A note on Iran

It is once again time for an extra bit for the blog. For the last nine days we been passing through Iran. At the beginning of the trip we were all asked what we were looking forward to the most and many of us, me included, said Iran as we know little about the place and were looking forward to discovering it.

As we finish our time here I leave with a feeling of disappointment. I am disappointed that our guides optimistic words on the first day were not true. We were told we would be welcomed with open arms and that women were not inferior or looked down, we were let down on both accounts.

The women of this country are truly treated as 2nd class citizens, the girls on our bus were openly leered at and felt up whenever the locals got the chance. Menus in restaurants are handed to men and even when a woman pays the change is given to the man and even taxi drivers ignore women. If this is a nation where women are equal I am a 12ft black man with ginger hair!

Do not get me wrong the whole nine days was not a total loss. Esphahan was lovely and is probably the only place in Iran I would ever consider visiting again. The end of our time in Iran was the worst part, with long drives through dangerous territories and hotels with ridiculous sexist policies and restrictive policies on internet.

I would advise anyone planning on visiting Iran to do some serious research first and make sure you know what you are letting yourself in for and make sure you go to the right places.