The Goderich Signal-Star, 1969-09-04, Page 15•
a•
Holiday
(Part .111)
Persian styli
Now *e had resigioed
ourselves to being roasted alive
duce beat still poured into our
small cubicle. Ashraf and I
thought we right as well go to
bed and endure our demise lying;.
down. I wondered why 'Mr. B.
didn't leave us at this juncture,
but Ashraf informed' me that we
were -all sleeping in the same
compartment, Persian' style. I
tried not to look surprised and I
climbed sportsmanlike , up a
shaky ladder to the top berth..
This afforded:a bit,more privacy, '
that is if I didn't fall out when
the train jolted. Mr. B. settled
his mountain of flesh on the
lower •bunk opposite Ashraf.
Soon his devastating snores filled
- our small compartment and we
couldn't sleep. As I tried to
while away the time thinking of
happy experiences of the past, I
became aware that the heat, had
evaporated and cold drafts blew
around my head until my ears
were almost stiff. Ashraf called
the porter . He informed us that
the heat had .gone, off
automatically to make way for
the air-conditioning, and he
could do nothing about these
mysterious western processes. I
• pulled everything I could find
over me but the chills still crept
up my spine and mynose
tingled, but Mr. B. snored
peacefully on in his layers of fat.
Toward morning, after having
bashed my 'elbows on the
luggage rack every time I moved,
O I fell into a numb sleep. I had
placed sheets of kleenex across
my eyes to keep out the night
light just above my bunk.
Ashraf and I were weary -eyed
but. grateful for the dawn. We
or crept ot1t of what seemed like
the deep freeze to sit in the first
feeble rays of suncoming
through the train window, then
we went to the dining car for
some hot coffee to help us thaw
out. This bestowed on me the
♦ semblance of a uman being, but
the thin flaps of bread. like
cardboard and a three leathery
fried eggs in congealed mouna
on a cold plate soon stifled my
appetite. I Settled for the coffee.
Mr. B. said he had a wonderful
sleep, and he ate his rubbery
eggs with apparent relish.
As we approached
khorram'shar, the odd tree began
So -appear on the horizon; but it
was mostly desert right to the
city suburbs.
- ----When - _we- . arrived at- -the
station, we noticed much
activity everywhere. A host of
workmen were preparing
decdrations • for .'an official visit
of the Shah and his 'Queen to
take place within a few days. We
• drove along the river, which
divides Khorramshar from the
island of Abadan, to the only
well-known guest house in the
city. This avenue is lined with
palm ,trees which provide
merciful shade during the
• intense heat of summer. A
stench of fish from the little
4
A
stills along the river bank
lingered in the air. .
The guest house, which was
built around a' quiet but
unkempt garden, had a room
available for -one : night only. The
entire place had beerl booked
ahead by government officials
,who were to arrive the next day.
We decided to worry about
tomorrow when it came, and in
the meantime enjoy one
peaceful sleep. The servant
opened a door off the terrace.
What a guest house, and
expensive too! We examined the
dark and dingy room with its
great strips, of dirty rose paint
peeling off the walls. The beds
were barely passable and the,
sheets Were grey., A huge
adjoining bathroom contained
only ' a basin and an ancient
shower that dripped m in big.
stacca plo Fs. To reach the
toilet I' had to walk to the end of
a long terrace. Through another
door with a lock which wouldn't
work, I found the usual persian
version. It had a revolting
stench, and plumbing that
functioned only occasionally.
What a night this was going to
be, I thought.
After unpacking, Ashraf and I
sat in a garden swing, enjoying
the graceful palm trees and• the
general greenness of foliage and .
grass. Later on, Mr. B.
accompanied by a Persian
railway official, joined us for
dinner' in the dreary dining
room. However, the food
seemed acceptable after . the
greasy train dinners, and the
place was clean. When the men
left to return to the railway club
where they_ were staying, Ashraf
and I sat on the terrace sipping a
whiskey and soda as . a
preliminary to sleep. The tree in
front of us swarmed with a flock
of migrating birds. They'
sounded as though the bird
union was having a loud
altercation on the policy of
settling down for the night.
We turned in early, -but again,
-sweet morpheus deserted us. The
birds never ceased their constant
chatter, and the shower played
its staccato .rhythm of "Bleep,
blop, bleep, blop." We spent the
night talking 'and giggling over
our predicaments. By 'Horning .
our droopy lids would scarcely
WE ARE NOW
open, and we practically groped
Our way to the dining room
'which offered the usual repulsive
breakfast of overcooked eggs
and hard toast.
