We faced every day in Iran to some surprise so I decided to share with you the most surprising and interesting things, that I encountered. 

IRANIAN MONEY 

First thing that I found confusing was the difference between the official exchange rate (1€ = 44 000 Rials) and the unofficial one ( 1€ = ca 126 000 Rials). Therefore it is always important to NOT exchange money in banks. Luckily there were in every city more places to exchange money with a pretty good exchange rate. However, it happened to us in Teheran, that when we wanted to exchange money in the afternoon (around 3 p.m.), there was almost nowhere available cash. All exchange shops just ran out of money. We found the only one which was still open, but they offered a very bad deal. Unfortunately, it was for us the only chance to get money and go for some nice Christmas dinner. 

2 currencies…? 

While talking with people about money, dealing with the price, paying for a taxi, you will never hear anyone talking about Rial. Everybody will tell you prices in Toman. Why? Nobody knows. I tried to ask a few Iranians, but none of them was able to answer. And how does it work then? 1 Toman = 10 Rials. Therefore costs you for example coffee 10 000, which means actually 100 000 Rials (at the first price, there is not written the currency but it is pretty clear that the price is meant in Tomans)

Important for not loosing too much money is also to know, that the exchange rate changes literally every single hour. You wake up and 1 € equals 120 K Rial. But in the afternoon, it can be suddenly 130 K. Which is a small difference, but it matters anyway. 

COSMETIC SURGERIES 

Already during our first days in Tehran, we realised, that there is a quite big number of people with some kind of white bandage on their face (mostly on their nose). Firstly, I didn’t really pay attention to it. I also thought that it might be caused by domestic violence. However, as we learned later (and as Negaar, our friend from Isfahan told us), many people in Iran undergo cosmetic surgeries to make their face look better (since nothing else from their body can be shown on public). Surprisingly, there was no specific age group that we would meet more than others. With white bandages on the face, we met teenage boys, girls or married women with children. 

TOILET PAPER IS A RARITY 

Mostly when I pack my backpack, I take only one package of issues so it doesn’t take too much space. I rely on toilets and restaurants, that provide us with emergency toilet paper/tissues etc. However, this strategy definitely didn’t work for Iran. You will not be able to find toilet paper on any toilet. It was for my kind of big secret, how is it possible, till the time I was on the toilet with Negaar. She asked me if I know, why is on every toilet shower. At the first moment, I thought that it was there instead of a classic splash (which was also on many places missing). Obviously, my guess was wrong. They use the shower for cleaning themselves after doing things they need on the toilet. Firstly, I found it as a really great idea, since to clean ourselves after going on the toilet only with some dry piece of paper is not the most hygienic procedure. So I tried. And it was really catastrophic. Since I always wear a dress, I also always wear tights. And it really didn’t make me feel comfortable when my bottom was wet and I was supposed to take on my tights. I tried, but next time I came back to a classic European style.  🤷‍♀️

(ALMOST ALL) PEOPLE IN IRAN ARE SUPER FRIENDLY

If you are interested in traveling to Iran, you have already probably read that Iran is one of the friendliest countries in the world. And we can definitely approve. At least it was for us the most pleasant experience, that we had ever done. People were making us every day happy. There was no moment that we would feel alone and not welcomed. Always when we were walking on the street, somebody stopped us and tried to ask us about our mood, origin, motivation to go to Iran and so on. And they really meant it! People are not nice because they see you as a money box. They just really want to share moments with you. However, every rule needs to have an exception. In Yazd, we met very “nice and friendly” Couchsurfers who welcomed us with opened arms and were actually kind of suspicious with their hospitality and all those things that they were offering us (such as desert tour, picking us up from everywhere, being our company all the time…). And we were right. Right before the wanted to say goodbye to us, they asked us for about 110 € for the “Couchsurfing experience”. We talked to the one guy and told him that this is not really possible and he started almost to cry. Later, Amin (his friend) started to hate me on Instagram and he wrote to me many hate messages but it was rather funny than that it would make me sad.

THE COUNTRY IS SAFE

When we came back from Iran and also before we went there, people kept asking me questions like: “Is it safe?” “Isn’t it forbidden 

WOMEN IN IRAN LOVE GOLD SHOPPING

People (that we encountered) in Iran love to buy gold. One friend of us even asked me: “How is it possible that you don’t go gold shopping? It is my favorite hobby!” 

COUCHSURFING (PROBABLY) DOESN’T WORK 

We did CouchSurfing only once in Iran in the city of Yazd and have unfortunately pretty bad experience. The guy who hosted us wanted money from us afterward. Without telling us that the “services” that he did for us are paid. And with his services, I mean going with us to the desert and for a walk in the city which he called “tour”. We ended up arguing and were called “rich Europeans”.