DAY 9 ISFAHAN 3

 I'm taking my mid-day break but thought I'd start this entry early. I'd have to say that my interest in more touring is waning. I've had a really interesting time so far and I'm glad I took this trip but the actual sights/sites aren't really what made this trip special. It's been the culture and the people of Iran that has been the real pleasure and surprise of this experience. I can't stress enough how "normal" things are here. People aren't getting together at teahouses when we're not around and talking about driving Jews into the sea...or planning rallies to show support for the Iranian nuclear program...nobody is chanting Death to America when we pass by...EVERYONE is just flat out friendly.

The downside is that travel adventure-wise it's not got a lot of diverse attractions. Basically, you've seen one mosque, you've seen them all. Oh some are more grandiose than others but essentially it's the same theme. There are some regional differences to the food but it's hardly enough of a draw to make traveling for the culinary experience worthwhile. If I had to do it again, I'd probably make it a shorter tour but would not skip Isfahan. 

Tonight we're going to see some of the several bridges that cross the recently dried out riverbed of the Zayenda River. The bridges are centuries old and are a popular meeting/strolling spot for the locals. 

Here are some pics of the Garden Palace near our hotel that we visited this morning.





We also visited 2 other sites...the Armenian Church and the Jameh Mosque...both of which are considered of cultural importance. I guess I'm burnt out on sightseeing and didn't bother to take pictures.
The bridges were a bust as well but I spent the rest of the evening strolling along the boulevard.


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