Celebrity of Shiraz

13.

I arrived in Shiraz after dark, and after being mobbed by a group of friendly, freelance travel guides at the hotel, I headed out for my usual night walk to get acquainted with the streets.

There is a liberal air to Shiraz, similar to that in Tehran, where many women have their hijab perched precariously onto a massive bun of Persian, black hair. The streets had their typical bustle and mopeds wove in and around the sputtering taxis. Many of the shops are lit by a single, white lightbulb that hangs over the pavement, casting shadows across the faces of the merchants- perfect for portraiture.

I got to the end of the street and saw this man in his shop which was considerably bigger than all of the others. He looked familiar, an happy, so I asked to take his photograph. I looked at the screen afterwards and realised he looked really familiar.

It occurred to me I had seen him almost every day since I'd been in Iran; he was my stalker. It is this man who is featured on the inside page of the ubiquitous Lonely Planet guide to Iran. Every backpacker here has this book with them, because it's the only English guide.

This means that hundred of people have seen him everyday.

I showed him the book and pointed at it- "is this you?!"

- "bale, bale!" (yes, yes!)

His dad came from the back of the shop and looked at the book and smacked his son's back jovially, laughing, too.

I walked off in a state of disbelief. What you are looking at here is a veritable legend, however unknown, for the traveller in Iran.