shared with our friends and readers that we were headed to Egypt, we could understand their fear. After all, recent news has been full to overflowing with images — protesters and demonstrations, violence and crackdowns — pouring in from Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Based on that newsreel alone, you might be inclined to think that all of Cairo — and perhaps the whole of Egypt — is under attack and up in flames.

We’d like to offer an alternative story, straight from our experience on the streets, straight from the people we met during our first days in Egypt. We offer this not to refute the violence that has ensued on Tahrir Square, but to suggest that it’s not the only thing happening in Egypt right now, that life carries on for many in rather ordinary ways, and that visitors like us are genuinely welcomed with curiosity and warmth.

So while some people imagine we might be dodging bullets, we’re actually dodging people approaching us and giving us rounds of freshly-made bread on the street.

The Egyptians we met weren’t only warm, they were downright kind. They also wanted to ensure we were safe. “Egypt is safe for you. Just stay away from Tahrir Square,” some would say in response to our visit. But they’d finish with “Welcome to Egypt. Have a nice time.” And these weren’t people anywhere near the tourist sites, but people we happened to meet in the old town of Alexandria.

Here are just a few of their faces.

An Egyptian man takes a hookah (water pipe) break at an Alexandria cafe.

Vegetable vendor with smiling eyes on the streets near Alexandria’s catacombs.

Egyptian boy on a family flat bread run.

Friendly banter with this Egyptian man in old Alexandria.

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Originally posted on the Uncornered Market travel blog. Find beautiful travel photos from around the world. | 13 comments

Are American citizens legally allowed to visit Iran?

It’s a common belief that Iran holds the same status as Cuba for American citizens (i.e., that it’s illegal to visit without special permission from the U.S. government). Although the United States has imposed sanctions against Iran, there are currently no restrictions on American citizens visiting Iran as tourists. Currently, about 1,000-1,500 Americans visit Iran each year.

Audrey enjoys a peaceful moment at the Pink Mosque in Shiraz, Iran.

Can Americans travel independently in Iran?

The Iranian government requires that all American tourists travel with a private guide or group tour. Your Iranian guide will be specially authorized to guide American citizens and should be aware of any relevant Iranian government regulations.

If you happen to be independent travelers like us, don’t be deterred by this requirement. We experienced both a group tour and a private guide in Iran. In both circumstances, we still had ample time to explore, walk the streets and browse the bazaars (markets) on our own. We made connections with ordinary people, we ate street food and we were even fortunate enough to accept a couple invitations to people’s homes.

How does an American citizen obtain an Iranian tourist visa?

Obtaining an Iranian visa is roughly a two-step process: 1) a travel authorization number from the Iranian Ministry of Foreign affairs, and 2) the actual tourist visa issued by an Iranian consulate.

The tour company you work with will help you with the paperwork you need for your visa. All you need to do is fill out an application form, inform them of the Iranian consulate where you’ll pick up the visa, then summon some patience.

The difficult part of the process is the authorization number; this usually takes 30-40 business days for American citizens. Once you have that number, getting your visa from the Iranian consulate is almost a sure thing (2-3 days).

Dan, content with his newly acquired Iranian tourist visa.

Our advice is to get the visa process started as early as you can so that you don’t have a heart attack waiting for your visa to arrive on the same morning as your flight (true story from a member of our tour group).

But there is no Iranian Embassy in the United States. How will I get my visa?

Although Iran doesn’t have an official embassy in Washington, DC, there is an Iranian “interest section” at the Pakistan Embassy that handles Iranian visa requests. If you don’t live in the DC area, you’ll need to send your passport, application form and passport photos by mail (e.g., DHL, FedEx, etc.) with a prepaid return envelope.

Or, if you’re traveling like us, you can pick up your visa at an Iranian consulate abroad. You just need to specify which consulate location when you apply for the authorization number. We collected our Iranian tourist visa in Istanbul, Turkey. The process was relatively easy and painless. We highly recommend it. Just leave a few days cushion if you can and make sure you show up promptly at the time stamped on your visa application receipt. The cost was €70 for a 20-day Iranian tourist visa.

As an American, how will Iranians treat me?

Iranian people were often shocked to discover that we were American and that we were able to get a visa to their country. Once this fact set in, they often went over the top in welcoming us — everything from cordial greetings, to smiles, hugs, gifts and invitations to homes — especially when our guide was out of sight. We joke that it’s the closest we’ve felt to being rock stars.

Iran: Group Tour or Private Guide?

Whether you choose to travel Iran on a group tour or with a private guide will likely boil down to cost and travel style.

