looking around

im later going to write a full analysis (rant) on asian floor toilets. right now im just traumatized.

we arrived to Isfahan 1am - in 6,5h with a "VIP bus" which are much liked in Iran. our 2nd and last day in Tehran was shorter, it concluded of food, going to meet a local tattoo artist (illegal practise here) and checking out grocery stores and such. the day before we went to restaurants, cafes, shopping mall and saw some central sights. I think our life (getting a taxi, finding food, getting bus tickets) was too easy perhaps because Emad was guiding us. in Isfahan we will be "guided" by Mohammed, but hopefully need to manage on our own too.

our hotel here - Tous hotel (360 000 rials/58 tl/23 €) has big rooms, curtains from a palace and bathroom from... well, not as fancy. kind of a room with water outlets, yes. I am finding a relative difference between the quality of bathrooms vs other rooms in iran. it's as if bathrooms were not appreciated much. but cheap Turkish hotels can be pretty hideous too. and we have consciously opted for cheap hotels. the previous night we were in Emads upscale mid town flat though, very nice and modern place. him and his sister have an extra room where we could stay. the elevator in their building plays classical music.

Iranians are super hospitable as they say, and everyone i actually met was very nice, plus a couple of strangers were very helpful too but in shops and restaurants the service is less smiley, sometimes half-friendly but usually uninterested. and that's the general feel I get from people on the street. maybe the tough conditions affect people in this way. I can't see people smiling and laughing. but the friendliness of people we meet and discuss with is really something.