HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1970-03-19, Page 16SIGNAL"T4R,"THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 1070
later drive into the . EIb rr
•
unpardonable breach of Persian
etiquette, picnic or no picnic,
A well-fed looking cat r
strolled into the `room, locked
around; and jumped 'up on on&
of . the divans, settling himself
comfortably against a stout
Moslem who didn't move or
look up from his plate of rice.
The cat waited hopefully. ,for
leftovers. When -there were none
he jumped' down and came to .
our divan, eating, greedily when
we gave him some cold 'park. I
hoped ..he, was -not --too- Moslem -.,u-
' cat for he had sinned against his
religious, precepts. ' w'' •
Outside the building, a
Dervish (Holy man)- Marched
back and forth, chanting a story'
about Joseph. ° He was decked
out in all sorts of oddities which
gave •'him the appearance of a
scarecrow. When Uncle Ben
slipped him some money, the.
chant doubled in volume, and
continued in a monotonous wail
until I felt like paying him to
stop; Lines of the Rubaiyat- of
Omar Khayyam kept passing
thro u gh my min,
• cj,,�„
"Think, in this ,
battered Caravansari '
Whose doorways are alternate
night and day
How . Sultan after -Sultan with his
Ccnn►tinued
EA' LORNA VINCENT
have done it..However, there was
no place on the -narrow ledge to
turn so we drove on in ominous
silence. The strong icy wind
shook the car, and snow drifted'
along the road . in sculptured
piles. When we .turned on the
next switchback, we saw ahead,
another car staffed on the road.
bur' river stepped on the brake
and I. could.feel the back wheel
.slew on the icy .surface—This Was
1t, I though resignedly, as I clung'
desperately- to the seat. We were
at the edge a the precipiea,-but a ._
twist of .• the wheel sent the car
into the mountainside with a
thud which almost, jerked us off •
b .,
Choice between freezing and sudden death.
VO
Thought of feeling w , m again,
After considerable time -we
stopped in front -Of an unpainted
wooden ' building ; by the
roadside. Here, the. snow had
melted into muddy pools of
water through which we waded.
The proprietor, a ,Moslem, came-
`out
ame- `out to welcome us. it is difficult
for westeners to realize the
hospitality; a of even the most
humble Iranian,' until
experienced. When , we entered
the door. our host repeated his.
welcome with a sweeping
gesture', as tliodgh Ute y "My
house 1 is yours, It was a large
room with a big stove standing
in the centre. Around this and
•the waywe a arranged typical
wooden divans draped with
colorful rugs on which lounged
bearded men, seine comfortably
clothed and. others rather ragged
and unkempt. They sat
cross-legged as they ate from
huge plates •of steaming rice and
grilled mutton. These people no ..
matter how poor,. have a proud
ngbility of countenance, as well
as utter resignation to, the will of
Allah. They have ,survived the
rough winds of ti•<me, climatic
stress, and cruel• regimes, to
remain as •steadfast and rugged as
their mountains.
The proprietor brought a
clean rug and draped it on one ..
of the• divans next to the stove.
Its occupant had moved off
willingly to give us the honored
place. It was quite unusual for
women to appear - at `these
hostels,' and the three of us felt
like exhibits A, B, and C, as
every eye,centred upon us. They
all looked amused at the
intricacies of Western lunches as
f rth.es_ acka d '
we drew o P ; -� 3ars,°
paper cups and plates. Their,eyes
were like those of poor children
watching the Unpacking of a •
large Christmas hamper.
