Arrival in Tehran

I flew into Tehran today for a 8 day wander across Iran - through Tehran, Shiraz and Isfahan.  Basically an unplanned trip.  The new "visa on arrival' makes entry very easy and the process took only 30 minutes.  I really wasn't sure what to expect so initial impressions of this slice of Iran were just how normal (relatively so) everything looked and seemed. The service at Imam Khomeini Airport was friendly and efficient, it's a modern facility, there's a six lane highway into the city, which in itself is a massive expanse (9 million inhabitants with 16 million in greater Tehran).  This week is the start of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, so the roads and the city in general are much quieter than normal.  My blip is of the approach into Tehran showing the Alborz Mountains which frame the city to the north.  There seems to be a tradition here whereby pedestrians simply walk across a busy street and expect the traffic to heed and avoid them.  My taxi almost wiped out a couple pushing a child in a pram across the highway on the way in from the airport.  The couple were most indignant that the taxi had had to brake so suddenly and in the process give them such a fright.

Added blip is a late night shot of a shoe store in Tehran.  No western brands evident (at least no legitimate ones) but well stocked stores everywhere.

More to follow in coming days as I get around to sorting through my images.