[martin_fierro]

And "freelance illustrator" means "without a steady job."

Riding a rented motorcycle througt Iran, Patrick Zeller stops to ask a lone Iranian on a motorbike to snap a photo on a beautiful road between Shiraz and Isfahan.

[martin_fierro]

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Something tells me Young Master Zeller's Excellent Iranian Adventure wouldn't have been so excellent were he female.

[mtbopfuyn]

I share a cigarette with a young Kurdish guy

Ah ha, I knew he was smoking some of those funny looking cigarettes.

[Publius6961]

This ride "to save the whales", or for AIDS or whatever is taking on bizarre forms...

This guy is a 30-something in a 12-year old body, and I really have no interest on the political wisdom he may have gained as a result of his hobby...

[postaldave]

i googled imaged "iran motorcycle". this is what i came up with.

[spunkets]

"They offer me a real beer."

Regular Iranian's get 74 lashes, or a death sentence form the mullahs for that. This guy's obviously special. Probably the camaraderie of anti-American sentiment.

[StarCMC]

"At first I thought Allah sent Chris to me to test my patience," I explain to Kazim, feeling that somehow I've failed. "I will arrange this," Kazim somberly admits, "because I would not want to be in your shoes."

Allah akbar! (God is great.)

Mmmmmkay.

[martin_fierro]

"America," I would tell them in as humble a voice as I could.

Trying to imagine what that looks like.

[AdamSelene235]

When I was motorcycling Central Asia I ran into a number of folks who had just crossed Iran. All of them had positive experiences and, of course, hospitality unheard of in the West. Even for an American, I don't think Iran is a particularly dangerous riding destination (barring the outbreak of all out war).

[StarfireIV]

Interesting, I took a trek across the USA last summer, broke bread with an 80 year old Native American WWII vet at the Crazy Horse monument, toured the Magnificent Mile in Chicago with a long-time friend, enjoyed a pipe smoke with a few Confederate Re-enactors at Gettysburg, and was reminded of how thankful I am to be living in the USA. Ah well, takes all kinds I suppose.