Day 107 (Iran): sightseeing in Esfahan I

I get up and after talking to a German motorcyclist on his way to Malaysia, we set out to discover the city a bit. We tour the bazaar and a local medressah, Sepp talks to the warden who is a motorcycle freak and speaks some English.

I spend the afternoon updating the website and then almost fell for the oldest trick in the book. A guy comes up and asks me about country and so forth. His English and German are excellent. Amazing indeed. He says he is a tour guide and also something about couchsurfing and I say, sure I am one of those. He invites me to his place and I would have almost gone. Then I decide that I would spend the night in the hostel still and say that we could meet up.Then things become fishy: I said that I amin search of something. He says: “A girl?” I was simply looking for a good bookstore. He doesn’t drop the subject though and soon enough tells me about his problem with approaching girls. Very strange guy. I decide not to stay with him for sure. Creepy. I turn to be completely boring and he eventually gives me his phone # and says he has to go. I was glad to have lost him … not sure what the outcome would have been.

I turn back to the hotel and meet up with Nasser and his kids … we drive around town a bit more and very briefly I meet his wife. Nasser and I spend the rest of the evening in an interesting discussion at one of the best places in Esfahan. The Khaju bridge. There are lots of people milling around, listening to singers (all male of course and sadly) and just watching everyone.

I am told that I am an immoral person after not wanting to entertain person #217 of the day with respect to where I am from and what my name is. I like talking to people, but when the conversation is limited to this it becomes a bit difficult after a while.

For Esfahan, there are many more pictures on the flickr site.