Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Even from the first moments of this trip, it was clear that the people of Iran would be the
biggest joy of our visit. Iranians consider visitors to be a gift from God…and treat them
that way.
People greeted me with a smile. Invariably, they asked where I was from. I often said,
“You tell me.” They guessed and guessed, running through five or six countries before
giving up. When I finally told them, “America,” they'd be momentarily shocked. They
seemed to be thinking, “I thought Americans hate us. Why would one be here like this?”
The smile left their face. Then a bigger smile came back as they said, “Welcome!” or “I
love America!”
Welcoming travelers is a traditional Muslim value…and being an American makes you
the most popular kid in the village.
In a hundred such interactions in our 12 days in Iran, never once did my saying “I
am an American” result in anything less than a smile or a kind of “Ohhh, you are rich
and strong,” or “People and people together no problem, but I don't like your Mr. Bush.”
(It seemed that Iranians liked our president as much as Americans liked Iran's.) I found
