A North Africa and Middle East ramble

[JohnM]

Just bumping this thread for anyone who is currently watching Joanna Lumley's 'Silk Road' program on ABC TV on Sunday night.

I was very taken by her, I believe, heartfelt comments about Iran in tonight's episode. OK, she's an actress but she expressed exactly what I found and what I have been saying to family and friends since I returned - but I'm not sure they are convinced.

She covered most of the places that @RooFlyer and I visited and, IMHO, she absolutely nailed it. I was rivetted.

A couple of weeks ago, I met a lovely lady from Iran who has been studying at UWA. She is from the coastal region of the Caspian Sea over the mountains N of Tehran. Dang! I'm now sorry that I didn't take another week to get there; it sounds awesome.

 

[RooFlyer]

Totally agree with that. You can imagine the Iranian authorities' 'issues' in trying to decide whether or not to approve the program's visit and then hopefully satisfaction with the outcome ( except the hard liners!!).

Just one thing. She was using the greeting 'salaam' which I think is Arabic, not Farsi, isn't it?

Edit: No Salaam is OK - it was 'Salam alikum' that I used initially and that is the Arabic form that I got corrected on.

 

[Dudditz]

Just bumping this thread for anyone who is currently watching Joanna Lumley's 'Silk Road' program on ABC TV on Sunday night.

I was very taken by her, I believe, heartfelt comments about Iran in tonight's episode. OK, she's an actress but she expressed exactly what I found and what I have been saying to family and friends since I returned - but I'm not sure they are convinced.

She covered most of the places that @RooFlyer and I visited and, IMHO, she absolutely nailed it. I was rivetted.

A couple of weeks ago, I met a lovely lady from Iran who has been studying at UWA. She is from the coastal region of the Caspian Sea over the mountains N of Tehran. Dang! I'm now sorry that I didn't take another week to get there; it sounds awesome.

I'll have to watch this had no idea it was on! Completely agree Iran is far from perfect but a far more advanced, cultured and beautiful place than people realise. The people are incredible, highly educated and demonstrate a hospitality to visitors that is rarely found throughout the world these days. I stayed with a brother and sister in Tehran who were from Tabriz and they vividly described the lush landscape further north west as you move towards Armenia and Azerbaijan - there are many places in Iran to discover well off the standard tourist path.

 

[Straubs]

Silk Road has been fabulous and a real eye-opener. My husband and I are finding the list of amazing places to see is getting longer instead of shorter. Azerbaijan is like the new Singapore ... or is it actually the other way round? Anyway, what a place!