风水之城 – 亚兹德

沙漠里最重要的两件东西，就是风和水。

自古以来，风凉水冷的环境一直是人类追求的生活环境，而说到与沙漠共存的故事，就不能不提亚兹德(Yazd)。亚兹德是伊朗中部地区的一个小城，距离首都德黑兰约700公里，南北皆是一大片浩瀚无垠的戈壁荒漠，但却可以依靠古人留下的生活智慧浇灌成一座欣欣向荣的绿洲城市，与周边干旱贫瘠的沙漠地带发展着别于一般的巧妙关系。

亚兹德市郊，皆是清一色的泥坯土房

走在亚兹德的老城区，无论是繁忙的街道还是偏远的市郊，都可轻易看到犹如烟囱般垂直冒起的纤细塔楼，充斥在清一色的土色建筑物上，划破了平平无奇没有云朵的狭长天空。那是亚兹德地区独特的传统建筑 – 风之塔(波斯语: Badgir)。

风之塔乍看之下犹如唤礼塔，中间隆起的圆锥体是蓄水池，长得很像清真寺的圆顶

风之塔是一座以泥坯搭建的高塔，建在房屋或其他建筑物的顶端，垂直的开口对着高空的对风处，利用空气力学的原理来收集高处微小的流动空气，然后经过地下水冷却后传送到室内，使房屋在酷暑逼人的夏天依然可以感受到丝丝的凉意，是亚兹德人生活在沙漠里的古老空调系统。在这座干旱贫瘠的城市里，这一些沙漠空调和地下水系统是家家必备的，到了夏天几乎每家都在使用这个原始但却节能有效的“生活艺术”。

比比皆是的风之塔，与游乐场组成了有趣的画面

阿米尔恰克玛耶广场(Amir Chakhmaq Complex)是亚兹德人的聚集地

非一般的屋顶奇观

和许多伊朗中部地区的城市一样，为了避免水分在高温干旱地区过度蒸发，亚兹德千年以来依赖着地下引水道(Qanat)灌溉和提供日常用水，据估计，伊朗境内便有超过五万条地下引水道。地下引水道从远处的山脚下引水，水源通过地心引力的帮助传到了城市，然后储存在巨大的蓄水池，水源保存的时间愈久，温度就会降低，而比比皆是的风之塔一般上就是建立在遍布全城地底下的蓄水池上。位于亚兹德老城外围的路口的地下水博物馆，便是介绍伊朗地下引水道的最佳地点。据说，挖掘地下引水道是一件非常艰辛危险的工作，古代的亚兹德人，在沙漠地底下弯着腰缩着身体以锄头不停地挖掘，不但承受着地道崩塌的风险，有些工人还因为吸入有毒气体而死在地道里，只为了把希望之水引入这座土黄色的城市里。

狭窄的地下引水道

亚兹德人往高处搭建可以抵御沙漠酷暑的风塔，再往地底挖掘可以饮用和灌溉的引水道，如此巧妙的风水之作，无疑都是久居沙漠的民族所开拓出来的生命智慧，好让世世代代的子民依然可以在生活条件恶劣的沙漠上生存与繁衍下来，难怪亚兹德前前后后已被人类连续住了将近7千年，名副其实的风水之城，亚兹德实至名归。马可波罗在13世纪的到访，大概也是带着震撼的感叹离开。

除了深具地方特色的风水之作，邻近的拜火教(Zoroastrianism)圣地也是这片故土的灵魂。拜火教是世界上最古老的宗教，比犹太教、基督教、伊斯兰教和佛教还要早至少1000年，曾经在伊朗与中亚腹地一带盛极一时，乃当时波斯帝国的国教，一直到阿拉伯铁蹄在公元7世纪时征服波斯帝国并实行全面的伊斯兰教化后，拜火教才因为遭受边缘化而日渐式微。然而，拜火教并没有因此而湮没，到目前为止仍有数千名拜火教信徒散居在亚兹德一带，炯炯的火焰仍然燃烧着。

拜火教寺庙

寺庙墙上挂着的横幅，左为创始者琐罗亚斯德，右为至尊之神阿胡拉•马兹达(Ahura Mazda)

