I woke early due to the time difference and headed downstairs for breakfast. It was a disappointing first breakfast in Iran as I was looking forward to the usual tomatoes and cucumber.
Upon check-out, I walked to the nearby taxis to Haftado-do-tan roundabout for transport to Kashan. There were supposed to be buses and taxis here but I only saw the latter. I resisted the taxis but after a while, no buses showed up so I relented. There was already one person waiting which meant two more to make up a full car.
Then a bus pulled up and we lost my travel companion to the bus. I couldn’t do the same as I had loaded my bag into the taxi boot. When another bus arrived soon after, I asked for my bag. The driver pleaded with me to stay. The bus was IRR100K whereas the taxi IRR200K per person. Another driver offered me the whole car for just IRR200K as he wanted to go home to Kashan. But other drivers kinda asked them to do the right thing and let me go.
As I hopped on the bus, it was a pleasant surprise to find a very spacious VIP set-up with three seats across. A cake and juice was offered to me whereas some other people who had been on the bus for a longer ride got a snack box. After just over an hour, I was in Kashan.
The taxi to my hostel, the Sana Historical House seemed a bit pricey but I didn’t have much choice. The driver told me that all sights were closed today and some tomorrow as well, but he could take me sightseeing out of town. Yeah right! But actually it was true … being the anniversary of the death of Imam Khomeini.
At the hostel, there had been a mistake and my booking hadn’t been processed and they had accepted someone else’s booking for that room. After some sweet talking, they gave me that room and shifted them to a room with no bathroom.
My room was downstairs in the sunken courtyard (below street level). It was nice and cool without air-con whereas the upstairs room couldn’t do without it.
There were a few travellers around so I chatted with them briefly. The courtyard had zilch shade around midday and I had to bail. I took a quick walk around the neighbourhood finding the Masjed-e Agha Borzog nearby.
Mosque, Masjed-e Agha Borzog near my hostel.
It was getting clear I couldn’t stay out during the afternoon and I retired to the cool of my room until later in the afternoon. It was my second day without lunch and today, I didn’t even have muesli. I’m joining the spirit of Ramadhan but I learnt that only about half or Iranian Muslims observe fasting.
My next walkabout was to the square and bazaar (which was closed as with most things being a mourning holiday). So I continued my walk around the block which turned out to be a huge block, having been deceived by the scale of the map I had been given. I wandered through some back alleys, found the remains of the old city wall and finally stumbled upon the old historical home which I will visit.
Back at the hostel, the courtyard was now shaded but I didn’t realise till later the rooms were much more cooler and comfortable. I chatted with my hostel-mates and made arrangements to dine with Johannes from Sweden. He had travelled to about the same number of countries as I have and we exchanged some stories about Sudan.
We ate at the Khan-e Abbasian around 2000 (before official breaking of the Ramadhan fast) where our national flags were brought to the table before the food! I had a dizi (abgusht) and he had eggplant with camel meat. I loved his meal and he preferred mine. What a pity!
Back at the hostel, it was still hot in the courtyard and I retired to my room for the night.