I am meant to be going to Iran to do some work for a customer. Presently Visas seem to be an issue. First my 3 month application for a visa was rejected, and now my 3 day visa was rejected. It looks like I will have to wait a few more weeks before reapplying.
This is such a shame, the people I met and worked with in Iran a few years ago were very nice and helpful people. I do hope this can all be sorted out quickley.
Monday was our last day in Tehran. Again another glorious sunny day, I could get used to this warm weather. We were again in the office by 8.00 am and worked through to 10 pm. Before lunch we were driven to a shopping centre where a ouhjt a few things to take home with me. I bought some pistachios and several mixed bags of nuts, biscuits and saffron. I think they were all a pretty reasonable price.
Back at the office lunch was kebab and rice.
After we finished work we went to a fast food restaurant and had deep fried chicken with salad. I have to admin the Iranian women are very pretty, the young ones were very fashionably dressed and made up with mascara etc and had well made up hair. I even saw one who had braided hair. They though still wore headscarves and the requisite coat. Except that the headscarves were very light and transparent, very pretty colours and worn very far back on the head. The coats were made to compliment their trousers or jeans and were not the dark colours of the more traditional women.
After supper, which we ate with are Iranian colleagues, we made off to the airport in the taxi, for the 2.45 am flight back. Reminds me of the days of cheap package tour flights. The airport was mobbed with people; we went to the wrong terminal to start with. I decided there was something wrong, the place was seething with people, most of the women in fully covered in black. Then checking the departure times noticed all the planes were destined for Medina, Jeddah, Kabul etc. We were definitely the only Europeans there and someone suggested we were in the wrong terminal building. The other terminal was next door and a very different and quite place. Rather bizarre, we were not allowed into the main part of the terminal until 12.00, where we had to do the usual long queuing and long check in times.
Flight back was uneventful, arriving early in Schipol, were I transferred to Heathrow, with my luggage catching the same plane.
Saturday evening we ate in the top floor of the hotel. Menu was fairly basic for a 5* hotel, with several of my choices off. I wanted grilled Sturgeon, but ended up eating Sturgeon kebab.
Morning I was up early for breakfast. Ate plenty of fruit, yoghurt and cheese. We were into work by 8 on another glorious sunny day. Worked though to 9.30 in the evening, taking a break for lunch in the canteen. Lunch was another soup and chicken and rice again.
Supper was downstairs in the bar area at about 10.30, today had a salad and a kebab for supper.
Friday I set out for Heathrow early to catch a flight to Tehran, thats in Iran, who according to George W Bush is the axis of all evil. Early to give me some time to get through the rush hour traffic. I envisaged there would be a lot more traffic as the result of the previous days London bombings. Seemed to be a real lack of traffic, arriving very early. Well the next bit made be swear I would never fly KLM again. One hour and forty minutes queuing for check in. The queue was not exceptional in anyway. I have seen Easyjet queues twice as long being processed in minutes.
Arrived at Schipol in Amsterdam on time, where I met up with Mark Berry, to make our connection to Tehran. At least this bit of the trip worked, had some OK chicken, several glasses of wine and a very large brandy. Watched Miss Congeniality 2 on the inflight.
Arrived at Tehran on time at midnight, picked up are visa, taxi from hotel was waiting for us. Arrived and in bed by 2.00 am in the morning. Even at that time the roads appeared to be really very hectic, cars everywhere, people milling through the streets. Quite a nice warm evening and people out enjoying themselves.
On the flight there appeared to be quite a few Iranian women, who just before we landed, put on their headscarves and a uniform short coat over their clothes.
Saturday up late, and out of the hotel by 9ish. I had rather a poor sleep, waking every half hour or so. Breakfast was a buffet, containing usual non pork fried breakfast, cold meats and fruit.
Into work where we met the e5 team. Rather ominous start of day, lift stopped between the second and third floor. We were released quite quickly, so probably a regular occurrence. We worked until lunchtime, where upon the power went off and never came on again. Lunch was chicken and rice with a vegetable stew. Afterwards we walked up the street and had some massive cocktail type ice creams. Still no power back in the office. We were told that this was rather unusual. Just as we were leaving, the power came back on. One more problem to beset us, Mark’s PC won’t work, something failed on the way over here. So now back into the hotel writing up my blog.
The people we were working with were helpful, and were mainly women. I was asked if I was interested in politics, and how was the change of leadership viewed. I think they were a little worried as what the their new leader would do, it had been assume the pro Western, reformist leader was going to get in. The city is a bit of a concrete sprawl, with lots of traffic driving fast and very close together, lots of lane changing and the creation of additional lanes between the official lanes.