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Top Iran travel writing cliches

If you're thinking of writing about your journey across Iran, through "Persia" or into the mind of the self-flagellating Shia on the day of Ashura, here are some useful clichés you can use:

• it's not what you expect
• it's a land of contradictions
• taxi drivers rip you off
• the people are so hospitable
• the women are so beautiful
• people drive Paykans, based on the Hillman Hunter, such a quaint old car
• there are pictures of martyrs everywhere
• people live such contradictory lives with a public face and a private life

... in short? Avoid the clichés, just write about something with real meaning.