Imam Square

After our trek on Mount Sir, both of my little toes started swelling up from all the blisters. I could barely wear shoes, and I developed a fever on Monday night. By Tuesday morning, my fever had shot up to nearly 40 degrees Celsius, so we decided to head to the hospital. The night receptionist spoke good English and offered to come with us as a translator. The hospital wasn’t recommended in Lonely Planet, but it looked quite professional nonetheless. I was given antibiotics to take for the next five days, and I also received an injection for the fever. Of course, the examination and treatment were done by a female doctor :) The whole thing cost only about 55 kroner. By the evening, I was already feeling much better. The fever was gone, so we could head to Imam Square to enjoy the sunset. We took the bus there. Men sit in the front, and women sit in the back of the bus. The bus driver didn’t want any money for the ride. People are incredibly kind and helpful here. Two girls wrapped in chadors were also going to Imam Square, so we followed behind two fluttering black tents :) Imam Square—also known as "Half of the World" by the French poet Renier—is very hectic. Cars zoom through the square all the time, which is surrounded by buildings used for shopping arcades. There are especially many carpet sellers here. This is the first place in all of Iran where people come up to us, trying to get us to buy something. Currently, Imam Square is home to two teahouses. One, Azadegan, is tucked away in a courtyard of an old caravanserai. There are two entrances: one for men and one for families. It’s also the only teahouse where girls are allowed to smoke hookah. It was quite the scene. The place was filled with smoke, but hookah smoke doesn’t feel as bothersome as regular tobacco smoke. The decor was absolutely fantastic. It was adorned with old items everywhere. There were a thousand different lamps hanging from the ceiling. The walls were filled with pictures and shelves of various things. Every inch was utilized. We met an Iranian who spoke good English and was happy to accompany us to Azadegan. He took care of tea and hookah for us—70,000 riel. But it quickly became clear that he was also a carpet seller. He gave us a long explanation about carpet production. We used my illness as an excuse to make our escape :) The other teahouse is called Qeysarieh and overlooks the entire Imam Square. The view is really beautiful when the sun sets and the lights come on. We had dinner at a traditional restaurant called Sofred Khaneh Sonnati, located by Imam Square. The glass panels in the windows were different colors. There were no tables and chairs, just "day beds" where you practically lie down to eat. It was a nice restaurant, filled with locals and surprisingly many tourists. This doesn’t mean the menu is more varied, just that the prices are higher.