Good Friday in Darband

Today is Friday and a public holiday, so the bazaar in Kashan is closed. It would have been worth a visit, but instead, we’re continuing our journey by bus to Tehran. A three-hour bus ride costs 33,000 rials per person. On every bus trip, we’ve been given a juice and a piece of cake. Often, the seats and aisles in the bus are covered with Persian carpets to protect against wear and tear. Many people like to head to Darband, the northern part of Tehran, on Fridays. In winter, it’s a ski area, and in summer, it’s a popular spot for hiking. The traffic gets more and more chaotic the closer you get to Darband. Everyone—the wealthy—wants to go up there. From the base of the mountain and for the first few kilometers, there are small food stalls, tea houses, and restaurants. It’s definitely the rich who come here. Men and women are very much in tune with fashion, and the women’s headscarves are minimal—just covering the top of their heads. Darband and its surroundings are home to the affluent. You can clearly see it in the buildings, the choice of shops, and the trendy fast-food restaurants. This is where the jet set comes to be seen! The activities in Darband peak on Fridays when everyone is off work. You can easily spend a cozy few hours wandering among the crowds, having lunch, and taking the gondola to the top for a hike down. If you have the right gear, you can hike all the way to the top of Mount Damavand. There’s a hut at about 4,000 meters where you can stay overnight before making the final ascent to the summit, which is 5,671 meters. The best time to climb Damavand is during the summer months—from around April to October. After that, strong winds and snow can easily occur. You can take the metro most of the way to Darband, which helps you avoid the chaotic traffic that builds up when everyone is heading in the same direction. However, the metro isn’t fully completed yet. When we were there, you could ride as far as Gholhak. From there to Darband, there are minivans—10,000 rials per person. Unfortunately, you get very little hotel for your money in Tehran. Prices are high, and the quality is often quite disappointing. We first checked into a budget hotel. The reception area is often nice, but the standard of the rooms tends to drop significantly. We quickly regretted our hotel choice, especially considering it was our last night on the trip. So instead, we moved over to the four-star Ferdowsi Grand Hotel. There’s a pool, but unfortunately, it’s only accessible to men. On the bright side, they have both BBC and CNN, which is quite unusual here in Iran. The hotel was hosting a large wedding. We were invited, but the party is split—women in one room and men in another. No alcohol, but plenty of dancing and loud music!