Today we just drifted around Esfahan, seeing the sights and doing some shopping.
Here are a few of the things you notice in the Iranian towns and cities we have visited -
The roads are amongst the scariest. Everyone focusses only on the next 10 yards. Once that is sorted, they consider the next 10. This means constant jerks of movement followed by violent braking. Everyone squeezes through impossible gaps (successfully or not) and so bodywork is hammered. No cyclists or motor- cyclists wear helmets, so you can have say 2 babies or toddlers on a motor bike with 2 parents, none of whom have a helmet on. I think the hot weather and/or prices are prohibitive.
Groups of people, unless a family, are always single sex. There is no mixing.
Transactions are done in any currency required. The Iranian currency is the least popular even for the Iranians, because of daily value changes and rampant inflation. Iranian currency is only obtainable in Iran. There are 2 coexisting domestic currencies, Tomans and Rials. The former no longer exist but are the most commonly quoied.
There is an obvious split in the generations, with the say 50+ far more conservative in all respects than the younger ones.
The social enmities are complex and numerous in a population with so many different races and castes, all with long histories, remembered accurately or not.
There is a sense among the people that they are being watched but they do not really know by whom.
Religion is either absent or a v strong presence, with no moderation in between.
Foreigners are always greeted warmly. However we saw no Americans or Israelis.
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