After a sleep in and a lazy morning the three of us make our way into town and hit up the touristy sites. We visit the Naqsh-e-jahan square, the second biggest town square in the world. A little touristy shopping is commenced and I find a dress/shirt to replace the hideous outfit I bought in Tajikistan and a new scarf to match.
We visit Jamme mosque which is bustling with worshippers. Unfortunately most of the mosque is shut due to Eid, a Muslim holiday. Despite this the mosque is very impressive. During the visit I have to wear a chador - a large piece of material that goes over your head, down to you ankles. The wearer clutches it shut at the front, leaving only the face and feet exposed. I spend the next hour battling with my chador, trying to take photos and carry my bag. It's a little frustrating. The boys wander around unhindered. Unfortunately during my fumbling I changed the settings on my camera and all my photos from the mosque visit have a yellow tinge from a filter. I guess now I can put them on Instagram.
The afternoon is spent relaxing at a fancy hotel, drinking milkshakes before heading back to the square. We find the fereni shop nearby and fall in love with this amazing, simple desert. Fereni is a milk and rice pudding, blended smooth, served cold with an amazing sugary sauce on top. The owner claims that the only ingredient in the sauce is sugar but I don't believe him. We by a bottle of sauce to go, it will be great on our porridge when we are camping.
When we arrive back at the house we are staying at there are a few other couch surfers. Aria, our host ends up accommodating a total of seven of us that night. The atmosphere is great, like a hostel.
We head to a local park where many locals are having picnics, smoking the water pipe and playing music. After a short smoke we move on and sit with a group of Iranians playing a traditional instrument. It is kind of like a bagpipe, made out of goats skin. One other guy plays a drum. The music is fantastic.
We have another lazy morning, planning our route to Yazd, researching visa extensions and the usual interneting.
Finally we make our way to town, indulge in more fereni and then head to Imam mosque. This mosque is world heritage listed and currently being refurbished, which means it's not being actively used and I don't have to wear a chador. Despite the scaffolding the mosque is super impressive, massive domes, heaps of blue tiles ad carved stone.
The day wouldn't be complete without a second serving of fereni, so that's what we do. The afternoon is spent relaxing in the square with the other couch surfers.
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