But that's not all. Close from Tehran, at the Amir Kabir Dam, surrounded by snow-capped mountains we had a yacht club and a great motel with a unique view. Water-skiing and other nautical sports were practiced. It was a true haven in the summer time. There, an athletic local by the name of Moussa Khan manned the boats and became the water-ski champ of Iran.
Last year he sent me a photograph. He looked sad and his thick short hair had turned completely white. He used to be the pride of the little village across the lake.
"Old Sportsmen Never Die, They Just Ski Away." Pictured on this old issue of of Niroo-Rasti is the Gang of 3 (Sepahbody) which reaped many ski medals in 1944-45's Iran. From left to right Manouchehr Khan, Khadijeh and Parviz Sepahbody. You can also see a recent picture of Manouchehr Khan some fifty years later. The Sepahbody's are still kicking and skiing in 1996! Which proves that skiing is healthy. You are energized, and like the batteries of the same name, you keep going and going and going......
During the winter, I personally preferred "Shemshak" the old coal-miner's village of yore. It had a cozy small Swiss-like hotel nestled between cliffs and numerous modest chalets blending serenely with farmers cottages. Sometimes, in the evening, I strolled knee-deep in the fresh powder snow, passing along the hostel and lodges where sometimes the melodious notes of a "setar" and muffled voices could be heard. A distance above the peaceful hamlet, under a full moon, glowing windows twinkled in the frozen distance in harmony with the myriad of stars above. Except for the howl of a solitary wolf, the answering wails of a dog, all else was just boundless infinity, bone-chilling glitter and utter silence in the magical vastness of towering moonlit Persian alps.
The L'Express magazine dated April 7, 1996 has an article on the rigor of life in Iran. It says that "Tehranis" rush to the mountains to relax as well as breathe fresh air and escape from daily difficulties and strict ethics codes in Tehran. At Shemshak, it reports, life is pleasant and all relaxing. The Islamic moral police does not enforce rules as harshly.
When you compare the above L'Express photo with my 1972 photo of the Shemshak Hotel, you do not see any changes. On the contrary ski outfits are jazzier. Briefly you can say that life in the mountains is as good as ever, certainly a very smart way to escape from everything...
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