Travel note in Persia 1 Uneasy departure

Travel note in Persia 1, Uneasy departure

The morning sun was shining brilliantly between the clouds. The Emirates air left Dubai of the UAE, and soon it went into the Iranian territory. The altitude was too high for a while, I could see nothing except for the morning light.

I watched vaguely the surroundings with taking breakfast. I was the only Japanese unlike the time when it took off from Japan.

There are many men who grew a beard with chiseled features. It was the smell of the men's body odor, or the smell of the spices which sticked to them? The smell which was peculiar to the Middle East floated.

Vague image

My beat struck it all the more quickly. I found my husband was getting excited because he has not come back to Iran for four years. In contrast, I was very anxious.

We had been married for 4 years. I met him in Japan and married there. I and our small kids had never seen his family. In July, on the hot summer, we decided to visit Iran to see my husband's family for the first time. We planed to stay for two and half months.

When I met him at first, he introduced himself as an Iranian. I answered casually, but I could not remember at the moment even where Iran is.

It was appeared a vague image of Iran like the Middle Eastern country of the desert, having done a big war, in the same way as the common young Japanese thinks.

Severe country

Iran is a stern Islam country, and they have a lot of strict laws. When the plane left Dubai, promtly I heard an announcement that the women should cover the head with a scarf.

Even if you are a foreign tourist, you must keep the Islam laws in Iran. A foreign woman who married an Iranian is the same as an Iranian according to Iranian laws.

Women must cover whole body by the big black cloth which is called Chador, or put on the long coat not to show the body line and cover the head by a scarf. Of course, law is law even in the hot mid summer.

Chador comes off if you do not support it by hand. Women generally wear headscarves and coats in Tehran. I prepared for a scarf and a raincoat from Japan.

I will stay only two and half months. But I have to stay as a member of the Iranian family not as a tourist.

The family waiting in Tehran

I heard the announsment that the plane went into Tehran city. I looked out of the window. The altitude of the plane felt down, and I could see the mountains ranged in the distance.

A gray town spread out in the bottom. When I strained in my eyes, I saw the buildings and the condominiums of the brick all over the place. Some high layer buildings seemed to float from the ground.

"It takes 30 minutes to the landing, because Tehran is big." My husband said. So I did not prepare to get off.

Indeed, the town looked not to reach the end. Well, it is the arrival at long last.