Nuclear and beautiful

We are now in sovereign territory of the former Shah. This is Kish Island. The weather is beautiful, the water is blue, and the corruption is in-your-face. Just like India, but more beautiful.

Thousands of years of history, culture and civilization have led to Kish blossoming into a playground for daylight state-supported corruption. We are just past passport control when we are accosted by an official in plainclothes who eventually turned out to be just a plain hotelier in plainclothes. He kept seizing the passports of all those who were supposedly travelling for visa change, and kept instructing all such passengers to collect their luggage and wait in the hotel bus outside. When he collected ours, and we protested, he confirmed that if the passport officer agreed, he would return. So, we had to protest to the passport officer to 'instruct' this hotelier. The security-officer-hotel nexus is smooth, effective and runs with the efficiency of a steam engine.

The five star that we end up staying in might technically be five independent stars, one for breakfast, one for interior and so on. But then, we shouldn't complain. The whole island is engorged with mainlanders at the moment. The average Iranian in Kish would seem to economically better off than an average Indian, definitely more attractive, and decidedly more indifferent. Most are also seemingly nice. The vegetable vendor next to our hotel would have given Ajay Devgan a run for his money any day (I agree, anyone can given Ajay Toygun a run for his money). The food is incredible, if you are a carnivore. Else, you have the choice of rice and yogurt. Water is vegetarian.

The weather is chilly and cool, and the natural topography can inspire an epic. The elements must surely have something to do with the physical attractiveness of these people. Worth the visit? Definitely, if you are on a visa change.

Also, if you are Iranian.