We traveled on a group tour for two weeks, then concluded with a private guide for a third week. We enjoyed both experiences, but each comes with its own benefits and potential drawbacks.

One of the things we loved about our G Adventures tour was our group. There were seven of us – four from the United States, two from Australia and one from Denmark –and we all hit it off immediately.

Our G Adventures group adopted by some Iranian university students in Esfahan

During our private tour, we had a bit more freedom to determine the itinerary and schedule. However, having a private guide (possibly with you at all times, depending on the guide’s style and adherence to the rules) can be intense, and at times almost stifling.

Regardless, in both circumstances it’s best to continually express your wishes and find creative ways to help facilitate your guide in meeting those wishes.

Keep in mind: the Iranian tour company who sponsors your visa is technically responsible for you during your entire stay in Iran. As a result, you can’t really mix and match tour companies in assembling your itinerary.

Did you ever have problems with Iranian authorities? Were you ever tracked or followed during your trip?

We encountered only one incident in three weeks where a uniformed guy with a gun followed us for a bit through a market and asked to see our passports. Our Iranian guide yelled at him and told him that he had no right to ask for our papers. The guard backed down and left us alone, but our guide insisted on calling him an “uneducated donkey” as we walked away. As unsettling as the episode was at first, it eventually made us laugh and left us with a good story.

It’s impossible for us to know whether or not we were being tracked, but it certainly didn’t feel like it. We walked the streets and engaged with local people. It all felt very safe and normal; we were never concerned for our personal safety.

What should I expect in terms of immigration and security entering and exiting Iran?

For us and everyone else in our tour group, entry into Iran was a non-event. We were fingerprinted on our way into the country at the Tehran airport, but we did not experience exceptional scrutiny of our camera and travel equipment.

Upon exiting Iran into Turkey (via the train from Tabriz to Istanbul), Iranian passport control was similarly uneventful. Iranian border officials aboard our train were jovial and interested in what we saw, where we went and how our experience was.

Our non-traditional exit from Iran, the midnight express from Tehran to Istanbul

What should I expect in terms of immigrations and customs upon re-entry into the U.S. after a visit to Iran?

Stories circulating from other American visitors to Iran indicate that experiences vary. Again, ours was a non-event. We listed Iran on our inbound immigrations and customs form and the Homeland Security agent said, “Iran. I have to ask.” We explained that we are travel bloggers and photographers. He asked where we went, mentioned that he’d seen a show about Iran on the Travel Channel and we were on our way.

Going through U.S. customs was similarly uneventful. Agents waved us on without asking us to open our bags.

What about American sanctions? Can I buy Iranian souvenirs?

Americans are technically only allowed to bring $100 of Iranian goods per person into the U.S.

Does that mean you need to restrict your shopping? Well, not really. It’s up to you. Many businesses offer special receipts with “adjusted” amounts that are a bit lower than what was actually paid.

Shopping inside the old bazaar in Shiraz.

Iranian carpets are also subject to U.S. sanctions as well. So if your heart is set on a Persian carpet, you may want to find a shop that has a presence or partner in Dubai (or elsewhere in the Middle East) so that they can ship the carpet to you from their partner location.

Can I get money out of ATM machines in Iran? Can I use credit cards in Iran?

Iranian banks are also subject to international sanctions. So although Iran is full of banks and ATM machines, you won’t be able to get money out at any of them with your ATM card. So cash is the name of the game. Come armed with U.S. dollars (or Euros) and exchange them in major cities at currency exchange outlets where exchange rates are 20% higher than in Iranian banks.

Don’t count on using your credit card. Only some of the more sophisticated Iranian souvenir and carpet shops will accept credit cards and route transactions through a partner business in Dubai or elsewhere in the Middle East.

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Have other questions about traveling to Iran? Let us know in the comments.

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Originally posted on the Uncornered Market travel blog. Find beautiful travel photos from around the world. | 52 comments

When I first entered Persepolis through the Gate of All Nations, I was struck by the scale of it all – the statues, the columns, the great stone. I tried to imagine the process of transporting the raw materials to this place, constructing the city and palace, and fashioning it all without the mechanical means we have today.

The Gate of All Nations.

But more than this, I was struck by Persepolis’ detailed carvings and the stories they told. In them, I felt like I really began to understand the greatness of ancient Persia.

And I also got the sense that ancient Persians were onto something in pursuit of an ideal that still eludes us today.

Persian soldiers in stone.