我走入城中一所长得不起眼的拜火教寺庙，寺庙只有一个篮球场般大小，入口处顶端有个用各种琉璃做成的半人半鹰法拉瓦哈(Fravahar)雕像，面目和上身是庄严的人像，身体下方有一个圆环，两边张开巨大的双翼，最下部是鸟尾。这座寺庙以“永恒的圣火(Ateshkadah)”见称，据说自公元500年就开始燃烧，从未熄灭，如今被隔离在一个玻璃橱窗内。墙上挂着一幅拜火教创始者琐罗亚斯德(Zoroaster)的画像及拜火教的格言，看起来好像圣经的模式。

寂静之塔

拜火教认为万物皆应纯净无暇，水、火、土都是神圣不得沾染，故人死后的尸体若入土为安将污染大地，因此古时候的拜火教信徒流行天葬，他们的天葬和西藏至今仍然盛行的天葬在形式上有些相近，但不会有天葬师负责肢解及碎骨。他们把尸体放在被称为天葬台的小山丘上，任由秃鹰啄食。由于拜火教没有升天的信仰，所以信徒们并不强求尸体一定要在仪式中全被吃光。

天葬台

天葬台下的风之塔

天葬习俗在今日的伊朗早已消失得几乎无从追溯，只有在亚兹德城外的半沙漠地带，仍然竖立着两座经过修复后的“寂静之塔(Tower of Silence)”，勉强撑起一个曾几何时属于拜火教的所谓天葬台。我一个人在炎热无比的正午登上两座没人看守的“寂静之塔”，除了以石头搭建犹如露天城堡的天葬台，遗址内空荡荡，没有什么特别的雕塑，山丘下经过粉刷修复后的古老建筑在太阳底下拼凑着水井、蓄水池、坟场以及风塔的容貌，整个光秃秃的遗址就像它的名字般，寂静无比。

拜火教遗址

风、水、火、土本不相容，只有波斯人可以把这几种元素以超乎想象的方式结合得如此巧妙完美，然后在这片属于他们的故土上留下高深莫测的神秘传奇。我离开时，风之塔依旧在捕捉高空上的微风，清冽的水源仍然在隐蔽的地下引水道潺潺而流，永恒的火焰继续在寺庙里燃烧着，清一色的土地仍旧承受着炎阳的烘烤，亚兹德依旧不厌其烦地述说着一个与沙漠共存的有趣故事。

                                        (此文刊于星洲日报快乐星期天优游自在版2015年7月12号)

Here Visa, There Visa, Everywhere Needs Visa, Jul’2011

Turkmenistan Visa

Transit Visa: In order to apply a transit visa, you need to submit a copy of the front page of your passport, a copy of your onward visa(i.e Uzbekistan visa, etc), a copy of filled visa application form and a passport-size photo. It will take 14 days for a regular visa processing($35) and 5 working days for an express visa processing($55). Usually, you will be issued a 5-day transit visa which allows you to transit via Howdan/Saragh to Farab. If you apply in Tehran and intend to pick it up at Mashhad, bear in mind that you will likely have to submit the documents again in Mashhad. So keep all your documents in duplicate copy to save you the run. (I applied in Tehran on Thursday and got it in Mashhad on Tuesday, which is less than 5 working days J).

Payment: Pay cash directly over the counter. Stamped cash note is unacceptable.

Embassy Address in Tehran:

Turkmenistan Embassy

5, Bavati Street,

Off Vatanpour Street,

Off Lavasani Street,

Farmanieh,

Tehran.

Tel: 021-22206731

Working hour: 9.30am-11am; Sun-Thu

Consular Office Address in Mashhad;

Turkmenistan Consular Office

Do Shahdi Street,

Off Dah-e Day Square,

Mashhad.

Tel: 8547066

Working hours: 8.30am-noon; Mon-Thu & Sat (Mon & Thu are dedicated to transport company!)

Getting there: Take a metro(Line 1) and alighted at Qeytarieh station. As soon as you walk out from the Qeytarieh metro station, take a right and walk another 20m until you reach a T-junction. Take a right at the junction and walk for another 100m, passing a taxi stop, until you reach a bus stop. Take a bus from there and ask for Niavaran. You should get off at a bus stop before a T-junction where there is a sign board pointing Lavasani St. to your right. Walk along Lavasani St. for around 10 minutes before taking a right to Vantanpour Street. Walk another 1 minute before taking a right towards Bavati Street and you will see the Turkmenistan Embassy at your right.

