Day 3 - Tehran

Internet access in Iran is proving problematic so my posts will be sporadic at best. This morning we met our guide for the two days in Tehran, the lovely Parto and once again we were chauffeured around by Mr H. I have been taking note of Mr H's driving style in preparation for Tuesday when I get to tackle all this myself - I reckon I can manage it. Parto turned out to be a delightful lady from the west of Tehran who obviously enjoys her job and is clearly experienced in guiding strangers around Tehran.Our first stop was the National Museum. The National Museum was interesting, as most museums are, and contained far too much to attempt to detail here - suffice to say we were very impressed with the exhibits and would need at least a second visit to appreciate them fully. From here we moved on to the National Carpet Museum and again we were in awe of the exhibits - magnificent Persian carpets in all manner of styles from every region of modern day Iran. Following this it was time to focus on the practicalities of life - money changing and lunch. We tackled Ferdosi Street, the street of money exchanges, without too much hope as it being Eid al Fitr everything was closed. Luckily we found one open and proceeded to swap $1k USD for probably a couple of million rial and I still don't know how many toman. Tomans are a strange concept - one that I continue to have difficulty getting my head around and won't even bother trying to explain here - just google the term.From here we proceeded to a self service restaurant that is quite famous in Tehran apparently - Hani Parse. Here we indulged ourselves in ghorme sabzi, kofte balls, some sort of fish with a block of sabzi, Iranian rice etc etc, rosewater custard, drinks all for $23 AUD for 3 persons - incredible value. After lunch we headed to the north of Tehran to a small park called Tajrish park I think. This contained small scale models of many of the major monuments and attractions in Iran such as Azadi Tower, a palace in Imam square Esfahan and so on. Finished this off with tea at a teahouse across the road and then went shopping for another manteau and scarf for Sue. Finished off our sightseeing by visiting Tajrish bazaar which was a fascinating place. We learned that for 10 days a year the central atrium gets converted into a place of prayer and for the rest of the year it houses fruit and vegetable vendors. And lastly, after a long day, dinner at our hotel - kebabs and fish for again a very small amount. I could live like a king in Iran :-)