PinShare4TweetShare4 SharesI knew that my trip was off to a roaring start when my Thai Airways plane en route to Tehran announced that alcohol is to be served less than an hour into the flight.  I have sworn off alcohol due to my fear of hangovers but decided to join in on the fun. Alcohol is strictly prohibited in Iran; who knows when I will have it next. Later in the trip, I had dinner in a restaurant along Valiasr in Tehran’s downtown district which listed mojitos (peach and mint) on the menu. My enthusiasm was doused when I was informed

PinShare3TweetShare3 SharesThis post was originally published in my old travel blog, Erudite Traveller in 2017. “It’s Ashura,” my guide said, surprised and confused when I asked why there were so many people on Tehran’s streets close to midnight. She probably assumed that I knew that  I will be in her country during a religious holiday. I didn’t. I wasn’t prepared to travel in Iran on Ashura. Ashura, or the tenth day of the Muharram (the first month in the Islamic calendar), is considered one of the most important religious holidays for Shia Muslims. Iran is a Shia-majority country. Not knowing