Thursday, December 25, 2008

Jolly old Christmas time

Standing in the courtyard of a 1600's cathedral in south Esfahan with christmas trees, lights and a santa in a train I am wondering whether I have entered a parallel universe. Then that horrible "Macarena" song comes on over the loudspeaker - it's a mixed dance version with "Joy to the world" interspersed in with it and i am really questioning the reality of the situation. Then I fall down some stairs and take out a chunk of my knee and my hand and I realise that this really is happening and also I am in a lot of pain. (Why do I always fall over?) Much consternation by the people around me - but just a bit of blood to clean up - which is hard because you aren't allowed to show leg here and most of the blood was coming out of my knee.

The Vank cathedral is the central part of the Armenian quarter here in Esfahan. The christians, jews and muslims have pretty much all gotten along with each other for hundreds of years in Iran. The "People of the Book" (christians, jews and mandeans) have their own reserved seats in parliament, don't have to do military service and aren't subject to the same restrictions as the muslim iranians. This picture of peaceful co-existance doesn't quite gel with how Bush Jnr and his cronies would have us think about Iran.

So anyway enough of the history and me being on my soapbox! Christmas day in Esfahan is peaceful - I went shopping and bought a very fine rug, a salt bag (for carrying your salt in the desert on your camel), and a lovely piccy of a camel painted onto some camel bone. Hope you all had a good xmas and not too many family fights. I'm off the the desert for a few days to hang out with some camels and eat some dates.
Cheers

1 comment:

S Howe said...

Just wondering what use the salt bag for the camel will come in, in Brunswick context- may want to offload that as excess baggage on way home?