Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
mission turned out to be not only an enjoyable travel experience, but one of the most grat-
ifying projects I've ever taken on. In addition to addressing some of the deep rifts between
our two societies, this chapter also offers a behind-the-scenes peek at traveling and filming
in this mysterious country.
Flying from Istanbul's Atatürk Airport to Tehran's Khomeini Airport, I thought about other
airports my fellow passengers likely used—Reagan and De Gaulle. The airports are named
after four very different 20th-century leaders, but each one left an indelible mark on his
nation.
The plane was filled with well-off Iranian people. Their features were different from
mine, but they dressed and acted just like me. As so often happens when I travel, I was
struck by how people—regardless of the shapes of their noses—are so similar the world
over. As we all settled into the wide-body jet, I wished the big decision-makers of our
world weren't shielded from an opportunity to share an economy cabin with people like
this.
