Land of Contradictions

I have to be honest here... not too long ago I had a stereotypical impressions about Iran. A desert country with a tyrannical government. Not exciting, dangerous and definitely not on my list of countries-to-see.

Then I saw a movie by an Iranian film maker Majid Majidi, "Color of Paradise" and my jaw dropped looking at the picturesque scenery. The lovely flower filled hills, the lovely fields with happy people, the crisp air, the thick forests and of course the snow capped mountains in the background.... what .... is this Switzerland or Iran I thought, my curiosity was triggered.

After that I read a book called "Gaatha Irani" , a travelogue of author Meena Prabhu written in Marathi and I was completely mesmerized. The lively descriptions in the book have painted a different image of Iran in my mind. The book talked about solid historical monuments like Persepolis, the romantic towns of Isfahan, the mosques and palaces of grandeur that witnessed an ancient and a mature culture. The highlight was not the monuments or nature of this country, it was the people. The authors narration of her encounters with Iranians on their going-out-of the-way hospitality, the modern, educated youth in Tehran and the bonds of friendships she developed with the locals during her stay shattered my preconceived notions completely. Now this country ranks fairly high on the wish-list of countries.

Though Iran has captured a high spot on my list, present day Iran is still a challenge to visit especially for women. There are strict "hijab" laws throughout the country and even stricter "chador" laws while visiting the mosques and towns like Kome. The only channel broadcast is the one from the government. There are cultural police ensuring that cultural laws are enforced. I wish it was different.... but.... its not. This is going to be an unconventional journey for sure.