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Published: March 31st 2009
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Dizin Ski Fields
Looks pretty empty yeah! Breathing can kill you in this place. The taste of soot in your mouth as the pollution just hits you. The sound of car horns. The whoosh of cars, buses and motorbikes passing your face. Traffic is a way of life here. Pollution is Tehran’s lasting legacy.
Walking the streets of Iran’s capital was too much. I needed a break and the Alborz Mountains provided that. Heading towards the end of season the ski fields (called Piste) were my perfect tonic to finish my Iran trip.
I felt like Zali Stiegel’s brother Zeke slaloming down the piste of Dizin (the best of Iran’s slopes.) It was my first time in 12 years I had skied and my first two runs were evident of that. Having my boots not aligned to the skies didn’t help but the snow cover was good and by the third run on my aligned skis I was getting confident. Like with Scuba Diving I can’t believe I’ve avoided going to the snow.
Even with my ripped pants from my first run, it was a pleasant day with the sun shining. So much so that the bottom of the piste was melting towards the end
THE SALT MAN
Tehran national museum of the day. There were ski lifts to several points and every time I sat down my testicles would conveniently fall out of the open slit in my pants... I did have underwear on.
It was a more casual atmosphere to normal Iranian life, with females wearing normal clothes, a beanie and even drinking alcohol at the top (I was told). At times the piste was empty and it felt like I had the whole ski field to myself. Probably a good thing with the ripped pants in a conservative country.
In Tehran some women seem sandblasted by make-up artists and have white-patches hugging their nose from a nose job, having dinner with mum and dad. Even guys are getting into the game.
One of the hilarious moments when walking the streets was when the lights would count down to green. The sound of cars revving - Than when it hit green the revs would stop and instead of the sound of movement, it exchanged to a series of car horns. But to say Tehran is just traffic and pollution is not fair. There are quite a few worthwhile sights and some other things to fill in
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US Den... the time:
The National Museum of Iran was being renovated when I was there but the artefacts they had on show was really appreciated, as it covered most places I had been to. Persepolis, Shush and Choqa Zambil. It even has ‘Salt Man’ a 3-4 century miner whose skull still has a white beard and part of a leg in a leather boot.
Just outside of town is the Holy Shrine of Imam Khomeini (Died 1989 in power at the time.) His shrine is inside a stainless steel cage out the back of a massive construction. It currently looks like an abandoned warehouse with carpet and marble on the floor. I did think of what would happen if the revolution finishes in a few years (not that it will) would it remain incomplete?
Close by at the cemetery is the main resting place for the people (Martyrs) who died during the Iraq-Iran War (1980-88.) Here (and with discussions with people aged 25 and higher) is where you understand why Iran are accepting enough with their current situation. The devastation of that war hurt this country and is too close for people to forget. That pain is too
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Iran-Iraq War cemetery strong for them to go through a whole rebellion again. It is common knowledge that no matter who is in government Iranians will hate them. A common thought from other travellers is that if things were to change here it will be in a generation.
US Den of Espionage was the US Embassy until November 1979 when conservative uni students took 52 hostages for 444 days. At the bunker CIA organised a coup in 1953 that brought down the government of Mohammad Mossadegh. He was the first elected leader the CIA took care of. Time magazine named him Man of the Year in 1951 for trying to make his country less reliable towards the big nations. It was all about England and oil that started it.
Now there are signs painted on the walls with immature comments that really don’t achieve anything. Like wishing death to US and announcing “We will make America face a severe defeat”. It actually leaves a lump in the throat and to think that the people who make these comments are part of the reason there is so much tension in the world. Than you think at school the kids who say I
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imam's shrine building in progress want to be prime minister or president, they usually weren’t the popular ones.
There are green tin security posts, unposted above walls. The US Embassy logo half scrapped off and minimal colour. One positive thing is that the signs are wearing out so either the passion is the same since they painted it. Or the hatred hasn’t built up any farther to feel the need to update. Perhaps if things get resolved and the sanctions finish America can export white paint to Iran.
I went skiing a second time this time with some people I met in Yazd one being a Tehran resident and had some great Iranian hospitality with his friends. Just a shame my skis were crap (major problems that day) and the piste was a bit icy resorting me back to a beginning. Still at $15us hire and $15us ski pass can you complain? Well, yes! Charge me $30 just give me skis that work!
Assumed Nationality - Israeli on the Metro than the guy talking to me told everyone in the carriage I am Israeli when I said I was from Sydney later on it was clarified.
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mikarov
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assumed nationalities
I was in Iran in 2007, im from Mexico, and the majority of Iranian they claimed, if i was Iranian, in all cities even one old lady was a bit angered that i cant speak farsi. Another nationalities assumed was Turkish, Pakistani, Azerbaijani and Italian. But never expect that i was Mexican.