5 ms·

I've driven from Alaska to Argentina[0] and right around Africa[1], and I've met a bunch of people that have explored a lot more of the planet than I have. Wit

by grecy 7y ago

I've driven from Alaska to Argentina[0] and right around Africa[1], and I've met a bunch of people that have explored a lot more of the planet than I have. Without fail, every single person that has been to Iran rates it their number one country, and the one they most want to go back to. The people are so friendly, the culture so rich, the landscape and architecture so stunning. I absolutely can not wait to go. [0] theroadchoseme.com/expedition-overview [1] theroadchoseme.com/africa-expedition-overview

yodsanklai 7y ago
> I absolutely can not wait to go. I would like to go too. Unfortunately, I also travel frequently to the US and visiting Iran would make further trip to the US potentially problematic.
- mrtksn 7y ago
  Just get a fresh passport after the trip, with no Iranian stamps. You should be fine unless you are person of interest to intelligence agencies.
  - aliceryhl 7y ago
    This is a bad idea. Just get a visa. I did that and had no issue with getting the visa nor entering. Do not try to break immigration law — you can easily get permanently banned from entry if you lie to immigration officials.
    - mrtksn 7y ago
      Of course, don't lie if you are asked but there's nothing illegal about getting a new passport. Better not have a stamp of a country that is in very bad relations status with the country you are going to visit. Iran is not the only example here.
      - aliceryhl 7y ago
        You still have to answer the question "Have you been to Iran?" when applying for the visa waiver program.
    - literallycancer 7y ago
      Getting a second passport is basically standard procedure, why would that get you banned from entry?
      - aliceryhl 7y ago
        Getting the new passport is not the issue. You have to answer the question "Have you been to Iran?" when applying for the visa waiver program, and this application is what you shouldn't lie on.
- grecy 7y ago
  I have a full page visa and entrance stamps from Sudan in my passport, and I've crossed into the US three times now with that in my passport and they've never said a word.
  - yodsanklai 7y ago
    Seems you're not eligible to a Visa Waiver if you traveled to Iran or Sudan. Which means you need to apply for a visa at your US embassy [1] (which in my case was expensive and required a one day trip). Also it's not only a matter of having an Iranian stamp on your passport. You're not eligible for the VWP even if you visited this countries. I wouldn't try to lie about this! "When can’t I use the VWP (ESTA) and need a visa? Due to personal circumstances: you traveled to certain countries (Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen on or after March 1, 2011)" [1] https://nl.usembassy.gov/visas/visa-waiver-program/ https://nl.usembassy.gov/visas/visa-waiver-program/
  - AWildC182 7y ago
    I think the issue is that Sudan has a very different dynamic with the US with respect to military intelligence/affairs. I don't really think Sudan is considered a sophisticated threat at the moment.
    - Apocryphon 7y ago
      Not to mention, they appear to be going through a transitional stage towards democracy.
- arethuza 7y ago
  I sometimes used to get an alarming amount of grief entering the US because I had quite a few Turkish stamps in my passport as we used to go there a lot on holiday. I hate to think what would happen with an Iranian stamp!
  - nradov 7y ago
    The US government is very concerned about people who use Turkey as an entry point to nearby conflict zones in Syria and Iraq. When I applied for the Global Entry program the only interview question they asked me was why I had visited Turkey.
  - aliceryhl 7y ago
    I have an Iranian visa in my passport, so I had to get a US visa to go to the US. I didn't have to talk to anyone when entering — the electronic thingy scanned the visa, and that was it.
- mostafah 7y ago
  I think they (Iranian government) recently changed the rules and don’t stamp the visa into the passport. Not sure though, you better do a little research about it.
- marouo 7y ago
  Went to Iran a few years ago and my esta got declined. And I'm from Germany... I don't think I would not get a visa at an embassy.
stef25 7y ago
> Without fail, every single person that has been to Iran rates it their number one country Only heard similar opinions, which really makes me want to visit. Three female friends of mine went together and they loved it even though there is this omnipresence of the religious police, reminding them to cover up. The stories they told me of how friendly people are and the things that go on behind closed doors makes it sound like a fascinating place.
- throwaway_tech 7y ago
  > the things that go on behind closed doors "House parties"? That happens to be something I hear about a lot from young Iranians that come to the US for school. My understanding is "house parties" are essentially the only time young men/women can socialize together. I also understand sometimes even alcohol will appear at house parties which again I understand to be at least taboo if not outright illegal generally.
  - Centigonal 7y ago
    Alcohol in urban Iran is kind of like weed in parts of the US. Either you have a friend or family member who makes it at home, or you know a guy who delivers. In either case, if you want it, you can get it pretty easily - although the variety may be limited.
  - stef25 7y ago
    Indeed, house parties. Friends met a couple working in a coffee shop type place and they were invited back to their house, they told their neighbors they were siblings cause "informal" couples are frowned upon if not illegal. At home the blinds stayed closed, the conservative clothing discarded and they all had a wonderful night. But "if people find out we're in deep shit". Apparently the hospitality is so "strong" in Iran you have to almost argue or tell lies to not end up in a different stranger's house every night. A friend of mine here is an Iraqi refugee, when I met him I was amazed at how cosmopolitan and cultured he is. Like more so than anyone I know here. It's very humbling to experience all that especially when all we see on TV is screaming religious nutbags.
thorin 7y ago
I have heard very good things about Iran and had a friend who was a software developer from Iran. He hated the government/establishment though and had left for good in the 80s. Friends that have been on expeditions there kayaking and trekking have been shot at and robbed, but but the pictures do look pretty. I did a self supported kayaking trip to the far east of turkey near Erzurum which is pretty near the border and I assume it would be pretty similar. Very friendly people, great food and scenery.
GordonS 7y ago
I went for a couple of weeks in 2000, tagging along with my dad who was working there in the oil industry. I absolutely loved it - it's a large and often beautiful country, of which I only scratched the surface. The people were without exception polite and friendly, and the food was simply amazing.
complianceowl 7y ago
I really want to visit Iran, as well. As an American, I love the look on people's faces when I tell them that. I also think it's important to distinguish between the government and the people. It can be easy to see them as one and the same, but that would be a mistake. Peter Santenello opened my eyes to Iran. I couldn't believe how pro-America so many Iranians are; the culture seems so rich, and the people so pleasant. I highly, highly, highly recommend you check out Peter's vlog series in Iran (https://www.youtube.com/user/santenello?app=desktop https://www.youtube.com/user/santenello?app=desktop).
- Mirioron 7y ago
  >I also think it's important to distinguish between the government and the people. It can be easy to see them as one and the same, but that would be a mistake. To a degree they are one and the same though. The government still requires the consent of the governed.
  - trhway 7y ago
    >The government still requires the consent of the governed. government is violence (either actual or a credible threat of it). Application of violence doesn't require consent of the subjects of violence when the violence applying side is many orders of magnitude stronger than the subject.
  - 0x0 7y ago
    Tell that again to someone who lived under German occupation in ww2?
    - Mirioron 7y ago
      I have. I am from one of those countries. After WW2 we were occupied by the Soviets as well. My grandfather spent a significant chunk of his life in gulags. You can't lay all of the blame of a country on the government alone, because the government doesn't work without the people. It doesn't matter whether you're dealing with a democracy or autocracy. Bombs don't build themselves. Armies don't feed themselves. Deportations don't happen because an official wills it. Somebody has to execute the orders. I am not saying that the government and the people are entirely the same, but I am saying that you can't just divorce them from one another.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