Afghanistan Visa

Tourist Visa: An original letter from your embassy, 2 copies of the front page of your passport, 3 copies of the filled visa application form including the original one, two passport-size photos and a bank deposit(red slip) with bank stamped are required for the application. Hand-written application form is not accepted. Get your visa application form and bank deposit(2 slips, one green and one red) at the visa section at the embassy and get it TYPED at the mobile phone shop(with red signboard) across the street. The 30-day tourist visa should be ready after 2-3 working days. A copy of the letter from your embassy is sometimes accepted.

Payment: Bring along the 2 bank deposit slips with you and take a metro(Line 1) to Haft-e Tir station. From there, walk for approximately 200m straight to locate the Bank Melli Branch. The little white almost scruffy building beside it is the one. Get in and give them the slips together with your cash over the counter. Green slip is for them and red slip which they will stamp upon receiving your money is for you. It’s not the big Bank Melli building right outside the Haft-e tir station. Otherwise, pay IR 30,000 for the motorcycle taxis loitering outside the embassy to do it for you. Give them the Euro only after they give you the stamped red slip. 

Embassy Address in Tehran:

Afghanistan Embassy

Corner 4^th Street and Pakistan Street,

Off Beheshti Avenue,

Tehran.

Tel: 021-88735040

Working hour:  8:30am to 2pm; Sat-Wed

Getting there: Take a metro(Line 1)and alighted at Shahid Beheshti station. As soon as you walk out from the station(follow Shahid Beheshti Street(West)), take a right and walk for around 200m until you reach a junction. Take a right at the junction and walk for another 50m and you should be able to see the Afghanistan Flag.  

Uzbekistan Visa

Tourist Visa: An original letter from your embassy, a copy of the front page of your passport, an E-visa application form and two passport-size photos are required for the application. It will take 7 working days for an express visa processing($95) and 2 weeks for a regular visa processing($65 for 14 days of stay and $75 for 30 days of stay). You have to fill up the E-Visa application form online and print it out prior to visiting the consular office.

Payment: Pay cash directly over the counter.

Consular Office Address in Tehran:

Uzbekistan Consular Office

4^th Dead End,

Aqdasieh Street,

Off Pasdaran Street,

Aqdasieh,

Tehran.

Tel: 021-22291519/15

Working hour: 9am-11am; Sun-Thu

Getting there: Take metro(Line 1) and alighted at Qeytarieh station. As soon as you walk out from the Qeytarieh metro station, take a right and walk another 20m until you reach a T-junction. Take a right at the junction and walk for another 100m, passing a taxi stop, until you reach a bus stop. Take a bus from there and ask for Niavaran. You should get off at a bus stop before Shahid Bahonar Square and from there, walk downhill until you reach a left curve. Follow the curve and still walking straight for around 1km until you reach a T-junction. Take a left at the junction and head straight following the traffic flow for another 1km. Look out for the blue 4^th Dead End street sign. It’s about half an hour walk from Shahid Bahonar Square.

Tajikistan Visa

Tourist Visa: An original letter from your embassy, a copy of the front page of your passport, two copies of filled visa application form and two passport-sized photos are required for the application. A 30-day of tourist visa($25) will be issued to you in 3-4 working days. No GBAO will be issued here.

Payment: Pay cash directly over the counter.

Embassy Address in Tehran:

Tajikistan Embassy

3^rd Dead End,

Shahid Zeinaly Street,

Niavaran,

Tehran.

(North of Niavaran Palace)

Tel: 021-22834650/10; 021-22299584

Working hour: 9am-12noon; Sun-Thu; Tue off.

Getting there: Take metro(Line 1) and alighted at Qeytarieh station. As soon as you walk out from the Qeytarieh metro station, take a right and walk another 20m until you reach a T-junction. Take a right at the junction and walk for another 100m, passing a taxi stop, until you reach a bus stop. Take a bus from there and ask for Niavaran. You should get off at the first bus stop after Shahid Bahonar Square. From there, cross the street and you will see the Shahid Zenaily Street.

Tips: Visit Malaysia Embassy first for all the Identification letters which are FREE. Once the letters on hand, tackle the Uzbekistan visa first which will take 2 weeks, before dealing with the Tajikistan visa. Original passport will not be held at the embassy/consular office for the above visa applications. By now, you should be able to leave Tehran and travel around Iran for 2 weeks before returning to Tehran to pick up those visas. Bear in mind that you MUST get your Iranian entry stamp extended ONLY IN TEHRAN. Upon picking up your Uzbekistan visa, proceed with the Turkmenistan transit visa and ask to pick up in Mashhad. You can either apply your Afghanistan visa before or after leaving Tehran as it only takes about 2-3 days but bear in mind that you will have to leave your original passport there.  