I lost my appetite before this
concentrated ° curiosity;
. especially, when at intervals
someone blew his nose on the
floor and others expectorated. It
is considered unhygienic to use
.handkerchiefs in Iran and one is
exposed to this revolting habit
all along the city streets. '
The proprietor reprimanded
out Iranian friend, Mrs.. D. `for
beginning to eat ahead of her
guests. That is -.considered an
We passed a dead camel lying -
by the roadside and just beyond
. Suddenly, one morning, while that, a broken-down and
we were living .at the hotel, abandoned truckute evidence
winter . descended on Tehran that One ship -of - desert had
three weeks earlier than usuat thundered, r
Mrs. D. who' was - an Iranian on ' The highway,.,f rst, follo`'wed a
the embassy staff • had persuaded gurgling mountain stream along
us to accompany her and a few the valley floor; then it began to
friends Who wanted to 'drive us climb . - upwards in narrow; .
into the Elburz mountains. They sweeping hair -pin turns, As we
form a great barrier between „climbedhigher, the sleet turned"
Tehran and the 'Caspian Sea, to driving, snow, and the' narrow
'bare and_ruggegLan vie side and. road, car ed_ -from—the- -side -o€
covered with thick trbpi'cal precipitous rock,- became
foliage on the other. The highest " slippery. At the same time, -we in
peak is snow-capped all year the back seat wb
ere econung
numb with cOW-From time -to
Our winter clothing Was still time, ominous muttering
en route by sea so we emerged escaped fforn our blue lips.
into the dismal sleety morning
shivering in our spring coats. Our
faces growing longer with every
step, we crossed the muddy
hotel compound to the lounge
where we silently, awaited our
fate.
While picnic lunches - were
being prepared we hovered near
the space heater as though to
store up' enough warmth for the_
day.., But too soon Mrs. D.
hurried out of the hotel kitchen'
followedby three.waiters on the
double, carrying bulging
cardboard boxes. They looked
---the seat_ I—could---picture.- the
° headlines, "Frozen bodies
discovered • on high mountain
pass." By now I was shaking
with both 'cold and fright. I got
out of the . car and declared
emphatically that I'would go no
further;, but when the snow cut
across my face and buried my
numb feet, I, made a quick
choice between freezingand
sudden death. I promptly
rye -entered the car followed by
some -of the others who had
joined me. The car ahead finally
moved off, and when our driver
stopped waving his arms around
in,,;„ answer to our loud
accusations, we followed. He
kept ` repeatingthat the gas
station was around the next
Although the holes 'in - the
road had been filled to make
more comfortable passage for
His Majesty, the Shah who was '
passing through the following
day, we still bounced
unmercifully. •
Here and there, �; dreary
looking villages clung perilously
to the mountain -side; but therei
was little 'sign of life anywhere
except for an occasional driver
and donkey carrying its btrden
of wood for the fire. When we
moved over to pass a truck, and
I looked straight •down
like an African safari being . thousands of feet, myyeballs
pursued by natives. They, ran to nearly fell out of their sockets,
the ,waiting car while we .and I. pushed myhusband to the
followed. slowly like victims . end of the seat . as h crowded
marledfor the firing squad. over. -
In the front seat slouched a - -
seedy looking Iranian drivel'', half We drove through a long
asleep. Beside him sat Mrs. D's dimly-lit tunnel and passed- the
brother, beaming With impressive Karaj dam, built- with
anticipation, and holding a American 'aid; which greatly
hunting rifle which pointed- --increased - Tehr-an-s-- _ electric-
-toward • the car roof, When I power. Workmen moved about,
thought of the condition of the muffled to the ears -against the
roads, I pictured a, nice neat hole icy wind.. Up and Up we -climbed
overhead. He told us with great until we could see peak after
enthusiasm that he intended to peak draped in its dazzling
. go hunting when We stopped for in/ tie of snow..Ihis majestic
lunch Mom/Mom/mad can pee ene, I forgot mn this
fear, and I no
get?) In. the second seat lounge
ore
looked down as we
an immense and genial looking • rounded curves. The snow
American, muffled to the ears in. softened the ,cruel, jagged lines,
heavy clothing.: He remarked and we,seemed to be held in the
- casually, "Too bad you folks hollow of an immense white
haven't got warm clothes." hand which enthralled and
y husband and 'I climbed uplifted •the spirit above physical.
reluctantly into the back seat discomfort.
and huddled together for- But soon •the snow began to
warmth. We looked at the drift in gusts across the road
pyramid of lunches piled at our ' while . we drover toward • ever
feet and wondered where we more perilous switchbacks. It
would eat them, while Mrs. D. seemed as though we were
said brightly, -"The sun will be heading for outer space. Our
out anytime now. These sleet rapture dissolved and we.
storms never last here. protested loudly against going
We passed through the almost any • further; but . the driver
deserted;.city streets as this was suddenly informed .us •that the.
