• Silver box with Gold Sulawesi

  • Javanese gold ring

  • Mamuli Sumba Indonesia

  • Balinese ceremonial plaques

  • Gold tobacco box. Riau Archipelago Indonesia

  • Flores gold earrings

  • Northern Thailand silver tobacco boxes

  • Tea cups and saucer Chinese export silver

  • Ewer Chinese export silver

  • Tinder bag Mongolia

Pursued by Rahmin, my Iranian taxi driver

My sheer curiosity and passion for ruins of the ancient world has given me enough

courage to travel to Iran. Most of my friends were too worried for me since I knew no one. I was aware of the "head scarf", so I chucked one into my checked baggage. While disembarking the plane I was asked if I got a head scarf since I was not wearing one.

After everyone had disembarked, a grinning steward handed me a blanket to be worn as a scarf. I had no choice so I joined the queue with that blanket over my head. Some people thought I looked stupid but some didn't care even though I felt silly. It was a good thing that my bags came promptly and so with my own scarf I got into a taxi driven by Rahmin who spoke perfect English. Since I have not booked a room on arrival, he drove me around for 45 minutes until I found a very decent 4 stars hotel in the center of Tehran. At the reception I was told that my passport will be kept by the hotel until check out. I had no choice so I did as I was told. After refreshing myself in the room, I went to the lobby looking for a cork screw but that didn't exist since alcohol was forbidden and a taboo within society. Feeling disappointed I went back up. Soon after there was a little knock knock on my door and here comes a waiter with an ice pick. With that he chipped off every bit of the cork from the bottle like a professional.

I walked around an antique square in the city the next day hunting for artifacts.There were several ancient beads dealer who have international pricing but I was very pleased with my purchases.

As always I felt that by walking around and talking to the people in the streets often helped me in getting accustomed to the environment of a new place. The following day Rahmin was waiting in the lobby the hotel. We set off for Shiraz, a seven hours long journey to the southern part of the country towards the Gulf. As soon as we were out of the City, Rahmin pulled over to unscrew the light box for 'Taxi' from the roof of his cab. The whole job seemed like a chore to me and I felt very uncomfortable as to why he did that.

After washing his hands in a nearby shop. He walked back to the car, picked a rose and gave it to me. I felt even more uncomfortable.

He suggested that I sit in the front passenger seat and that being a foreigner, it is not necessary to wear a scarf while traveling in a car but he was being harassed by two other men in another car for two hours on the road. I had no idea what it was all about as my guess would be some kind of religious etiquette.

It was already dark when we arrived in Shiraz. I found a small hotel and feeling really jet lagged I spent the evening reading till I fell asleep.

The next morning we drove to Persepolis, an ancient capital of the Achaemenid Empire of Persia (559BC-479BC) this complex has been restored, only leaving some areas with colonnades standing independently.

This complex's purpose had been intended primarily as a ceremonial center and treasury, secured by its remoteness from the risk of plunder. Ambassadors bearing tributes from all over the empire can be seen depicted on the facades in low relief carvings. Its carvings shows Medes, Assyrians, Babylonians, Lydians, Indians and others bringing a parade of treasures like gold and ivory along with exquisite animals, among them a lioness and cubs from Susa, horses from Scythia and two-humped camels from Central Asia. However, this complex was plundered and razed to the ground by Alexander the Great in 330 BC.

I could see from a high point that Rahmin was looking out for me. He was getting overly friendly and I was beginning to feel very uncomfortable with him around. He looked up and finally caught a glimpse of me and he struggled up the steps towards my direction. I watched him and as he was approaching the top of the hill I quickly disappear from his sight. From a distance I could see him panting breathlessly on the steps.

That afternoon, we left for Isfahan 'Isfahan is half the world', a capital city of Persia, built during the peak period of the Safavid period.(1501-1736). It is one of the most elite cities of Iran. Many wide arched bridges were built over a huge river that runs through it. Summer palaces, together with beautiful fountains and lush gardens were found everywhere in Isfahan. The light reflected from the shimmering waters at night was so beautiful. As usual Rahmin slept in his cab. The next morning he came to pick me up for our journey back to Tehran. I could not believe my eyes when he showed up in a three piece suit and I was wandering what he was up to. He walked boldly beside me like we were a couple. I was so upset that I made him drive me directly to the airport from Isfahan instead of having to spend another night in Tehran where my flight was being scheduled for the following day.

I waited for two hours to secure a seat to Dubai on their home airline. Being a small carrier the flight was full. On board we were seated according to our gender. Women sat on the leftside of the plane and the men sat on the opposite side.

When we arrived in Dubai airport, I could hardly recognised those ladies who were on board. Without their garbs and scarves they have transformed themselves into some blue eyes Hollywood bombshells.

Alas! I felt very happy to be on my own again.