Other Useful Embassy in Tehran

Malaysia Embassy

6, Changizi Alley,

Alef Street,

Mahmoodieh,

Tehran.

Tel: 021-22046873/26219055-6

Working hour: 9am-12noon; Sun-Thu

Pakistan Embassy

1, Etemadzadeh Avenue,

Dr. Hussein Fatemi Avenue,

Jamshidabad,

Tehran.

Tel: 021-66944888

Working hours: 9am-11am; Sat-Wed

China Embassy

13, Narenjestan 7^th,

Pasdaran Avenue,

Tehran.

Tel: 021-22291240/1

Working hours: 8.30am-1.30pm; Sun, Tue & Thu

Redefine Iranians

16/6/11(Thu)

Right after crossing the Armenia/Iran border at Norduz at around 5.00pm, Steven and I were stranded at the border post, in front of a group of Iranian taxi drivers because he refused to hitchhike. (It was rude to dumb him as I have made an indefinite deal to cross the border together). Ok! They were not pushy(because they didn’t have to!) as well as they were not willing to put down the price. I usually don’t cross a border if the day is not young but because of meeting Steven in the Armenian town of Kapan, I compromised as I thought it would be cheaper to have another person sharing the cost. Apparently I was wrong. It was a long story. What I want to say is that traveling with another traveler met on the road is like choosing a travel partner. Compatibility is my top priority concern. Not everyone understands the true meaning of backpacking and budget-traveling. So to break the deadlock as well as the language barrier, one of the taxi drivers called his Iranian friend who works as a part-time translator there. Gomez was indeed a friendly Iranian guy. He showed up just to meet us up but he wasn’t helpful in getting us a fair price because he was too keen on meeting and socializing with us – the foreigners. So, eventually three of us(only two of us paid!), sat on an overcharged taxi, were on our way to Tabriz. The sky was already dark when we arrived in the city of Tabriz. We were then invited to stay overnight in Gomez’s house where we were offered smuggled Beer and Brandy.     

Yes, Iranians are friendly, helpful and hospitable.

Gomez's house

17/6/11(Fri)

Steven, a British, was lying under a tree at Poet’s Memorial Park. I sat beside him. In front of us is a group of young Iranians fond of learning British Standard English and also foreigners. We spent almost the entire afternoon having a ‘communion chat’ in which the topics always circled between English idiom and proverb and also drinks, girls, sex and entertainment. Feeling bored of idiom and proverb, I was then brought to have a leisure walk at the park where they explained to me and even demonstrated in front of me on how an Iranian guy dates an Iranian girl. I was also having the pleasure to listen to the singings of an amateur Azeri-Iranian singer, in public. We clapped according to the rhymes and I treasured the experience I had at that particular moment. When Steven and I were about to leave, they wanted to know what time shall we meet again tomorrow. 10am? Here?

Yes, Iranians are friendly, helpful and hospitable.

A group of friendly Iranian

5/7/11(Tue)

I was on my rush to the Uzbekistan Embassy as soon as stepping out from the Qeytarieh Metro station, only to find out that nobody can guide me to the Uzbekistan embassy by bus. Everybody asked me to take a taxi, not taking seriously to my ‘No Taxi’ principle. Then an Iranian guy, who failed to guide me to a bus, brought me to his friend. His friend is a calligrapher. They sat me down and offered me tea, which I disrespectfully rejected, as I was catching time. I really had no time for tea and courtesy alike. Again, they suggested me to take a taxi, as if they were deaf to my numerous claim of ‘No Taxi’ principle. The calligrapher, whom I had a mere 5-minute conversation with (I didn’t even know his name), eventually squeezed a IR 100,000 cash note into my pocket and urged me to go, despite my strongly refusal. Damn it! I really appreciate all kinds of help but not money. I just want a bus.

Yes, Iranians are friendly, helpful and hospitable.

6/7/11(Wed)

On a night bus from Tehran to Esfahan, a young Iranian guy greeted me and asked me to sit next to him. Worn in Giorgio Armani outfit, he told me he wants to study PhD in Malaysia. He asked me which is the best university in Malaysia and I told him University of Malaya, feeling unsure. The subsequent conversation saw me struggling to keep my face from kissing his, a mere 15 cm-distance but the more I retreated, the more he engaged. I was sweltering and tired and I wasn’t ready to socialize on a bus, especially on a night bus where the only thing I can think of is sleeping. While I salute his determination to try to communicate in his poor English, I was succumbed to tiredness of guessing and catching his idea. So I closed my eyes, giving an obvious hint that I want to sleep. The subsequent moment saw me answering his relentless questions with my half-open eyes.

