Istanbul!

It took 76 hours for the Trans-Asia Express to go from Tehran to Istanbul, which is only four hours less than the Orient Express took to get here from Paris. Sadly, I lost my camera in the railway station right before the trip, so you'll just have to imagine what it looked like when the Iranian passengers tried to teach me Persian dancing in the dining car.

The dancing began right after we got off our Iranian train in Turkey and boarded a six-hour ferry accross Lake Van, which later connected us with a Turkish train. It was past midnight and the boat hadn't even begun to move when the party started. Many women removed their hijabs and someone found beer at a store near the dock. Finally -- in Turkey -- I got to see Iranians being themselves!

There was dancing every night for the rest of the trip. There was usually a fight every night, too. At one point an elderly man had a heart attack, and we also hit a car. I was even interviewed by a reporter who wroks for an Iranian women's magazine.

It was too late to check into a hostel when we finally got to Istanbul so I jumped into a van with some Iranians. I followed them to their hotel, and when I stepped out the door in the morning I had no idea where I was.

Istanbul is a remarkably European city. On the ferries between the European and the Asian sides they even serve tea on the decks. The food is fantastic so I may stay here a bit.