Lunch at Chogha Zanbil
One of the more memorable meals we had on our trip was that just outside Chogha Zanbil It had been a busy morning. Not only had we visited Susa – a very major site – but we had also seen the ziggurat. By this time it was nearly 3 o’clock, and we were all hungry. Ali, the driver of the minibus, spied a roadside hostelry and wondered whether it might be suitable. He went in with the guide, looked round and pronounced that though very Iranian in style, he thought they would do us a good meal. And so it proved to be.
We went inside, and found a bare room, carpeted, but with low level seating round the walls. And here you can see Muhammad our guide and Ali the driver and owner of the minibus relaxing in the armchairs. But note just above their heads, the air conditioning – the crucial concession to Western ideas.
Further concessions were made to Western frailties: tables were found in the yard and chairs – plastic and western but comfortable. They were hosed down and brought in by the landlord’s daughter
Here the daughter shows us her pet duckling now much loved but no doubt in a couple of months time, ready for the table.Perhaps surprisingly, we had a splendid meal, rapidly prepared and prefaced by an hors d’oevre of bowls of melon and watermelon.
Eventually the meal was finished and we were happily satiated, and we returned to our minibus. But as we passed through the courtyard, the landlord’s daughter ran after me, bringing the camera I had forgotten. I took her photo again, grateful for the retrieval of the camera, and for a most memorable lunch.
24th May 2017