Off to Iran with Shayan (27.2.-1.4.25)

Country 102 – Iran 27.2.25-1.4.25

The next country on the world tour is Iran. Weltreisebär got to travel there with Shayan from Isfahan, who was spending his semester break with his family in Isfahan. I met Shayan a while back in the halls of residence in Dresden, where he's studying mechanical engineering. I think it's been about 2 years since we last played volleyball together. When he told me he was from Iran, I immediately "hired" him for Weltreisebär. It was clear from the start that it would take quite a while before he'd next travel to Iran, but we stayed in touch, and good things come to those who wait!

All the photos were taken at the wonderful Ali Qapu Palace in Isfahan (in central Iran).

Here you can see Shayan himself, whom I really appreciate for his openness and easy-going nature. By the way, he speaks almost flawless German, which I have great respect for, since I know how hard it is to learn a case-based language like German.

And there's a little statistical highlight here too: it's 27 February 2025, just before midnight (German time), when Weltreisebär lands in Iran's capital, Tehran. In Weltreisebär's own timeline, he's just completing the 104th month of his life. Iran is the 104th country/territory he's visited (counting Antarctica and Greenland). Nearly 9 years after his "birth", the bear is still keeping up an average of 1 country/month (!).

The trip to Iran is especially special because Germans usually need a visa to go there. Naturally, Shayan and Weltreisebär managed to get through security anyway 😉 Thank you so much, Shayan, for letting Weltreisebär travel with you!