MIR Corporation's Travel Blog:
Ancient Persia, Modern Iran

Follow along with MIR Corporation Tour Specialist Meaghan Samuels as she explores beautiful and enigmatic Iran on MIR's Ancient Persia, Modern Iran small group tour.

• Day 1: Arrival in Tehran
• Day 2: Tehran
• Days 3-4: Tehran, Bandar-e Anzali, Masuleh Village
• Day 5: Tehran, Yazd
• Day 6: Yazd
• Days 7-8: Yazd, Kerman
• Days 9-10: Kerman, Shiraz, Persepolis
• Days 11-12: Shiraz, Firuzabad, Yasuj
• Day 13: Yasuj, Isfahan
• Day 14: Isfahan, Tehran

April 6, 2008

After an early morning arrival into the Tehran airport, I have a fairly simple experience passing through customs and passport control in Iran. I am finger printed while they check my passport, then sent on my way to the baggage claim.

We have an easy morning to catch up on sleep and relax before gathering for half day touring of Tehran. We meet tour manager and national guide in the hotel lobby. Our touring today includes the National Museum and the Glass and Ceramics Museum. In the afternoon, outside the Glass and Ceramics Museum, several of us women are beginning to heat up in our heavy overcoats under the Persian sun. I have come to Iran overdressed, with the intention to purchase clothing upon arrival.

That evening we depart for a clothing store to purchase something contemporary that Iranian women are wearing in Tehran. As we first enter the store, we feel the eyes of both patrons and store clerks on us, which causes some trepidation on our part. We begin to pick through the racks, assuming the attention is owing to being foreigners and hoping it isn't that we are obviously American.

It doesn't take long for the young store clerks to approach us, and smiling they indicate with gestures that they are available to assist where we need help. We make friends with them fast, and with giggles and many hand gestures they assist us each in selecting our new Iranian garments, and even manage to communicate that one of the garments should be hemmed. I find an over garment that resembles a long blouse not much different than what I might wear to work at home. It covers down to the knee, but breathes so that I don't feel so overwhelmed under my scarf and under the sun. They can't take our American credit cards, but can accept US dollars. We pay for our items, and schedule a time for the next day to return for the hemmed pants.

We depart by taxi back to the hotel; I simply show the driver the hotel business card and he takes us directly there, no problem. He charges us a reasonable fare for the ride, and we feel satisfied with how the shopping excursion went altogether.

Photos from this leg of the tour (click to enlarge):