Yes, Iranians are friendly, helpful and hospitable.

8/7/11(Fri)

‘Do you speak English?’ I was greeted while wandering around the so-called World’s second largest square – The Imam Square in Esfahan. Oh…I thought it was another group of young Iranians who were probably asked by their teacher to practice English with foreigners. ‘Do you speak English?’ ‘Do you speak English?’ Ermmm…the more I heard this, the stronger I have the feeling as if they speak English and I’m a foreigner emerged from middle of nowhere who needs helps. It wasn’t until I was regret to have given them a ‘yes’ reply that I realized ‘Do you speak English’ is the only English they are able to speak out other than ‘Hello!’, ‘How are you?’ . And yet, they insisted to sit me down and expect to talk. Oh goshh! If you can’t speak English, what are you expecting?

Yes, Iranians are friendly, helpful and hospitable.

Imam Square

12/7/11(Tue)

I was on my way to Persepolis – the ancient Achaemenid Empire, a.k.a. ancient Persian Civilization. Rumor has it that there isn’t any public transportation to get there except by taxi or tour, which I hate both. And the rumor turned out to be a fact when I came here to further testify it. There isn’t any public transportation to get to the site. Nevertheless, it doesn’t mean that you have only two choices. As soon as I alighted from the minibus in Marvdasht, in less than a minute, a private car pulled over in front of me and two Iranians in the car asked me where I was going. I said Persepolis. They waved me in. ‘No money’, they said. They told me they were here to help people getting to the site. I smiled, in doubt. It wasn’t until I reached the site that I was approached by another Iranian man with his little daughter. He promised his wife to bring a foreigner back to his home in Marvdasht today for lunch and it turned out to be me. He then paid the entrance fee for me, which I failed to resist. Acted like a tour guide, he showed me around and tried to explain as much as he could remember all the possible stories behind each site. I was like a cow led by a farmer. While visiting such an important archeological site like this, I usually prefer to be alone. I want to see the things in my own pace and pleasure. Total freedom and flexibility is what I can’t let go. While seeing him climbing up and down with his little daughter, sweating like hell, I was about to say no to his invitation because I still wanted to see the sites and I didn’t want him to suffer because of me but I couldn’t resist the temptation of his promise to bring me to Naqsh-e Rostam, another not less amazing site on a cliff where no public transportation will go except private taxi, I suggested him to take a rest under a shade while I explored the site. So he decided to wait for me in the car park and ‘gave’ me 15 minutes to explore all the sites. 15 minutes? To be honest with you, I didn’t really care. It was after 45 minutes before I met him in the car park. We then had a delicious lunch at his home. It’s rice with chicken! The last time I fed myself with rice was like months ago. He then played a VCD showing the ancient Persepolis site and explained around patiently to me. It was almost 4.00pm when he kept his promise to bring me to Naqsh-e Rostam, which I thought he must have forgotten.  

Yes, Iranians are friendly, helpful and hospitable.

Persepolis

Etc.

Etc.

Etc.

This is a story about a Korean girl and a Swedish guy in Iran. The story began when the Korean girl arrived at the airport in Tehran at 3.00am, without an Iranian visa. Yes, without an Iranian visa. Why and how could that happen is another story. While deciding to buy another flight ticket on the spot to fly to Turkey, an Iranian, of course is a guy approached her. After dealing with the custom officers with a bit of endeavors and of course money, he eventually ‘bought’ a visa for her, on arrival. Then the Korean girl ran into a Swedish guy who also just arrived at the same airport with his bicycle. There was nothing wrong with this Swedish cyclist. He has his Iranian visa sitting tight in his passport. Somehow both of them were greeted again by the same Iranian guy whom nobody can explain or figure out why he was loitering around at the airport in the middle of the night! Appeared a bit blurred and tired, the Swedish guy told the Iranian guy he would like to change some money at the airport. So was the Korean girl. The Iranian guy advised them no to do so as he explained that the exchange rate at airport is always the worst and instead gave them a bunch of Iranian Rial cash, before dragging the two helpless-like foreigners to his palace house where they spent a total of four nights there. After times and times of counting and converting the Iranian Rial to US dollars as if there was something unbelievable, it was approximately $250 with the Korean girl and $130 for the Swedish guy.     

