“Welcome to Iran”

Ishbel, Sue, and I left Istanbul in the middle of the night and landed at Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran at 5:50 in the morning. While on the plane, I put my long black cardigan on and arranged a scarf around my head. I draped and undraped and draped the scarf again, wondering if I had adequately covered my hair. The Iranian lady seated next to me noticed my uncertainty and kindly told me “Don’t worry dear, your scarf is fine. It is not such a big deal.”

We filed off the crowded plane and proceeded to passport control. Standing in a very short line behind 3 other tourists with ski equipment, I waited nervously for my turn. Would I be finger printed? Would they ask me a lot of questions? Would my luggage be searched? I walked to the counter and handed over my passport. The officer looked at it, then at me, then at my visa, stamping it and saying “Welcome to Iran!” with a smile. In 5 minutes any unease I had disappeared.

Once our baggage was claimed, we stood in line to have it screened. But a security official spotted us and we were given a friendly wave, indicating that we should go around the x-ray scanner and out to the concourse area where our driver was waiting for us with a sign. The sun was already shining brightly as we put our bags into the car and drive off towards Tehran. 

The airport was about 19 miles southwest of central Tehran where our hotel was located. It seemed like a very long drive after a night of no sleep. As we got further from the airport and closer to the city, the traffic became more congested, frequently coming to a complete standstill. Traffic lanes were ignored and drivers quickly merged and changed lanes when the opportunity presented itself. This was my first taste of the wonder of traffic in Iran.

Somehow we got to where we were going without incident and arrived at the Parastoo Hotel. Sue, Ishbel and I checked in and turned in our passports to the clerk at the desk. The fourth member of our group, Catherine, arrived earlier from India and we met her and got situated in our rooms. Milad and Amin (our guide and driver) arrived a little while later and our tour group was finally complete. 

Milad was enthusiastic and ready to go, full of energy and good humor. A twenty-three year old Master’s Degree student in Tourism at the University of Tehran, Milad was an experienced guide as he has been leading tours since he was eighteen. We settled on a plan and then headed off to begin our exploration of Tehran.

Discover Iran in Two Minutes by Mandy Tay