Saturday, December 1, 2007

Shomal -- Trip to the Caspian Sea


So, quickly...I'm skipping Esfahan part of the trip for now, trying to catch up!! I have much to share with you, and I'm going to try to get some better connection, somehow.

Anyway.

My father was here this past week (first time in 30 years) and we had a great time! I skipped class a few days :) We found his old street (the house was no longer there), we wandered all around Tehran, rode the metro, ate Kabob 5 or 6 times!...and for the weekend we went to Shomal, for a trip down memory lane.


Shomal means "north" and it's basically the Caspian region, stretching from Gilan in the west, through Mazandaran, Golestan and Turkmenistan in the East. "Going to Shomal" is very popular for vacationing Iranians, although we went right before the weekend began and it was rather dead-so it was just us and the Caspian much of the time. The weather is very rainy and humid, as you can see our second day there was quite stormy. It's very lush also, and the drive over the mountains to the green side is breathtaking. The seashore is pretty polluted however, and development without regulation...is frustrating...but it's still very beautiful....


And you come home smelling like garlic, and vodka if you're lucky.

The latest news everyone in 'the street' complains about is about a new treaty dividing the Caspian between all the bordering countries: Leaving a measely 17% for Iran. Caspian contains many resources such as oil, gas and sturgeon fish-where world famous caviar comes from!


Read more about Caspian Sea here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caspian_Sea

And here are some photos from our trip. Click on the photo below, it links to an album...

Shomal


enjoy.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ohhhhhh..... Shomal... has not changed at all. te khaily khoshkel shodi...!!! not much hejab?..ha? can you go like this in tehran too? too bad tourism is dead. or good for some.

neenee said...

Well, according to my dad it hasn't changed much...except a lot more restaurants on the road to Chalus. And development in some parts, like between Chalus and Ramsar, also that road is much wider. Hejab is pretty relaxed in Tehran also...and I am looking pretty demure compared to many, esp re. Tehrani chicks! and Re. the tourists, we went during a dead time...as soon as there is a holiday, they pour in. You can see from the trash, that it's become a popular place. Someone had a binge on non-alchoholic beer!!! :)

Anonymous said...

that must be quite a binge..:) I am sure pappa enjoyed this journey.
The views are breathtaking... still... but you took a luxury trip, did not go to places like ciabisheh, where the revolutionaries used to hide in shah's time. not enough time...

Anonymous said...

the gmail address for the pictures is gone.