Yes, Iranians are indeed friendly, helpful and hospitable.

Extending Iranian Entry Stamp

I felt regret not to take things seriously when my friend PKK told me the 15-day Iranian entry stamp in my passport is not extendable. I thought I can simply get it extended anywhere in Iran. No, no, no, it’s not like that. It’s all because I mistrusted the hostel staff in Tehran who made me believes that it’s just a piece of cake to extend an Iranian visa. Everything he said was so convincing that I eventually made up my mind to extend it in Esfahan. I can’t stay in Tehran anymore. I would eventually perish of boredom if I not leave the capital at the soonest.

It wasn’t until I showed up at the Department of Aliens Affairs in Esfahan early in the morning that I finally realized my Iranian entry stamp was not extendable, at least not in Esfahan. I begged and begged and nothing got better except – You have 4 days more before leaving the country. Then I made a call to the hostel staff in Tehran and he asked me to go back to Tehran and get it extended there. I almost burst out of tears when he made a promise. Again, everything he said was so convincing.

So, here I am, in Tehran again. Damn it.

It took me a bit of effort trying to locate the new Department of Aliens Affairs. After joining a long queue with all the Iraqi, Afghani, Azeris, Indian, Pakistani and other ‘Aliens’, and also after some ill-fated endeavors which shamelessly required you to run here and there or not giving clear instruction or guidance on purpose(Who ask you to be an Alien? You have to bear with all the unsystematic and unorganized procedures which blend in so perfectly in the Middle Eastern cultures), I was told to come back again after 5 days. Yes, it’s 5-day! Damn it!

Arghhh…I don’t care. I can’t stay in Tehran anymore. I can’t spend time just by waiting. I’m leaving to Shiraz tonight, with my passport not in my belt…

The subsequent days saw me being refused by hotels in other cities because I failed to show them my passport. I have to rush to the nearest police station to beg for a written request as well as to bear all kinds of their reprimands by not following the rules(5-day prison in Tehran?).

How to Extend Your Iranian Entry Stamp?

Extension: 2 copies of filled visa extension form(pay IR 5000 at the reception desk in the office for both the forms and a paper file), a copy of the front page of your passport, a copy of your latest visa/entry stamp page, two passport-size photos(with date in Farsi script)(photo without date in Farsi script is not accepted) are required for the extension. Once you have all the required documents in order, asks the guy at the reception to check for you and get all those stapled, before heading to Counter 5 for submission. Don’t forget to collect your receipt. A 20-day of extension, calculating from the last day of your current visa/entry stamp, cost IR 300,000 will be issued in 0 to 5 working days.

Photo: Give your standard passport-size photo to the lady in the small building opposite the extension office and ask for date stamp. They will scan your photo and print out 8 copies of photo with date in Farsi script. Expect to pay IR 30,000 for this odd process. 

Payment: The visa extension fee is payable in any of the Bank Melli Branch. There is a Bank Melli Branch approximately 100m from the office. Ask around and you will find it very easily. Tips: Visit any of the Bank Melli Branch in Tehran the day before you visit the visa extension office and ask for VISA, then pay IR 300,000 over the counter. Keep the bank slip for the application the following morning. 

Visa Extension Office Address in Tehran:

Police Department of Alien Affair

Police Street,

Shari’ati Street,

Off Motahhari Street,

Tehran.

Working hour: Sat-Wed: 8am-1.30pm; Thu: 8am-noon

Getting there: Take a metro(Line 1) and alighted at Shahid Mofatteh. From there, walk straight along Motahhari Street for about half an hour until you see a white sign pointing Shari’ati Street to your left. Follow the sign and ask for police station. 

Rice

I can’t remember when was the last time I fed myself with rice. If you are Asian and are reading this, you will definitely know why I’m telling this.

My most usual way to keep myself from starving on the road is by taking bread (lavash, barbari, sangak, taftun, pite, Khobz, Ekmek, etc) dipped in yogurt and/or instant lentil soup, or contented myself with street food.(I like cheap street food!). I must thanks to God and my Mom and Dad for creating such a me who so fond of bread. I’m not really choosy when it comes to food. If I find myself a bit malnutrition, then only I will take cucumber and tomato.