Reliefs: Persepolis, A Multicultural Empire

We turned a corner to face the grand staircase that led to Apadana Palace. My eyes first took in a large wall of reliefs depicting rows of people lined up. Our guide’s voice trailed in the background, “This relief shows members from the 23 subject states of the Achaemenid Empire bringing gifts from home to the King of Kings.”

Persepolis eastern staircase, all 23 subject nations represented.

Like a camera lens, my eyes began to focus on stone-carved details — hair, faces, beards, hats, and clothes, gifts carried in hands. That you could still make out every curl in a beard, eyelash on a camel and softened skin of soldiers holding hands — 2,500 years later – struck me as truly spectacular.

The Lydian delegation (from today’s western Turkey) bring vase-like phials, likely filled with gold.

“These men are Armenians. They bring wine,” explained our guide, Javad, as he pulled up to where I decided to focus my attention.

My mind wandered to our own visit to Armenia four years prior, conversations with Armenian friends about the country’s long tradition of winemaking coming back to me.

I smiled at the story, this ancient proof.

Javad moved on, “These are the Ethiopians. You can tell by their hair and their faces. Ethiopia was the most distant subject nation. Notice how the Median and Persian soldiers lead them by their hands, showing friendship.”

And it went on like this, through the citizens of each member nation — Egyptians, Assyrians, Indians, Tajiks, and so on. Each was easily identifiable, their physical appearance and cultural trappings preserved in stone from 500 B.C.

Bactrians (from today’s northern Afghanistan) bring gifts of camels — bactrian camels, of course).

These carvings were over 2500 years old, yet I could still find similarities between the nations represented and today’s modern relatives.

It was the whole of these details that to me seemed to define the character of the Achaemenid Empire: a multi-ethnic ancient empire built on respecting – if not maintaining — the diversity of many cultures amidst a unifying loyalty to one king.

Persian and Median soldiers holding hands, leading the way to the king.

A wall of all nations had captured this ideal in stone for the rest of us to consider. As I walked the length of it, I remembered conversations with Iranians we’d met on the streets. A common conversation theme reflected the influence of the promise of ancient Persia on the Iranian psyche of today: “We used to have a great culture, a great civilization.”

Cyrus the Great’s Human Rights Charter

While it was Darius the Great who built this palace at Persepolis, it was his father – Cyrus the Great – who attempted to set the foundation of mutual respect within the Achaemenid Empire. In his Babylon Cylinder (539 B.C.), Cyrus put forth some of the first recorded mentions of human rights, an expression of tolerance, and of religious, linguistic and racial equality across the empire.

History tells us that great civilizations have come and gone, risen and fallen, ascended and crumbled. The pity of the great Persian empire — 23 nations under one roof and the nascent echoes of human rights — was that a great man came and went well before his time.

Persian soldiers line up for the king.

Today we have the machinery and tools to build even larger capitals and palaces than Persepolis. However, on the count of great nations our world still has a ways to go to reach the ideals of tolerance and equality that Cyrus laid out more than 2,500 years ago.

There’s a great wall in Iran that tells us so.

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Photo Slideshow: Persepolis

If you don’t have a high-speed connection or want to read the captions, you can view the Persepolis photo essay.

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Originally posted on the Uncornered Market travel blog. Find beautiful travel photos from around the world. | 12 comments

A table of women in Kermanshah invite Dan to share their qalyan (water pipe).

Now that we’ve dispensed with the excuses, we offer a few snapshots of our journey to not-so-traveled Western Iran where our path through the country begins.

Our road trip took us from Tehran west then south though ancient, pre-Islamic civilizations — the Elamite Ziggurat of Tchogha Zabnil (1250 BC), Tomb of Esther (yes, the Esther from the bible), remains of the Achaemenian dynasty at Susa (Shush) (6th century BC), reliefs of Achaemenian King Darius the Great at Bisotun (6th century BC), and the Sassanid Empire sites of Bishapur city and Taq-e Bostan rock reliefs (3rd-7th century AD).

Use caution the next time you use the word “old.”

Along the way, we soaked up present culture.  We met Iranian people, we poked around markets, we collected more warm greetings and invitations than we knew what to do with. We even dropped in on a roadside kebab stand frequented by packs of jovial Kurdish truckers making their way from Iraqi Kurdistan.  

Although this segment of the trip doesn’t feature any of the dazzling bits of Persian design and architecture that we’ll be serving up in later posts, it provided the historical and cultural base from which to begin to comprehend early Persian history and the surprising ethnic diversity of the Iranian people.

Hamadan

A typical Iranian street scene in Hamadan, including chadors, biege bricks, Islamic street mural and traffic.

