THE WILDEST WEDDING EVER!- Baluchistan, Iran

.......continued from.....Chabahar, Baluchistan, Iran

Probably the most unforgettable experience in Chabahar, was a Baluchi village wedding we were invited to by a friend of Satar’s. Although we didn’t know anyone there, we decided to go for it- it would be interesting to compare it to the Bandari wedding. We were picked up in a fancy 4WD, by two brothers who both spoke very clear and careful English. They told us about their village on the lovely drive (it was the same area where Amin’s village was), and that we would probably be separately during the night because of their customs. We said that was fine, as we’d already experienced it. The biggest surprise came when they said their village had black African slaves and we should be prepared for that! Apparently, hundreds of years ago they were brought over from Africa (we think with the Portuguese, but we’re having trouble finding out about it on the internet), and bought by wealthy Iranians. These ones stayed, and multiplied (the brothers said there was no mixing with the Iranians, but it was evident in their faces this wasn’t true). Now they live and work with and for the people of the village, basically doing all the work- cooking, cleaning, and farm work. Whether they are paid or not is something we didn’t like to ask, but we were doubtful.

Some of the gorgeous African kids in the village

It was a strange 24 hours we spent in this village. After being given Baluchi clothes to change into (we don’t know if they thought that would be a treat for us, or if they thought our own clothes looked terrible!) we were separated, and Richard taken away to have a boring time sitting around with solemn blokes, and Sal with a huge group of heavily made up and reserved women who, at first, didn’t speak with her for hours, but warmed up later. The bride was behind a curtain in the same room, and she remained there all night. It was actually pretty uninspiring compared to the music and laughter of the Bandari wedding. The nicest bit was when a girl offered to paint a design on Sal’s hand with henna, which is something she’s never had done before, even all those times in India! Then a young girl jumped on her and asked her to dance. Not much else was going on, so she agreed, and was taken to a small room with a stereo, and two female look outs on either door. It was all very secretive. Then a couple of the African women came in and started dancing up a storm. Sal joined in, learning some dance moves, and entertaining all the women who had started cramming into the room. The young girl who had spoken with Sal also started to dance, and she was amazing- she threw off her scarf and put on a jangly belly dancing skirt, and was shaking it all over the little room. Then a large scary looking woman stormed in, and yelled at her, and a little girl who had also been dancing, and they both meekly put on their scarves and sat in the corner. Sal was pissed off, as they had been having such a good time. Of course, the Iranian village women refused to have their photos taken, so only the Africans appear in our pictures (and the kids).

Resting after entertaining all the village ladies with dance

Sal's henna-ed hand at wedding

Cutie at wedding

Traditional Baluchi dress

Dags in Baluchi dress

Eventually, after a dinner of a wonderful heavy lamb in gravy dish ( there was no-one to ask the name!), with all the usual bits and pieces such as Iranian flat bread, saffron rice, salad and drinks, some of the ladies went to sit on the mats outside, and a band started with Baluchi music, which we liked very much. The blokes all came back from the secret drinking place they had been (some people in the village are ultra-conservative, and those who aren’t have to hide their occasional drinking from them), and we finally met up after about 6 hours!

We had a lot to tell each other, but the celebrations were in full flow now, and we were taken to see the groom and sit with him while the “slaves” provided entertainment in the form of singing and dancing. Guests would give them money by waving it first over the groom’s head before it was grabbed. Some of the men got out pistols and Kalashnikovs and started shooting into the sky. We were both dragged up to dance again, but by 4am we were dead tired, and requested to go to bed. We were shown to a big western-style, comfortable bed (the first of the trip, we had been sleeping on floors everywhere else), and even the loud music and gun shots couldn’t keep us from dropping off immediately.

Rich feeling merry at village wedding

Baluchi fireworks

Getting into the groove at village wedding

The next day, the kind men of the village woke us with breakfast of fried liver, cheese, bread, and tea, and took us on a trip they had planned around the area. We actually would have liked to have gone back to Amin’s and slept, but we didn’t want to be rude. So we set off to tour around the gardens and to the huge dam that is the main water supply for the villages in the area. On return, we were taken in to see the groom and bride sitting together on a bed in a room, her heavily made up, and speaking no English, and Sal was left in there for hours, trying not to fall asleep. Finally we were driven back to Chabahar town, after offers to stay in the village as long as we liked.

Interesting colours in rock near village

Our group at local dam

Lovely light around village

Getting late in the day

Scenery around the village

......next Onwards and Upwards into Baluchistan....