• the Moslem Sunday. The rows of - car would soon• be out of gas;
storefronts, closed solidly that we must keep on until we
against intruders, looked like reached the only -•-gas station in
silent fortresses. Occasionally we the mountains. Unfortunately, it
saw ,a woman swathed in her stood on one of the highest
black chador. We reached the =' passes.- •
suburbs where rows of half -built We had been on the road for
houses and apartments stood. over two hours, and there was a
lonely amidst a their treeless . storm of , protest. .Uncle Ben
rubble, awaiting the hands of -tile swore softly. "Why was there
workmen. Then we headed not sufficient gas?" Our seedy
straight for that ominous wall of driver
snow-covered craggy mountains. been
They had the cold silent look of night.
something lying in wait for its
pYey..
•
In the front seat ' everyone _
laughed - and • joked, but the, ..
Aftierican whom we called
"Uncle Ben," remarked soberly,
"If .we hadn't hired the car. last -
night we wouldn't have come."
.' "Too bad.," -I suggested,' "that
Tehran has no •weather. bureau..
Perhaps the, small rainfall ,of
- approximately 21/2 inches per
yeariaccounts'for it.
When we left the suburbs_ the
' mountains ' became larger and
whiter, and we could see in" the
,'' distance where the straight
"? ribbon of highway disappeared
among them. Here and there on
the • side of the road, walls of
mud " brick enclosed straggly
Persian gardens adorned with
bits of faded foliage and a few
thinly branched trees. Some of
the shrubbery looked as though
it had been dipped in watery
autumn tints, and it blossomed
with small blobs of wet snow.
Beyond the" gardens and the 5246871 tf"
mud=brit-k " houses, stretched
miles of flat barren'soil.
suggested that some had
sifoned out during the
I,.had an idea who ,night
AS`UeCESSF
MARR/AGE
SE q azm'p wipe
NDADEAF
IYUS144N0...
bend, and then the next. The air
became . tense as ' every eye was
glued to .the. meter. Finally -it
registered "Zero" and you,could
hear our angry sighs of -
desperation. Then suddenly, on •
turning another bend, we saw
the gas station ahead. To us, it.
looked like the promised land..
Two old" trucks were being filled
-tip while. the..drivers stamped
about to keep warm. This"`
-desolate, snow blown scene was
as welcome as a tropical island
to a shipwrecked crew. - -
When the car headed back
toward Tehran, we thought -.ofws
thelunches at. our feet. Where
would we eat them since the
inner fuel seemed urgent. Mrs.
D. knew of a Caravansari on one
of the lower passes—where -we
could eat, and at the same time,
thaw .. out a by theme stove. We
became almost gay at the
.. _pomp .... _..
abode his hour or two, and -went
• his way."
Quite possibly, he had sat
cross-legged in this..sarne hostel,.
composing some •of his famous
`verses. ,It had changed little
during 'the centuries, only now,
there were trucks parked outside
with -the donkeys and camels.
Although we didn't eat much,
wehad, become orow ily warm;
deep thuds for havin
�urviv d the slithering tires
around at all those colorful Yawn ng chasms. It ' seieried
Persian rugs covered. with bits of wonderful just to be alive and in
food; and thought how we one -piece►
and it was a great effort to go g
out into the told I looked g ,, and
would treasure them at home, '
Here, they are so common they
are spread on. the ground,, the
dusty sidewalk. or the earthen
4
floors of hovels arid tribesmeng's•
tents. They serve as bedding,
tablecloths, drapes and ,;.prayer
mats- -Often they are Woven, by.,;
the hands of small children. who
work eight hours. a ` day in poor'_
light--The$rvsualiy- go_ blind --or __ ._,.
die., of W T,B., in a few years. We
were,told that the fingers of an
adult are- too ''large for the
smaller an( more intricate
"patterns.