by grecy 7y ago

yodsanklai 7y ago

> I absolutely can not wait to go. I would like to go too. Unfortunately, I also travel frequently to the US and visiting Iran would make further trip to the US potentially problematic.

mrtksn 7y ago
Just get a fresh passport after the trip, with no Iranian stamps. You should be fine unless you are person of interest to intelligence agencies.
- aliceryhl 7y ago
  This is a bad idea. Just get a visa. I did that and had no issue with getting the visa nor entering. Do not try to break immigration law — you can easily get permanently banned from entry if you lie to immigration officials.
  - mrtksn 7y ago
    Of course, don't lie if you are asked but there's nothing illegal about getting a new passport. Better not have a stamp of a country that is in very bad relations status with the country you are going to visit. Iran is not the only example here.
    - aliceryhl 7y ago
      You still have to answer the question "Have you been to Iran?" when applying for the visa waiver program.
  - literallycancer 7y ago
    Getting a second passport is basically standard procedure, why would that get you banned from entry?
    - aliceryhl 7y ago
      Getting the new passport is not the issue. You have to answer the question "Have you been to Iran?" when applying for the visa waiver program, and this application is what you shouldn't lie on.
grecy 7y ago
I have a full page visa and entrance stamps from Sudan in my passport, and I've crossed into the US three times now with that in my passport and they've never said a word.
- yodsanklai 7y ago
  Seems you're not eligible to a Visa Waiver if you traveled to Iran or Sudan. Which means you need to apply for a visa at your US embassy [1] (which in my case was expensive and required a one day trip). Also it's not only a matter of having an Iranian stamp on your passport. You're not eligible for the VWP even if you visited this countries. I wouldn't try to lie about this! "When can’t I use the VWP (ESTA) and need a visa? Due to personal circumstances: you traveled to certain countries (Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen on or after March 1, 2011)" [1] https://nl.usembassy.gov/visas/visa-waiver-program/ https://nl.usembassy.gov/visas/visa-waiver-program/
- AWildC182 7y ago
  I think the issue is that Sudan has a very different dynamic with the US with respect to military intelligence/affairs. I don't really think Sudan is considered a sophisticated threat at the moment.
  - Apocryphon 7y ago
    Not to mention, they appear to be going through a transitional stage towards democracy.
arethuza 7y ago
I sometimes used to get an alarming amount of grief entering the US because I had quite a few Turkish stamps in my passport as we used to go there a lot on holiday. I hate to think what would happen with an Iranian stamp!
- nradov 7y ago
  The US government is very concerned about people who use Turkey as an entry point to nearby conflict zones in Syria and Iraq. When I applied for the Global Entry program the only interview question they asked me was why I had visited Turkey.
- aliceryhl 7y ago
  I have an Iranian visa in my passport, so I had to get a US visa to go to the US. I didn't have to talk to anyone when entering — the electronic thingy scanned the visa, and that was it.
mostafah 7y ago
I think they (Iranian government) recently changed the rules and don’t stamp the visa into the passport. Not sure though, you better do a little research about it.
marouo 7y ago
Went to Iran a few years ago and my esta got declined. And I'm from Germany... I don't think I would not get a visa at an embassy.

