Iran - Andrew Burke [359]
As Lonely Planet became a globally loved brand, Tony and Maureen received several offers for the company. But it wasn’t until 2007 that they found a partner whom they trusted to remain true to the company’s principles of travelling widely, treading lightly and giving sustainably. In October of that year, BBC Worldwide acquired a 75% share in the company, pledging to uphold Lonely Planet’s commitment to independent travel, trustworthy advice and editorial independence.
Today, Lonely Planet has offices in Melbourne, London and Oakland, with over 500 staff members and 300 authors. Tony and Maureen are still actively involved with Lonely Planet. They’re travelling more often than ever, and they’re devoting their spare time to charitable projects. And the company is still driven by the philosophy of Across Asia on the Cheap: ‘All you’ve got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go!’
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THANKS
ANDREW BURKE
There are many people in Iran to whom I owe a heartfelt kheyli mamnun for their warm hospitality and selfless generosity that helped make this book possible. In Tehran, Paul Bellamy was a generous host (good luck with the book), as were Ali Taheri and family, Ali Solhjoo and Hamid Mousavi. Thanks also to patient Hossein Hosseiny, Khosrow Hasanzadeh, Houman Najafi, Hamid Tavassoli, and Nader Zarrin and Mahshid Jahangiri. Heading south, thanks to Mahdi and Mohammad in Kashan, Hossein Fallahi and family, Sufi Shahidzadeh and desert dwellers Maziar, Ariane and Hadi Aledavoud in Garmeh, and Noushin and Manijeh in Baghestan-e Olia. Thanks to Yazdis Massoud Jaladat, Sebastian Straten and Shohreh, and to Mohsen Hajisaeed and Pegah for a whirl-wind road trip. In Shiraz, Arash Sadegzadeh and Hossein Soltani were a huge help, as were Kazem Salehi, Majid Piroozmand and Massoud Nematollahi. Good luck rebuilding to Beate Boekhoff, Nima and the team in Bam. Travelling was a joy with Tayfun Guttstadt, Horst Brutsche, Robert Luck, Yasminah and especially my wife, Anne Hyland. For assistance by correspondence, thanks to mountain man Nader Seyhoun, environment man Danny Rogers, authors Kamin Mohammadi and Paul Clammer and language lady (and friend) Maryam Julazadeh. In Lonely Planet world, a huge thanks to Mark Elliott and Kerryn Burgess for being as passionate as I am about Iran, and to the editors and cartographers for transforming it all from digital bits into this book.
MARK ELLIOTT
Iran is a land of where uplifting, random acts of kindness to foreigners are so common that it’s easy to overlook just how much help one has received. It’s impossible to thank everyone as fully as they deserve. Nonetheless, let me pass on my special appreciation to Delsuz Rahmanzadeh and the gang in Paveh, Amin, Maziyar and father in Gorgan, Saeid Banoi in Malayer, Tahereh Ramezani Moghaddam in Khanbebin, Akbar ‘the giant’ Khorashadi in Aliabad, Vali in Mashhad, Shane ‘taxifish’ Warne, Louise Firouz in GTS, Amin Alizadeh in Orumiyeh, Nasrin Harris, Hassan Mohit in Rasht, Seyyid Mojtaba and Meisam, Ali and Ahmad Pishvar, Nasser and Mansur Khan, Ali Reza Yusufzade, Mohammad Pooyayairani, Hossein Ravanyar, Davood Faraji, Amir, Mr Zareie in Tabriz, Firat in Esendere, Edwin and Edward in Sir, Maksud in Sero, Can Yel in Van, Vahdat in Ardabil, Dariush Papi in Dorud, Farhad, Amad, Hossein and Mammad in Shirabad, Saja Banaiqil in Kordkuy, Amin and Hamid in Bijar, Noshin at the Mashhad Haram, Ali Mirzai in Sara’eyn, Shahin Zinati and Mr Saedi in Torbat-e Jam, Ali Sayeedi in Damghan, Ali in Gorgan for his thoughts on God and Barnstable, Abdul Halim and the insidious Mr Azim in Aq Qaleh, Farkhad and Mustafa in Navahand, Mustaffa ‘the Iraqi’ in Tuyserkan, Azad and Gita in Hamadan. Also many, many thanks to the team at Lonely Planet, notably my super-conscientious colleagues