A Long Walk with an Stranger
It has been a cloudy/rainy/snowy week. The heavy rain followed by snow last Thursday ruined my plans to go for a major photo shooting. So seeing a half cloudy sky Thursday 12-14-06, I decided that I'm going to take some pictures no matter what comes my way. It was a horribly cold day, even with sun playfully beaming from wherever clouds hadn't managed to cover.
So I spent the morning at Chehelsoton Palace and took about 247 pictures. I wasn't feeling hungry at all, so I thought I'll take some pictures of a beautiful mosque, which has dazzling tiles and architecture and then I get something to eat. By the time I took my last picture, I noticed a tall handsome guy reading his tourist guide and looking around, smiling at people, so when he was about to leave, much to my surprise, I did something I've always thought to be stupid. I asked him "Where are you from sir?", to which he answered: "Hi, I'm from the US." and I was like "You've got to be kidding me!" To answer my amazement as how he had managed to get a visa, he said since his father was German, he was able to get a German passport and get to come here.
I didn't feel much hungry then, so we started walking through two other sights he had not seen in the vicinity of that Mosque. He said he was from San Francisco, and that's all I asked him. I didn't get his name, nor did I ask him what he did, although he asked me about that. We went on to go to an Internet cafe, so that I can burn whatever photo I'd got since that morning and give it to him. Then I decided that I'll go on to follow him to see the two old bridges as well. We just talked about where he should see, politics of the region, women, election day, religion and many other things. And at around 5 O'clock, I got him a cab so he can go to terminal and get a ticket for tomorrow, so he can leave Esfahan for Yazd. I felt a little bad to leave him on his own, but then I was way too hungry and cold. I hope my tall handsome stranger have a wonderful time in Iran and a safe trip back home. I kind of wish I get to see him again. Although he was a total stranger, I felt like I've known him for a long time...