stef25 7y ago

> Without fail, every single person that has been to Iran rates it their number one country Only heard similar opinions, which really makes me want to visit. Three female friends of mine went together and they loved it even though there is this omnipresence of the religious police, reminding them to cover up. The stories they told me of how friendly people are and the things that go on behind closed doors makes it sound like a fascinating place.

throwaway_tech 7y ago
> the things that go on behind closed doors "House parties"? That happens to be something I hear about a lot from young Iranians that come to the US for school. My understanding is "house parties" are essentially the only time young men/women can socialize together. I also understand sometimes even alcohol will appear at house parties which again I understand to be at least taboo if not outright illegal generally.
- Centigonal 7y ago
  Alcohol in urban Iran is kind of like weed in parts of the US. Either you have a friend or family member who makes it at home, or you know a guy who delivers. In either case, if you want it, you can get it pretty easily - although the variety may be limited.
- stef25 7y ago
  Indeed, house parties. Friends met a couple working in a coffee shop type place and they were invited back to their house, they told their neighbors they were siblings cause "informal" couples are frowned upon if not illegal. At home the blinds stayed closed, the conservative clothing discarded and they all had a wonderful night. But "if people find out we're in deep shit". Apparently the hospitality is so "strong" in Iran you have to almost argue or tell lies to not end up in a different stranger's house every night. A friend of mine here is an Iraqi refugee, when I met him I was amazed at how cosmopolitan and cultured he is. Like more so than anyone I know here. It's very humbling to experience all that especially when all we see on TV is screaming religious nutbags.

thorin 7y ago

I have heard very good things about Iran and had a friend who was a software developer from Iran. He hated the government/establishment though and had left for good in the 80s. Friends that have been on expeditions there kayaking and trekking have been shot at and robbed, but but the pictures do look pretty. I did a self supported kayaking trip to the far east of turkey near Erzurum which is pretty near the border and I assume it would be pretty similar. Very friendly people, great food and scenery.

GordonS 7y ago

I went for a couple of weeks in 2000, tagging along with my dad who was working there in the oil industry. I absolutely loved it - it's a large and often beautiful country, of which I only scratched the surface. The people were without exception polite and friendly, and the food was simply amazing.

complianceowl 7y ago

I really want to visit Iran, as well. As an American, I love the look on people's faces when I tell them that. I also think it's important to distinguish between the government and the people. It can be easy to see them as one and the same, but that would be a mistake. Peter Santenello opened my eyes to Iran. I couldn't believe how pro-America so many Iranians are; the culture seems so rich, and the people so pleasant. I highly, highly, highly recommend you check out Peter's vlog series in Iran (https://www.youtube.com/user/santenello?app=desktop https://www.youtube.com/user/santenello?app=desktop).

Mirioron 7y ago
>I also think it's important to distinguish between the government and the people. It can be easy to see them as one and the same, but that would be a mistake. To a degree they are one and the same though. The government still requires the consent of the governed.
- trhway 7y ago
  >The government still requires the consent of the governed. government is violence (either actual or a credible threat of it). Application of violence doesn't require consent of the subjects of violence when the violence applying side is many orders of magnitude stronger than the subject.
- 0x0 7y ago
  Tell that again to someone who lived under German occupation in ww2?
  - Mirioron 7y ago
    I have. I am from one of those countries. After WW2 we were occupied by the Soviets as well. My grandfather spent a significant chunk of his life in gulags. You can't lay all of the blame of a country on the government alone, because the government doesn't work without the people. It doesn't matter whether you're dealing with a democracy or autocracy. Bombs don't build themselves. Armies don't feed themselves. Deportations don't happen because an official wills it. Somebody has to execute the orders. I am not saying that the government and the people are entirely the same, but I am saying that you can't just divorce them from one another.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]