In the estate agents.

5.

I was quite settled in Tehran. The people were fascinating and my friend seemed to have an infinite supply of interesting activities on offer. But safe in the knowledge that I will return to its (relatively) liberal bosom in a month I headed south for Kashan. For the first time, then, I am alone.

You never really are alone, though, in Iran. As soon as I got up the stairs towards the South bus terminal I was pinged like a pinball towards the correct bus by a whole host of those dudes you generally find standing around bus stations (think bum-bags and tracksuit bottoms). It’s almost as if the money from the ticket sales trickles down as far as that guy who stands on the road side shouting “KASHAN! QOM!”. Perhaps it’s just his hobby.