Ok! Ok! The topic is rice. I only remembered that I have numerously told myself to find a restaurant, get inside and eat whatever rice regardless of the price. But the problem is always that when I walked in and see the menu, in less than a minute you will see me walked out again.

Discouraged.

Damn it.

Sorry, I damn myself, not the rice nor the price.

Hey! If I’m not going to take rice in Iran which is the cheapest country in the region, I’m not sure when I will do it. In Afghanistan? Tajikistan? Uzbekistan? Or Kyrgyzstan? Yaya...I must be daydreaming. I know it will only happen when I get in China, but when will it be?

Crazy and silly!  

Visa Tug-of-War

Before coming to Iran, I know that I will have to stay longer in Tehran for all those crazy visa application.

Tehran is absolutely not a place to hang out.    

OK! I arrived in Tehran at night on 29/6/11, which is Wednesday. When I wake up next morning, of course it is Thursday, but it is the day of Mission of Prophet Hazrat-e Rassol Akram…well, I have totally no idea about the day but I know it’s a public holiday. Then there come Friday and Saturday, which are weekends in Islamic country. Everything is closed and of course the embassies as well. I can only start to apply visas on Sunday. That means 3-day time I need to kill in Tehran.

2/7/11(Sat)

Luckier than worse, the Pakistani embassy is open on Saturday. Ok! Ok! I already know that things have changed as they have stopped issuing visa in host country. You have to apply for it in your home country. But as stubborn as a cow, I still want to give it a try as I know that few travelers(very few) got it successfully.

So, I made a call there using the hostel phone. The operator said no but then passed the line to visa department after I begged him. Nobody was there. The operator asked me to call back after half an hour. I checked the time and it was 9.40am. Apparently all the consular officers are the same – lazy, arrogant and bureaucratic. I don’t know what happened to me at that moment as I was too naive and stupid to have thought that since the operator lets me spoke with the person-in-charge, the light is likely on. So, I didn’t wait to make another call and rushed out to the embassy, empty-stomach, only to find out that I only know half the way to get there. Then that morning saw me running and asking here and there, helplessly, before getting myself stranded in the Metro station, totally frustrated. I have the embassy address written in Farsi but I still refused to take a taxi.(I’m indeed incorrigible!). Then I went to a grocery shop to buy a telephone card to make a call at a public telephone booth. The person-in-charge answered and apologized to me for not being able to help – that means NO! He hung up the phone before I could make any further attempt.

So, I was denied a Pakistani visa.

3/7/11(Sun)

By ruling out Pakistan, that means I have to make a big loop by venturing to those ‘Stan’ countries in Central Asia to make my way to China where it is still feasible to enter Pakistan at Sust via Karakoram Highway. (I’m in an overland trip. I don’t fly). That also means that my journey back home was ‘delayed’ for another few months. Damn it!

So, now is the turn for Afghani-STAN, Turkmeni-STAN, Uzbeki-STAN, Tajiki-STAN and Kyrgyz-STAN. (I’m still not sure whether to travel to Afghanistan but what’s wrong by getting the letter on hand beforehand?). (Applying for a transit visa for Turkmenistan doesn’t need a letter). (Malaysian doesn’t need a visa to enter Kyrgyzstan).

So I went to Malaysia Embassy this morning to beg for some letters called Identification Letter(Malay: Surat Pengesahan). The owner of the hostel I stayed was too confident to tell me on how to get there where in fact nobody knows that apparently there have been some new stations of Metro put in service. With a combination of Metro-Bus-Walk and of course asking and running, I finally made my way to the embassy, sweltering like hell.  

As bureaucratic as Malaysia’s government, the people in the embassy let me waited for half an hour long before our third secretary revealed himself to meet me. After some exchange of greetings, he asked me to come back tomorrow. See! Just a letter and I still have to bear with the bureaucracy and inefficiency of our own embassy. What a shame! The Japanese and Korean got their letters within half an hour time and sometimes they were even offered a breakfast!    

The subsequent afternoon saw me trying to locate the Tajikistan Embassy, Uzbekistan Embassy and China Embassy, on foot, which I have finally succeeded after a 4-hour of ill-fated walking under the scorching hot sun in the chaotic, crowded and dusty northern district of Tehran.

Phew~~ I salute to myself!   

