Yes, this is Iran!!

Connection aint very fast, but ill try to update as much as I can. The plane left 1hour late barcelona as they had closed the runway and we missed our departure slot. The guy sitting next to me, old american had an absolute need to mainatin conversation which suddenly ended when he said "where are you traveling too?" and i was eating so I simply pointed to the book in my lap - Lonely Planet Guide Iran. After a while he restarted and wished me a good trip. I walked from terminal A to B crossing the famous Frankfurt tunnel. Famous to me as I crossed it a bunch of times running when I used to do Barcelona Buenos Aires via Frankfurt...Then there was the waiting, it was clear that was the waiting area for the people on the flight to Tehran... the dress code said it all. This old woman started talking to me and the first thing she said was "come to my home" hehehe. So yeah, got on the plane and about 1h before landing my legs started to hurt. thanks god it was a "short flight".. the toilet on the A340 where downstairs! yes there was a downstairs! with an area for a 10 people waiting room and 6 toilets I had never seen this...

Before landing we were reminded that photography was not allowed in Tehran international airport. And later also reminded that by law all woman decending of the plane had to use a headscarf.

That being done I started queuing in a never ending line to pass passport control, it was sooo warm... and then i realized there were only two persons in the queue of FOREIGNERS. So i wente there and this woman told me she had her family waiting they were iranians but with american passports she was going to try and go...she passed with 4 passports. Then when it was my turn... the KLM pilot appeared and made the 12 people in his crew go infront of me :s A german guy started shouting YEAH YEAH the dutch alway before, always extra rights, just make us wait longer. THe dutch the dutch. He applauded them and made a never ending scene. After a long wait I went through. I grabbed my luggage, changed my money (got milions) and then had to pas my luggage through a scanner. Then I walked out and Zainab came to pick me up :)it was great!! it was so late at night there was NO ONE in the streets...took us a while to find the hotel but it went just fine!!!!! Knocked on the door they opened the hotel and I got my room!

Ill upload pictures when back home.

Departure Time

30 minutes till departure from home. . . Im not even nervous, but I've taken my natural tranquilizing pills cuz I don't like flying. Believe it or not but although I feel at home in certain airports and love to stare at them and planes, I don't like to fly. I only take the pills though if things get "moving" and I start to get nervous. Everything is ready. I don't know to which extent the word Tehran has hit in my head. I have repeated it so many times that I think it has lost its magic. It will hit when im in Frankfurt and before boring the plane, as I assume ill be surrounded by Iranians. It will definatively kick in once I find myself in the buzzing Tehran.I have a long flight ahead to read my guidebook and see what I do. For now, time to take a shower and head to the airport!

Hope not to have too many problems with Keyboards/Internet to update this often.

Almost departure time!

So, ready for departure.less than 48 hours. Ticket is printed, money is here, backpack is packed,pick up in Tehran is set, drop off in Barcelona is set. Pick up in Barcelona is set....everything is set. And now is when the nerves start to kick in...will it be safe? Will I get lonely, will I meet people, will it be intresting? This month will be the anniversary of last years elections, what will happend? Im getting a bit worried. I dont know why, all of this kicked in just now, tonight. Im pretty sure the trip will be amazing, but suddenly I have had my thoughts on the trip. How will I feel when being watched my men, by being the foreinger walking around, by taking pictures around.How will it be????? Ill let u know this in the coming up weeks!! Despite all these questions, Im happy and excited. Its holiday time and the moment to go see something new, really really new!!!!!

Small Details

Small ideas, and details that should not be forgotten, I started a list and continued today on my train ticket...things not to forget, not to leave out. On the meanwhile hotel is booked for the arrival in Tehran! Yeah!Got some money out of the bank Yeah! The bank refused to give me the 3/4 more of money that I want to get so I must sort that out.... I went during lunch break to have lunch with a friend and say bye to my Party Friend, and headed to the supermarket to buy all that ill need those days, soap,shampoo,deodorant,toothpaste,pads.... step by step this is becoming a reality!!! I made photocopies of all my documents. Since I cant sort out the scanner at work, I made pictures of all my documents. Just in Case. I got the phone numbers of my friends. Well..... now I admit Im simply tiered. And I know next week I will miss this couch for sure, and being able to get a sun tan, and walk in tang tops and eat pa amb tomaquet. But for 3 weeks Ill give that up and go and enjoy. I admit im very tiered, I havent gotten much sleep in the past weeks. Friday night luckily my friend is organizing a party so Ill go there before going to the airport on Saturday. There is no way I will sleep anyways friday night so the party sounds like a good enough option!! So.. random thought .at what point does one put on the headscarf, while flying over Iran, before touching ground, right when ground has touched?
Hopefully it will be so so so hot that I will sweat and walk so much that I will loose tons of weight -I like day dreaming.
Im starting to think thatIll encounter keyboards that wount be able to type, so lets see how much I can get through with the blog while there. Thailand was already a pain...and France at the beginning. Hope to be able to tell you tons!

www.google.com --> "women traveling alone in iran"
--> "dress code iran"
--> " traveling iran"


I think its time for some rest...tommorrow more preparation :)
Im excited, and trying not to think about all the worries that people keep transmiting to me and that I am so far avoiding. I hope to come back with an amazing experience.