On leaving our hostel, •we
again followed the mountain
stream • running green between
white banks. ' We , slithered
around curves .until the white, --N.
austere peaks began to recede in
the, background, looking more
benign, but losing much of their
majestic beauty. Now ,the road
pointed arfow straight, .across
the sandy barrens to Tehran.
Near the.city, we stopped at a
quaint teahouse for vodka and
hot tea since we were again very
cold. The building consisted _ of
several small and: gaudily painted
rooms, with small tables. The
owner brought 'in a kerosene
stove since _the place was
freezing cold and empty save for .
us. We drank luke-warm tea and
quoted from the verse of Omar
Khayyam. He is considered as
merely a third-rate poet in Iran
althoughhighly regarded in the
West. We seemed to sense' his
spirit wherever we went,
We finally reached the haven
- of our warm hotel 'morn -With
ALBERT
MIDDfL
PA(NTINU. (�
p@CpRA71NG,
5244686
a-�
For Your
INSURANCE •
..
° see or call
MacEwan Ma<EMraa
44 North St. - 5249531
Donald G. MacEi,an
Peter ,S, MacEwan
SALE
Save money onOn' purchase of Gilson freezers with slight
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Retnern er these are. Gilson's regular top' quality freezers
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CLAY FARM
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Phone - London 438-1021
Collect s,
JOE'S BP
Service Station'
and
Coffee Shop . ;
411 Huron Rd„ Goderich
at goes on in
aSalle Towers dunng the wi
Natural gas heat, for starters. -
Clean, evenly-eirc.ulated; =fresh-
air' natural gas heat keeps every
resident of Burlington's fashion-
able LaSalle Towers in wall-to-
waHl comfort. ,
Eighteen roof -top "boilers do
the job.
And the job is considerable.
There are 220 luxury suites in
the 19 -storey apartment building.
Plus three large penthouses-. .
Why did the'owners of LaSalle
Towers cb.00se-natur.aLgas?. _ ..
'Dependability was.their first
reason. A -flame can't wear d'ut.
As well, natural gas is both easy
and econot•nical to ma+n-to-irn.
-And the versatility of natural
gas entered into 'LaSalle Towers'
management's considerations,too.
Natural gas is -,the energy source
which produces the hot water
that allows tenants to enjpy the'
apartment swimming pool on the
co'dest vrtnter day,
Natural gas heats the sauna
And keeps everyone, in the. build-
ing in clean clothes by powering n
the hot water supply for 16 laun-
dry rodrns •
West Street
Laundromat
-54 WestGoderich
Dial 524 9953
21 WASHERS-- - 10 DRYERS.
COM OPERA:1EE,. DRY,1 CLEANING.
11' " ,CLEAx�'Il`. I#1"ICr': ;Irl( of E/C.Yit`,tL -:D Ji.S.:".1 1$ L%I1 .11,3,",.':
A.M. 140 6 .r.114. DAfL ' 1 XC,gl'T $11N1)AY
r' ILS i FEVPN114GS
Inion Gas
TOTAL ENERGY FOR TOTAL COMFORT
Sr
Why not give sr -ie thought to
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to house more, people than LaSalle
Towers ' Or 'Less.
There's 'no more rr:odern, more
economical way to heat a factory,
an office, a •store, a . sc o0 or a
home_ _ •
Your ,heating contractor or gas
company representative has the
whole story. See him.
Ile knows what goes on.
i///f/Y/J ,;?/r,11
Ski%0;`• /rS7/: r,v0 S Jy iD s
" � sn , xaaroma x a
ATTENaIO:
home owners
If you are located on the
salve side of the street as'a
gas line which was inst
on,e.year as of April 1, 1969.
ou-
rnay
qualify. for
PURCHASE
ALLOWANCE
or...
One year's
FREE.
on a Gas
•wterlieater•
if you change to automatic
gas water he -ting now-,
•
$
You may receive an
ALLOWANCE of
$SO or.
2 YEARS
FREE
RENT
on a Gas
Weer Heater
if you co ert4o a natural
-gas central heating•system
at the same time you install
an automatic gas water
heater. See your plumbing
contractor, clepartment
store orcall Union Oat.
i°i
' V
, a -r