Book "Unforgettable Iran". Chapter 4. Kashan
Don't drink from my bottle
From the terminal, I had to take a taxi "dar-bast", because I could not find my way in the streets. I was greeted by a hospitable Reza and immediately led to the kitchen, offering to try a delicious Iranian drink. He took a strange-looking seed from a cupboard, mixed it with water, and added syrup.
"Poison must always be sweet, " he explained.
“Then drink yourself first, then me, ” I suggested.
We defiantly drank a glass in one gulp. Then I said:
- If you didn't poison me, Reza, then you are my best friend.
So we became friends. Later, Reza admitted that the poison turned out to be defective and for some reason did not work, but since then I have trusted him as myself. In the evening we were waiting for the arrival of Luka, the same one I had met in Qom.
- Is it really necessary to travel cheaply? I walked from the bus station, it's no more than ten minutes to walk here, - Luka laughed.
We sat together on the floor and ate pancakes from the same pan, which he cooked, and Belarusian potato pancakes of my own production stood nearby, however, I did not find sour cream and had to replace it with tasteless yogurt.
We ate from the same frying pan and told each other about travels and adventures. But when Luca and I began to drink from the same bottle, Reza looked at us suspiciously.
- You decided to poison us again, Reza? I joked and handed him a bottle: Have a drink with us!
- I don't want to, - Reza answered, - if you drank from this bottle, then I won't drink from this bottle.
Then he told us about very dangerous bacteria that are transmitted if you drink from one bottle, and also taught us how to drink correctly: you need to lift the bottle above yourself and pour water into your mouth in a trickle, without touching the bottle with your lips. When we asked if he was afraid to eat from the same pot, he replied that he was not afraid to eat, but he was afraid to drink, because it was contagious.
Later, I observed that such behavior is part of etiquette, so if you are offered to drink water from a bottle, and you put your lips on the neck, then no one will drink water after you.
This city is known for its bazaar, fabrics, carpets and ceramics, as well as traditional houses, which are located so close to each other that once you get to the right area, although you will bypass everything in a few hours, you will be extremely saturated with positive impressions.
I was fascinated by Kashan. To understand me, you need to see for yourself the houses of Tabatabai, Borujerdi, Ameri and Abbasian. Climbing the upper floors, squeezing along the narrow steps and endlessly getting into different rooms, walking on the roof and dining on pomegranates and figs plucked in the garden, it seemed to me that I was in the fairy tale "1000 and one night. " I had such a strong impression of palaces and architecture, where fountains played against the backdrop of luxurious palaces and fig and pomegranate trees grew. Among other attractions, it is worth noting the former bath - Hammam e Sultan Mir Ahmad and one of the best parks in Iran - Bagh e Tarikhi ye Fin (Fin Garden).
After this city, I no longer admired the red houses of Abyane and the adobe streets of Yazd, and every time I was asked which Iranian city I liked the most, I answered: “Kashan – kheili dost daram” (I like Kashan very much).
Author: Kozlovsky Alexander.
Book: "Unforgettable Iran". 159 days hitchhiking.
