Iran - Andrew Burke [311]
In a mud-brick building it’s important to create space (under a bed, perhaps) that won’t be filled with dirt and dust, which could lead to suffocation – which was the primary cause of death in Bam (see the boxed text).
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BIG JUBS
In almost every Iranian city the main streets are lined with jubs (canals, pronounced jubes, like tubes), which originally served to distribute drinking water through the city but now serve as channels for rainwater and water running off nearby mountains. At the best of times they’re a pleasant urban feature, with water spreading through the city and trees usually nearby. However, they can also be a hazard for anyone crossing a road without looking carefully, and after rain they can quickly turn into raging torrents.
If you’re driving, jubs can be even more hazardous. In many towns the road drops straight into the jub without any form of kerb whatsoever. In Mashhad, we saw one reverse-park go horribly wrong when the back wheel dropped into the jub. The anxious driver tried to drive his way out of the jub before his boss, whom he’d just dropped off, returned, but only managed to drop the front wheel in as well. They were still trying to lift it out three hours later.
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If you’re outside, get into the open, away from buildings and power lines.
Scams
BOGUS POLICE
The most notable of Iran’s mercifully few organised scams is the bogus police sting. The good news is that a concerted effort by police, particularly in Tehran and Esfahan, has largely ended the problem. Still, it pays to be aware… The usual procedure is for men in plain clothes and an unmarked car to pull up beside you, say ‘police’ and ask to see your passport or for you to hand over your bag/camera. The usual motive is theft of passports, cameras or money. The best advice it to ignore the ‘policemen’ and they’ll probably leave. If they are real police they will take you to the station or your hotel, otherwise they will eventually disappear. Never hand over your passport or anything else to un-uniformed officers until you are at one of these places.
Security
‘Iran? Is it safe?’ It’s a question you’ll almost certainly be asked before you come to Iran…and often. But the perception of Iran as an unpredictable, dangerous destination couldn’t be further from the truth. Violent crime against foreigners is almost unheard of, and the idea that as a Westerner you won’t be welcome is plain wrong. If you do your best to fit in with local customs, you are unlikely to be treated with anything but courtesy and friendliness – that applies to Americans, too.
Of course, crime does still exist, so it pays to take the usual precautions, though in fairness we’ve heard of very few travellers being robbed. When travelling long distances by public transport, especially on international services, keep your passport, money and camera with you at all times. The occasional pickpocket operates in some crowded bazaars.
Theft from a hotel room is very unlikely, since staff keep careful watch over visitors and residents. This level of observation sometimes extends to hotel staff going through your bags – and ‘sampling’ your toiletries – while you’re out; keep your bags locked. Hotels are locked or guarded at night. Most places have a safe for guests’ valuables.
If you’re driving, try to avoid parking on the street overnight in Zahedan or anywhere near the Afghani, Pakistani and Iraqi borders.
The most valuable possession Westerners usually bring to Iran – and the hardest to replace – is a foreign passport. Largely because of the difficulty Iranians face in travelling to Western countries, there is a booming black market in forged and stolen foreign passports. If you’re carrying it, keep your passport strapped to your body. However, you’ll simply have to trust your hotel or mosaferkhaneh, which will