Tehran Report - 1967

"Arriving in Tehran May 4th we went directly to the Afghan embassy for an entry visa. After four days of bus travel with no chance of washing we looked too scruffy and were told to obtain letters from the US consulate indicating that we had sufficient funds. Really, this was just a delaying tactic as one doesn't need much for Afghanistan daily needs.

Going over to the consulate I was advised by a vice-consul that I needed to get cleaned up (clothes and body!) and there would be no problem. I returned two days later and, indeed, it was no problem.

Tehran is a city of open sewers and tree lined streets. The prices seemed high and the food unimpressive although this could be the result of our attempting to live as cheaply as possible.

Anyway, we got our Afghan visas and were ready to leave when one our loose traveling party came down with a hernia. If was frightening as it was so sudden. We were sitting around the boy-scout dormitory drinking our evening pot of tea when George felt an intense pain in his gut. It got worse and worse and he had to be rushed to the UK embassy doctor and then to a hospital for an immediate operation. Luckily this was a state hospital and thus the treatment for the hernia was at no cost. Peter, a German, and I stayed a few days more to make sure George was okay before leaving Tehran on May 9th."