Our first stop was Persepolis. Wow. I have been fortunate enough to see some of the great ruins of the Middle East: Syria's Palmyra, Egypt's Pyramids, Lebanon's Baalbeck, Jordan's Petra, Iraq's Babylon. This place definitely holds its own among those notables.
Read MoreThis is a big country! We spent most of it on the bus, driving from Ahwaz to Shiraz.
Read MoreWe had been anticipating today back when we first started planning this trip: Susa. The modern (and I use the term loosely) city of Shush, one of the oldest urban centers in the world, is also home to the ruins of ancient Susa.
Read MoreOur flight on IranAir took us from Tehran to Ahwaz. Two cultural curiosities for me were the covered women in the safety booklet and the in-flight meal (it's Ramadan)
Read MoreDespite what people here might think of the current situation, there is a general consensus of gratitude that the days of the Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi are gone.
Read MoreWe are here in the middle of Ramadan, but there are enough foreigners (and enough traveling/non-fasting Iranians) that we are able to take all of our meals. The only difference is that, instead of breakfast in the lobby, it is held on the thirteenth floor, giving fantastic views of Tehran and the Alborz mountains.
Read MoreWe had about six hours in the Amsterdam airport, which is like most European airports - faint, stale cigarette smoke; yellow and green neon signs; cold, non-descript tile floors; black, stiff-backed leather chairs.
Read MoreGiven the political climate, our whole adventure reminds me of Philip's word to Nathanael (John 1:14): "Come and See."
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