Ray, Gippsland
I have had a number of opportunities to travel with Sue and I would say that our trip to Iran has been the most surprising and fulfilling. Apart from the millennia old history, the stunning architecture and the ruggedness of the landscape, the friendliness of the Iranian people is what I do, and will, remember most. I have not travelled to any other country where I have been made to feel more welcome. To be greeted spontaneously on the street by someone passing, simply saying “welcome to Iran” or “welcome to Isfahan” has been surprising and delightful. We lost count of the number of times we were asked if we would like to go with locals, to their homes, to meet the other members of their families. How unexpected to be travelling on the train and to be offered sweets or nuts by our fellow commuters. The western media feeds us an unending diet of dire gloom, proclaiming Iran to be unsafe and evil, while its people are the most hospitable of any that I have met. How different are people and politics? Iran is a wonder to experience.