Dan gets a friendly 3-buck cut on our first night out in Hamadan.

Persian visual geometry at work inside Baba Taher tomb.

Friendly Iranian tea drinker in the Hamadan bazaar.

Tomb of Esther (yes, the Jewish queen from the bible) in Hamadan. There are about 15 Jewish people still living in the neighborhood.

Fava beans with vinegar and spices in the mountains outside Hamadan. Thankful for something other than meat!

In and Around Kermanshah

Taq-e Bostan Reliefs outside Kermanshah, dating from Sassanid Empire (4th century A.D.).

Mountain views from Kermanshah to Ahvaz.

Kebab master at roadside stand in the mountains south of Kermanshah.

Pomegranate vendor at a small town bazaar. He gave us a bag of them as a gift.

In and Around Ahvaz

Tchogha Zabnil Ziggurat, one of Iran’s many UNESCO sites dates from the Elamite period (1250 B.C.). Was originally five stories tall, but only three stories remain.

Friendly fish vendor of Ahvaz. Kept finding fish in the market, but never in restaurants!

Ancient bull stone sculpture at the winter capital of Achaemenid Empire, dating back to 6th century B.C. (Notice the lotus flower decoration.)

An Iranian kebab press? Who knew a machine was behind all those perfectly-formed ground lamb kebabs?

Outside Shiraz

Bishapur rock reliefs depicting Shapur I (Sassanian king) and his victory over the Romans in 3rd century AD.

Next up: The crown jewel of the Achaemenid Empire — Persepolis — and the dazzling Persian art and architecture of Shiraz.

—–

Possibly Related Articles:

• Iran: Why We’re Going
• Iran: A Poem to the People
• Persepolis: Ancient Persia, Modern Lessons
• Panorama of the Week: Disco Ball Mosque – Shiraz, Iran
• Traveling to Iran as Americans: All You Need to Know

Originally posted on the Uncornered Market travel blog. Find beautiful travel photos from around the world. | 17 comments

Destination: TEHRAN. I ogle my boarding pass at the departure gate in Istanbul. We bought the tickets months before, all easy enough. So easy in fact that we wondered if the day of our flight would actually ever come; a rejected visa application snatching it all away in a breath.

But our Iranian visas were approved and there we were waiting to board a plane — our plane — to Tehran.

“We are going to Iran! Can you believe it’s actually happening?!” I almost squeal as we wait for the boarding call.

But I am still a smidge apprehensive. The worries of my family and friends echo and seep in, re-seeding doubt. You simply never know. Expectations and delivery. Fear of the unknown. Man oh man, the mind plays tricks. And the more those wheels turn, the more trouble they stir.

Turkish Rock Star Flight

Our flight is with Atlas Jet, a Turkish low-cost carrier. Our reasons for choosing this airline are simple: the right price, the right date.

Little did we know we signed up for the party plane. The cabin is as loud as any in all my travels. It’s almost raucous. There’s no alcohol on this Tehran-bound jet, so I wonder whether maybe there was a group bender in the Istanbul departures lounge that we’d somehow missed.

The flight attendants are decked out in short, sexy red outfits and rock star hairdos. One, a Russian-style dominatrix with a bob, thick inky black bangs, another faux blonde, almost Marilyn Monroe with garishly long fake eyelashes. The crew is rounded out by a boyish first class attendant, long and lithe, who just might be the second coming of David Bowie.

Is this a flight to Iran? Or the Eurovision music trials?

Lesson one: There’s no telling. Ever.

My Iranian Guardian Grandma

There seems to be an unspoken rule in this part of the world (and by this part of the world, I mean Central Asia, the Caucasus and the greater Middle East) that if you are a female traveler, local women – especially older women – will seek you out and make certain you are taken care of.

It just seems to happen. And so it did with our flight to Tehran.

We find our seats next to an older Iranian woman clutching her purse and wearing a dark headscarf (I begin to wonder, “Is mine too light?”). She gets up and waits for us to squeeze in, but she’s eager to engage the moment we’re settled in.

“Allemagne?” she asks. (Are you from Germany?)

“No. America.”

Her eyes grow big, “America?”

I nod and smile, trying to feel out her reaction. She continues, “Oh, good. Very good. American people good. Iranian people good.”

Her maternal instincts take over. She looks at my uncovered head with concern, points to her headscarf and charades “Do you have one?”

I pull out my newly purchased headscarf from Istanbul. I begin to put it on and she shakes her head, “Iran, you need this. Not now.”