4/7/11(Mon)

Despite having shown up late in the Malaysia Embassy this afternoon due to getting confused(or over-confident?) of the metro and bus route, finally, all the Identification Letters were in order. After finding the content of those three letters literally not convincing where there is no directory addressed to any particular embassy but a line of To Whom It May Concern, I was told that those are standard letter. Everything would be fine.

I have no choice but to put the letters in my bag, precariously, not forgetting to ridicule myself: Haha…What a Malaysia standard!

5/7/11(Tue)

A long queue of Afghan refugees was snaking along the shaded path across the street when I arrived in Afghanistan Embassy this morning. I never see such a huge crowd in any of the embassies I visited in my life!

First of all, I wasn’t ready for Afghanistan. The main reason I was here is to ask around and to check the possibility and perhaps is there any travel warning for those who wish to travel to Afghanistan.

I’m still struggling and switching between going and not going.

There are lots of travel posters stapled on the information boards, including some intriguing photos showing the exoticism of Afghanistan.    

While some Afghans tried to talk with me in Dari/Pashto/Farsi having thought that I’m one of their kind(OK! OK!...I know I looked like a Hazara), I found myself too naïve and superficial to have ‘finally’ ascertained the trip there in such an emotional way. I thought I can blend in the society there easily.      

The Consul Officer, an Afghan lady, is very friendly and helpful. I was convinced that getting an Afghan visa is as easy as chips, provided that you have the letter from your embassy. While it is just a piece of cake to get the letter from my embassy, I failed to draw a conclusion as whether my embassy is very helpful or it just doesn’t really care about the safety of its citizens.      

While having confirmed the possibility of being granted an Afghan visa, it’s time to rush to the Uzbekistan embassy. While running out of time and yet still insisting on my ‘No Taxi’ principle, I rush to the nearest bus top as soon as stepping out from the Qeytarieh Metro station, only to find out that nobody can guide me to the Uzbekistan embassy, in any form of public transportation other than taxi. Everybody asked me to charter a taxi. Then an Iranian guy brought me to his friend who eventually squeezed a IR 100,000 cash note into my pocket and urged me to take a taxi, despite my strongly refusal . (Don’t get me wrong! I really appreciate all kinds of help but not money. I just want a bus). Without further hesitation, I got in the front seat of a cab before a lacerated sound stunned me – Oh my God! It’s my pant! My pant cracked.

Damn it! That was the second time my pant gets torn! An approximately 30 cm tear line, right between my inner thighs, at this critical juncture! 

What can I do? What do you think I could do?

Of course I could do nothing. I let the driver brought me to the embassy, telling myself today was not my day. It wasn’t until I paid the taxi driver and saw him driving away that I was informed by the diplomatic police that I should go to the consular office, approximately 2km uphill from where I stood. With my torn pant, I rushed to the main road the police showed me, on foot, only to find out that I failed to locate it! I kept on asking and begging around and again, nobody can guide me! I rushed back to the police again, can’t help looking at my watch from time to time, before he managed to write an askew English letter on my palm. It’s 4^th street.

I almost succumbed to the exhaustion before hunger struck me relentlessly.

I salute to myself for not being passed out on the street.

To make my day worse, it wasn’t until I eventually made my way to the consular office at 11.45am, wheezily, that I was told that by procedures, I need to fill up the visa application form online and print it out. The lady was about to leave and asked me to come back tomorrow. I begged her to spare some mercy and she finally agreed to wait for me for 15 minutes. Oh, thanks God!

Then I rushed out again, in total craziness, trying to locate a nearest coffeenet. (It’s really not easy to find a coffeenet in Iran!). After half an hour of asking and searching around and I still couldn’t find any coffeenet, I gave up.

Hmmm…when I said giving up, well, I don’t really mean it. 

I eventually found a tiny coffeenet in a basement after 45 minutes of walking. Upon walking out from the coffeenet with my printed visa application form on hand, I found myself walking towards the direction of the consular office, still wanting to give it a try.

I’m really incorrigible!

It was 1.00pm when I reached the consular office. To my surprise, the lady was still there. I almost burst out of tears even she reprimanded me for taking so long time. I almost wanted to give her a hug if not because of the wall!  

        

So, Uzbekistan visa was finally applied.

  

I don’t know if God is standing by my side today.

Perhaps.

6/7/11(Wed)

Spare a 10-minute time with you in the Tajikistan embassy and your Tajikistan visa should be ready to pick up after 4 days.

Note: Siow Ling and her husband have made their way to Uzbekistan now…and I’m still in Middle East!