Iranian Phenomenon

06-04-2010
The route we took in Iran caused us to come across a great deal of building works and the remains of a distinct lack of it.  The war between Iran and Iraq had certainly left it's mark along the Persian Gulf, but the people we met seem to be moving on and taking advantage of the economic success the country is experiencing at present (in some cities by charging us rates we would have expected in a reasonable hotel in central London.)
Shiraz is a nice enough city, the folk are smiley, the brickwork's a bit Pud Rennie and the kebabs are very, well, Iranian.
Whilst picnicking here, two shepherd type chaps butted in, carrying two goatlets, demanding water and something else that we couldn't fathom, until the nosey coppers shoed them away but not before Pete dished out more of his well practiced roll-up lessons  Unfortunately we arrived in the middle of No Ruz, or Iranian New Year, which lasts for 2 weeks and involves every Iranian citizen embarking on a frantic whistle stop tour of their country in various forms of transport, pitching cheap tents on every available patch of public property, including high street pavements, taxi ranks and bus stops and leaving all their unwanted camping paraphernalia behind leaving us poor clean folk to wallow in their fly blown crap.