She gives me a big, warm smile; I can feel her relief that I’m properly geared up for her country.

Touchdown Tehran

We wake up at 2 AM for the descent into Tehran. I look over at my Iranian grandma. Two perfectly wrapped chocolates sit atop her tray table. You can tell she’s been waiting for us to wake up to give us this gift.

“You need to stay in Tehran more time. Then you come to my home,” she offers. I thank her profusely but explain that we are on a group tour and unable to adjust our itinerary. The real story is more complicated, probably in a way that we are both aware, but there’s no value in belaboring this.

“OK. Next time,” she smiles.

As I tie my headscarf with amateur hands, grandma nods in approval. “Iranian style,” she says.

I’ve got it right, apparently. Then I put on my long, butt-covering manteau-like sweater. Grandma flashes another smile of approval. “Yes. Better.”

There’s that mild anxiety of the unknown, again.

It becomes clear that her approval doesn’t originate from her desire to see me covered for religious purposes, but her wish for me to avoid any unnecessary scrutiny. I feel more comfortable with her blessing of my attire; she obviously knows lranian clothing norms better than I ever will.

I look about and notice that all the women around me have put on their headscarves and manteaux, too. I expect more black full-body chadors than I see, but our reading of the scene still suggests we are landing in a very different place.

As we exit, grandma pauses amidst the crowd of our fellow passengers to ensure I exit with her. She grasps for my hand to guide me into the correct immigration line for foreigners. Her responsibility complete, she waves, wishes us a good trip and ducks into her own immigration line.

Lesson two: The world over, grandmas keep you close.

Tehran Airport Arrival Process

It’s 2:30 A.M., an ungodly hour to stand in an immigration line. A few butterflies begin to collect in my stomach. We don’t have anything to hide. Regardless, I don’t look forward to enduring a round of questioning at this time of night.

The FOREIGN PASSPORT line moves at a trickle. Virtually everyone else in line is Turkish. From their body language, it seems like they’ve all been through this routine before.

Maybe this is the point where the Iranian visa process – with all its depth, all its background checks, and the hairline timing of the pickup process in Istanbul – comes full circle to bite us in the ass.

It’s our turn, our time to find out.

Trying to look alert, I hand my passport over to the immigration officer, my thumb marking the page with my Iranian visa. I hope to save him flipping through 95 other pages of stamps and visas — to make his job easier and to steer my way into his good graces.

STAMP! Anyone who has traveled knows the victory signaled by the sound of a passport stamp. The entry stamp is easy — perhaps too easy, for the immigration official takes our passports and motions for us to follow him. We are the only ones in line singled out.

We sit and wait.

A few minutes later, we are led by another official into a drywall enclosure marked “Fingerprinting.”

The fingerprint man asks the name of our hotel in Tehran. We fumble through the name. He offers a nod of approval: “Good hotel.”

I place my four fingers onto the electronic fingerprinting machine. The days of fingers in ink, even here in Iran, are gone.

“Welcome to Iran. Enjoy your trip,” he smiles and sends us off to fetch our bags.

I wonder: “Is that really it?”

At the foot of the escalator to baggage claim, a Tehran airport employee stands guard — with a basket of red roses. She hands them out to everyone – passengers on business, passengers returning home, and us. “Welcome to Iran,” she says.

We collect our bags, wait in line for another scanner to exit via the GREEN line, “Nothing to Declare.” All the fear of our photography equipment and laptops inspected – and possibly confiscated upon arrival — all for naught. We meet our guide, pile into a car and head off into the rain-drenched Tehran night.

Welcome to Iran, indeed.

This is only the beginning.

Lesson three: Be prepared to take what you believe you know with a grain of salt.

——

In recounting this story, I asked the others on our G Adventures tour – two other Americans, two Australians and a Dane — whether they felt the same emotions boarding and disembarking their flights to Iran. Yep – they’d all cycled through the various dramatic scenarios borne of lengthy visa processes and fears of Iran back home.

Like us, they all expected a shake-down but each reported an experience similar to ours, minus David Bowie and the dominatrix flight attendants.

Let’s hope our return to the U.S. this Thanksgiving is similarly uneventful.

Possibly Related Articles:

• Panorama of the Week: Golestan Palace – Tehran, Iran
• Iran: Why We’re Going
• Western Iran Shapshots
• Kashgar Animal Market Video: An Unusual Slice of China in Full Motion
• A Story at My Son, Vietnam

Originally posted on the Uncornered Market travel blog. Find beautiful travel photos from around the world. | 34 comments