Babol: Surviving College on a Shoestring in Iran's Hidden Gem

yo what's up, broke scholars! if you're staring at your ramen budget wondering if international travel is a fever dream, lemme tell ya about babol. i just checked and it's *13.68 degrees and damp right now, hope you like that kind of thing. if you get tired of this town, sari and amol are basically next door if you can hitch a ride. someone told me the dorms near babol university are sketchy af, but also that the central park turns into a bonfire party at midnight. wild.

here's my survival checklist for budget warriors:

- transport: the old blue buses are 50,000 rials (like 12 cents!) but ignore the route numbers - just yell "university!" at the driver
- food: manto-gholi at ghasem abad alley is legit 30,000 rials per plate. bring your own bread tho
- sleep: crash at moshtaghieh hostel - they'll let you pitch a tent in the garden for 100,000 rials
- emergency: keep tamin ejtemae bank app handy - ATMs outside bazar-e bozorg give out 1,000,000 rial notes

"the baboli tea here is stronger than your student loans, kid. and cheaper. my cousin's friend's uncle said it's laced with opium. or maybe he just hallucinated from sleep deprivation." - overheard at shahid rajaei bus station

pro-tip? never pay more than 150,000 rials for a taxi. they'll try to charge tourists 500k. also heard that mirza's ice cream shop gives free scoops if you complain about the humidity. which is 58% today, btw - feels like walking through a wet sweater. check out this cheap eats guide if you wanna get scammed properly. or this hostel review for more lies.

"if you wanna see real babol, go to emamzadeh yahya at dawn. the locals pray, the pigeons fight, and the pressure drops. it's like watching a soap opera where everyone's broke but hopeful." - whispered by a guy selling socks near baq-e shahr park

so yeah, babol ain't paris. but your 500,000 rial daily budget? that's like being a king here. just don't trust anyone named reza. or ali. or the guy with the pressure reading 1014 hpa* - that's probably code for "i'm gonna overcharge you for tea". peace out, textbook warriors.