Looking for Trouble

Seattle-area man offers a personal, upbeat version of Iran news

With all of the bad news about Iran-U.S. relations these days, it was nice to get an email from Abdi Sami, a Seattle-area Iranian-American who leads tours to Iran (among many other things) and who always seems to be in an upbeat mood.

Dear Larry,

I hope you are well. Here I am in Iran once again with a group of seventeen wonderful people. They are so present, curious and engaged. This trip has just been amazing. Something new has unfolded every day.

The group has just loved the trip and the warmth and hospitality of the people. In Yazd our hotel manager put a U.S. flag on the reception desk to greet us. In a restaurant four soldiers who were dining near us, came to our table to welcome us and wish us peace. In Persepolis we had the most beautiful, charming and helpful guide!

A hotel added a U.S. flag to make American visitors feel more welcome.

The Mausoleum of Hafez was magnificent at night and we gathered around Hafez’s tomb reciting poetry. Brooke, our eighteen year old tour member has been the center of attention.

In a restaurant Iranian soldiers at a nearby table introduced themselves and welcomed the tour group.

Yesterday we toured the magnificent mosques of Esfahan. Last night under the Khajoo bridge the youth entertained us with their songs and dance!
What an amazing journey!

Here are some photos for you.

Peace,
Abdi

The photos used here are a couple of the ones he sent.

And here is some info about Abdi, taken from his travel web site: www.solhtours.com

“Five years before the Islamic Revolution, I left my native Iran for the United States, where I studied filmmaking at the University of Southern California.

“I have always had great love of documentary filmmaking, although most of my professional career has been in film production and studio management… Recently, I returned to my documentary roots when I traveled to Iran with Rick Steves to help produce a documentary for PBS. View my photo essay about the making of this film.

“I have also had a longstanding interest in peacemaking, which I have pursued as a consultant to Mercy Corps, a non-profit organization committed to turning crisis into opportunity around the world…

“Having traveled to more than 30 countries around the world, I know firsthand the transformative power of travel. I offer only a few tours every year and accompany every tour myself. This way, I can make sure that every tour nurtures travelers on many levels, providing deeply meaningful interaction with the friendly people of Iran and stimulating dialogue among tour group members. ”

Anyone interested in travel to Iran can contact Abdi at abdi@solhtours.com or call him at 206-709-9552.

And, no, this isn’t an ad for Abdi. It’s just a post about a nice guy doing some nice things.