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Written by: Rebecca Keeton 6/22/2009 8:40:37 AM
I got home from my trip to Iran a couple nights ago and had several email and phone messages from friends wondering if I was ok. Thanks for your concern - I am responding to everyone at once.

I had the time of my life - one of my best trips! I felt like I was a part of history in the making although things got a little dicey before leaving the country. The week preceding the election was so exciting seeing tons of people out in the streets at all hours campaigning for both candidates but overwhelmingly for Moussavi. Most were wearing green arm bands, waving flags, and passing out flyers. As we walked the streets of Tehran, Shiraz, and Isfahan, we stopped at several campaign headquarters where both young and old Iranians told us how they respected Obama and how much they wanted change in their own government, more freedoms, and less isolation from the rest of the world. We were surprised to hear that 74% of all Iranians are under the age of 30 and that only one third of the population are considered radical Islamists. We were impressed at how kind all the people were that we met throughout Iran and how very much they want to be friends with the US. We accompanied our guide when he went to vote in Shiraz which was a high point of our trip. People were patiently lined up for a quarter of a mile in the hot sun (over 100 degrees) to vote. Most spoke only Farsi but a few who spoke English befriended us inquiring about our impressions of Iran, asking questions about America, and again expressing their desire to be friends with the US. This was only one polling place but the majority of the people we saw in line had on green arm bands symbolizing their allegiance to Moussavi.

After touring the country, we returned back to Tehran via Isfahan. This was a couple days after the election where Ahmandinejad had supposedly won by a large margin. As we drove into Tehran, the streets were filled with hundreds of thousands of Moussavi supporters saying the election had been rigged and demanding a recount of votes. There were so many people in the streets that cars were gridlocked for miles! Our driver got us as close as he could to our hotel and then we jumped out and ran for it. Although it appeared to be a peaceful demonstration, we saw police clubbing protesters and several injured were on the fringes of the crowd. Police cars and ambulances were everywhere and there was a lot of smoke and tear gas. After we safely made it to our hotel room, we decided to turn on the TV and see what CNN or the BBC had to say. We had seen Christian Amonpour from CNN outside our hotel and were anxious to hear her take on the situation. To our dismay the government had taken both English speaking stations off the air. At that point I decided to try to call my husband and discovered that I could not call out of the hotel. Jolynne went to another floor to try and send out an email to her family but of course the government had blocked all the sites. Since our room was on the 10th floor, we decided to take advantage of the view. We opened our window and watched the incredible scene unfold below. As far as the eye could see in all directions, the streets were filled with demonstrators. We packed up and left during the wee hours of the night for the airport. We both breathed a sigh of relief once we were in the plane and off the ground headed for Dubai. The reporters all left within the next 36 hours so I think we were lucky to leave when we did. There was never any anger aimed at Americans (we were the only two that we saw during our entire trip!) but I have since heard on CNN that Ahmandinejad and Ayatollah Khamenei are now claiming the US incited the demonstrations and unrest.

Everything that has happened in the last two weeks is so vivid in my mind that I can't sleep. I am glued to the news. We both made so many friends while in Iran that we almost feel like we have abandoned ship! I pray that the unprecedented risks that many Iranians are taking by demonstrating and emailing to let the world know what is going on will not end in more bloodshed but will gain them the right to a chance for a fair election.

My travel company was Distant Horizons out of Long Beach California. Our Iranian guide was Mahmoud Daryaee (he was fabulous!). We traveled all over Iran - flew to Shiraz, then to Isfahan, saw Persepolis, and actually drove right past the nuclear plant which is out in the desert between Isfahan and Tehran! No one wanted to go except my friend and I so we kind of put the trip together ourselves and had our own guide and driver throughout. We didn't see any other Americans during the two weeks we were there, partly because it is so hot this time of year but mainly they are so afraid to go. I found the people to be among the friendliest and most honest and sincere of anywhere I have traveled. If my letter gets printed, please send me a copy and I will try to get a copy to our guide as well. I am so worried about him and all the other people we met in Tehran. He lives in the northern part of the city with his family. Last night on CNN they showed a video that someone had been able to get out on the internet showing the police breaking into peoples homes in northern Tehran during the night, shooting family members, and taking others to prison. People were screaming - it was terrifying. I feel so bad for them - all they want is a fair election and basic freedoms.

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