Silk Route

Day 54 - Thr 08 May 08

Tehran

Today felt very tired, not physically just mentally, I guess that's what you get for being on the road for 50+ days. It was hard to get up and plan what to do - it's didn't help that two of the places I want to visit are closed today. Anyway eventually got out of the hotel at 09:00 and headed off to the Iran Museum which has a few interesting items from Persepolis and the remains of an age old murder victim who was preserved in the salt of a salt mine.

Popped around the corner to the ceramic museum, not normally my thing, but it's one of the few things that is open! The building interest me more than the contents, it used to be the Egyptian embassy and it has a great double wooden staircase.

The it was a metro trip up to the site of ex-US embassy to see the murals painted on the wall. Some interesting images but it's mostly anti-US quotes now. Got some provisions for my train trip tonight and then back to the hotel to checkout. I dumped my bag at reception and headed out on a packed metro line to the Azadi Arch, got some photos and then headed back.

Spent a few minutes chatting to the hotel owner and then headed out to the metro again. The first line was empty, but when I changed onto the other line it was packed. Squeezed on and off and then walked the 1km between the metro station and the main railway station. The station had a Mr Bean cartoon showing on it's big TV screens.

Got my ticket and passport checked as I boarded the train, and surprise surprise someone is sitting on my seat! He's a miserable git, but the two other blokes are okay. The bookseller who I was chatting to in the station is next door so he popped in to have a chat. The miserable git is now out in the corridor crying on his mobile phone. The carriage is the standard set up with water, tea and cake! We get a trolley service meal in the carriage. Rice, chicken, bread, cheese and a banana! Excellent! Head to bed at about 22:30.