Caravanserais

  This sand stone round stand alone building is in the middle of the desert.  They were part of the route for travellers for the past 2000 years.. this one has been improved but not changed in format.each caravanserais was about twenty miles apart and dotted the country from south to north and probably east into Pakistan and Iraq  We have a sleeping platform with two  mattresses and a carpet floor. Reminds me of Egypt.  We  spent most of this day. Tuesday March 19 in Yadz, we went to a garden which has been aRound again for over a thousand years... it has slowly grown but is mainly trees cleverly watered.  This country is desperately short of water and over the centuries have developed very clever ways of finding it and keeping accessible. The adobe yellow sand houses often round shapes with very high towers with slats which are really cooling towers. Hot air rises away from the ground and the cool air descends. Ir 

T is a system againdevloped over the many years.  In this desert place there is minimal electricity and no wifi. So you may not get this for a couple of days.  Meals are included in this place whereas we usually buy our own altho we eat together. This noon Rosemary and I actually found a REAL coffee shop we both like tea which is what most Iranians drink, otherwise it is Nescafé and hot water.

You should all come to visit here, the people are so glad to welcome visitors we are stopped on the street by women, who greet us, shake our hand they smile and pat our backs and say welcome welcome.  It is good time to be here as it is New Year. A big family holiday.  We have learned to say Happy New year in Farsi.  They seem to be a family oriented. People.. Trying to survive. On rampant inflation and a corrupt government with a punitive bent.   As Rosemary and I were walking down Crowded avenues  full of children  and women shopping. Grand parents etc she looked at me and said.  Why would anyone bomb these people?..

The sanctions make life very difficult,food is scarce or T least a large variety is not available.  

They apparently shut down their nuclear programs People do not want war of any kind they have seen enough of it..the war with Iraq was costly in many ways including nearly 500000 soldiers and civilians who are still dying from the chemical war fare which results in a long insidious death.

On a brighter note they have some of the best plastic surgeons in the world and masses of people especially women have their nose altered!!!

I am sitting on the roof of this caravanserais with a wonderful vista of mountains but in typical desert weather as the sun goes down it becomes colder so am going down