Abaneyeh is a neat little mountain village with pedestrian lanes.
It's getting alot of Tehrani tourists, so the folks know how to work you for a small "foto fee"
Some cute kids hangin out
This is a group of girls in school uniforms. They were really cute and wanted their picture taken.
We made a lunch stop at a Caravansarai outside Yadz. Caravansarai's were built by the various leaders as a network of traveler hotels. They are spaced out 1 day camel's ride apart (about 35km) and had quarters for the animals and their people.
This one was probably built around 17th century. It's being used by some Camel Meat Farmers / squaters.
Gratuitious "Camel Toe" shot
Camel Kebabi, mmmmm.
From the roof of the Caravansarai
Everywhere you see writing on the walls, rocks, buildings etc. No, it's not anti-american propaganda, just advertisements. (see, we're not so different....)
Outside Yazd (the modern center of Zoroastrianism) are the Towers of silence
where bodies were placed to be eaten by the vultures (no burial, 'cause it pollutes the earth).
When the City of Yadz grew too close to the towers, and body parts started dropping in folks yards, the tradition was outlawed (in the 50's or 60's by the Shah)
Now the bodies are put in Concrete above ground coffins.
A neat loom.
A table model of the city of Yazd, note ALL the courtyards folks have.
Some Baluchi kids
Friday Mosque (?) Yazd
The Qanats are the system of wells and channels deep underground that provide water from the mountains to the cities. Many were built 2000+ years ago.
This is at the Water museum in Yazd. The clever mills harnessed the (at times) very low water levels in the Qanats to turn mill stones.
Some very nice University students from Mashad, Tehran, Shiraz and Tabriz
The lucky (i.e. wealthy) homes were on the Qanat network and had water channels flow thru their basements. Separate lines for effluent, btw.
Holding Polaroids I took of them.
I missed most of the story on the Qanats 'cause I was talking to them instead. (Again not Mehran's fault! He was very interesting and knows everything, and never makes a mistake - mea culpa iterum.)
Many of the Old Hamams (turkish baths) have been turned into really nice restaurants - like this one.
