ESL Blogs

I decided to go to Rasht which is located in the Northern part of Iran, along the Caspian Sea. I heard that my uncle has been sick and as a result, I had to go there. Apart from this, I grew up in Rasht and was enthusiastic to see how everything has changed in this area. Rasht is called "Gate of Europe." The reason is that it connects Iran to Russia and consequently Europe. Similarly, it is covered with a vast jungle. Most of the time, it's rainy, humid and one of the favorite locations for swimming. Most of my Canadian friends think that Iran is arid and has only desert. Whenever I show this part of Iran to them, they say: "Oh! Well, you also have jungles and mountains! Interesting!"
From Tehran to Rasht, it is almost 241 km and takes four hours to get there. To get to Rasht, we have to pass through four different cities. First, Qazvin, second, Loshan, third Manjil, fourth, Rudbar and finally Rasht.

     The journey begins from Tehran. It is written on the bridge, " Do not speed!  Speeding equals death"

This side of Alborz Mountains is arid and without any vegatations. Rasht is situated behind the chain of Alborz Mountains. These mountains have unique characteristic. The south part of Alborz Mountains is arid and without any vegetations. However, due to water vapor from Caspian Sea, the North part has totally different face. It is green and covered with so many trees. We have to go behind the mountains in order to get to Rasht.

                            On the way to Rasht.

                          Wind Farm in Manjil. You can also see the White River Dam.

 A turbine which generates electricity.Manjil is an important city. First, it is so windy and therefore, 21 turbines with capacity of 300 to 660 KWs installed to generate electricity as well as olive gardens and archeological sites. Second, White River, one of the major rivers in the North part of Iran, goes through the city and a dam is built to produce electrical power.

                            Ship-like Manjil's square.

On the way to the town of Rudbar.We passed through two or three dark tunnels. People usually shout, scream, whistle and sing inside the tunnels. Just my luck, this time, everyone was very quiet.

       The town of Rurbar on the steep of the mountain. Rudbar completely destroyed in an earthquake in 1990. Now, it is back on its feet.

The North side of Alborz Mountains covered with so many trees. Thus, Iran is not only arid. It also has various trees!

                             The police officer is giving ticket to a driver for speeding.

It's time to have lunch! We stopped on the shoulder of the road to set our table for my mom's chicken sandwiches.

Drivers especially truck drivers communicate with each other with some special signals. If your car is broken and you are on the shoulder of the road, they honk at you. This means if you need any help or not. If your car is fine and you are just drinking a cup of tea or taking a rest, they again honk. This indicates greeting. In fact, they say:"Hi, how are you?" While eating our lunch, so many truck drivers honked and we waved our hands in return saying, "Thank you. How are you?"

                            Please help yourself!

We finally arrived in Rasht. This is Rasht's Square and the statue belongs to a hero who established a revolutionary movement.

Rasht has changed so much that I didn't remember how streets looked like before. The streets became so narrow, winding and full of cars. As usual, driving condition was awful and even worse than Tehran, the capital of Iran. I also saw the house where I lived when I was a little child. The owner of the house had destroyed it completely and built a modern and chic house. Lastly, I could see my uncle. He was also changed, becoming fatter and having more wrinkles.

                           Muncipulity Building in Rasht.

                           We ran into a car decorated for wedding!

                            Another square in Rasht.

                            Alborz Mountains!

                           Rice Farms in Rasht. Rice and tea are two major products of Rasht.

To be continued...

Previous related blogs:

1-http://my.englishclub.com/profiles/blogs/i-will-take-you-with-me

2-http://my.englishclub.com/profiles/blogs/the-capital-city-at-night

3-http://my.englishclub.com/profiles/blogs/come-with-me-to-the-west-part

P.S. I extremely thank all my kind friends for all the lovely comments on my previous posts. Sorry if I haven't responded to your nice messages. I will do it for sure.