Daily Archives: September 4, 2011

Now, as for that quylan, otherwise known as a narghile. Or for children of the 60s, perhaps waterpipe or hookah will ring a bell. We were in Tehran, eager for something to eat after a long, tiring day’s drive on the fabulous but admittedly monotonous superhighway from Tabriz. Wonderful, soulful music emanated from our hotel’s old-style tearoom, so we went in there.

What we found was a darkish room, wood tables with blue and green tiled tops. Banquets lined with stiff cushions and stiffer bolsters, all covered in a prickly carpet-type fabric. Three men played traditional instruments, singing ballads with much gesturing of hands and wagging of heads. It seemed just the place.

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I have smoked a narghile, which in Iran is called a quylan. A proper one. In Tehran. And it was good. But let me take a step back to a few days ago, when we reached a little-used border post between Turkey and Iran. Approaching from Turkey through low green hills we passed flocks of sheep guarded by proper Anatolian sheepdogs, huge, with thick grey coats and black muzzles (the dogs that is, not the sheep). I had my long, loose shirt and headscarf ready. I was, needless to say, excited. And hopeful. And a bit uncertain. How would we be treated by the border officials? Would Iranians be pleased to meet an American or angry? And would my outfit pass muster?

I needn’t have worried. The border was empty of traffic when we arrived. Within minutes we were unencumbered of our passports by a border policeman in a crisp pale-green uniform with only a modest amount of gold braid, who invited us to occupy two of the three chairs in the passport control area while he disappeared into a side room. As officials came and went from that room, we waited. I was unusually patient, primarily because I feared the consequences of asking questions. Eventually we were invited to fill in a health form, which asked us to check off whether we were experiencing any diarrhea or vomiting. Some while after that we were invited into the side room and presented with a blue ink pad on which we were asked to press our fingers and leave two sets of fingerprints on a piece of paper. A strip of gauze was proffered to wipe off our blue finger tips.

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