Having been partially revived
by strong coffee, we took a walk
an
along . the river bank. Many
varieties of boats pliedback andassert
forth with both passengers and
freight. We looked into the
tea -houses scattered along the
fish way, but strong h smelts_
pursued us everywhere. I could
might imagine what it , mi t be ' like
e
during the intens heat of
summer. ar
The people here a mostly
but
Arab. Colorful ragged
characters squatted along the
war
street plying their es or just
sunning themselves. Dirty
eh
children followed behind .their
Mothers. veiled and barefoot hers. •
that Ashraf suggested at we gouse
back to the guest ho , pay our
bill and take ourbags to
Abadan, where her cousin, an
Oil Company doctor,might help
us.
•
We hired a man to carry our
bags down to the river, but we
could not find the Oil Company
motor boat. However, at the
foot of a flight of s' ne steps,
we saw a fleet of long woaden„
boats that reminded me of an
Indian war canoe. At each end
sat a dirty, ragged Arab, holding
a long paddle-like oar with its
blade painted in bright -colored
designs. All the boat operators
rushed forward in . a group and
clamored far our trade. The
Arab who arrived first grabbed
our luggage, but we stopped him
to bargain. for our fare. The
prow of the boat did not quite
reach the stone steps. In my
tight skirt which prevented such
a leap, the boatman reached out
and swung me over the • gap.
After` nearly falling flat on my
face, I had to crawl- over a series
of high crossbars to reach the
seat at the far end. The boat
wobbled so much I went down
on all fours, and I arrived at the
seat in a most 'undignified
manner. It took as long to get us
and our luggage settledin the
boat as to paddle across the
river.
In Persia, you really travel the
hard way. On reaching the :other
side, we had the same difficulty
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disembarking. t wouldn't have
fancied a ducking in that muddy
water. Another argunkent ensued
as to the price• of taking our bags
up the embankment to a taxi.
Finally it was a relief to get
away from the beggars along the
river and find ourselves on the
way _to Abadan, a half-hour's
drive on a good 'highway. One
could see the result of the
British occupation in this area.
'Buildings looked cleaner and
more modern, but the country
around was the same dusty
desert dotted with the odd palm
tree.,
We drove straight to the Oil
Company hospital through a
broad, palm -lined avenue. The
residential section seemed like a
bit of England, with its clean,
shady streets, good pavement
and trimmed hedges surrounding
, each property.
In the hospital, a trim nurse
led us to the outpatient's clinic.
Arab mothers carrying their
babies were waiting in a line, the
bare bottoms of their infants
exposed to a nurse with a
hypodermic needle in hand. She
passed casually down the line,
and, as she jabbed each baby, a
terrified shriek pierced the air.
By the time our nurse -guide had
reached the doctor by
telephone, the noise of
screaming infants deafened. us.
The doctor cordially offered
Ashraf and I his bachelor
apartment for the period of our
visit,and he assured' us that he
would find comfortable quarters
at night with -a fellow doctor. He
promised to come and see us on
finishing his duties in the
a' arnoon.
We found the doctor's
charming and spotlessley clean
apartment in a pleasant
residential block with shady
lawns. We poked the
comfortable bed in anticipation
of a good sleep at last. In the
neat kitchenette, we brewed
coffee, opened our new box of
. biscuits and settled in the depths
of the chesterfield, our worries
ended.
Continued Next Week
Beginning September 2nd, Roy Jewell Western, Ontario s
best known Farm News reporter will be adding new
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MORE REPORTS ON THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN
AGRICULTURE
MORE MARKET PRICES
MORE DETAILED FARM WEATHER INFORMATION
and of interest to both city and country listeners, the prices
currently charged for various farm products on London's
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Now heard from 12:10 p.m. till 1 .00 p.m.
GODERICH SIQNAL,-STAR, "UHURS ?. ;' `, $EP ' MFiAlA 4; 1969 .1
Put your money into
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VG
The senior Tru.wt Coinpatly
devoted entirely 10 .serving
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VICTORIA awdGREY
TRUST-. COMPANY SINCE 1889
W. R. Curry, Manager 524-7381
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PLUMP, TENDER
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Prices .ehetthoe
September 3 - 6
We Ftetti4e
The R4yht to
Limit i u&nt,tles •
• LEG PORTION (Backs o.ttached)
• BREAST PORTION (Wings'
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• MIXED PORTIONS
• CHICKEN IN THE BASKET
16 -oz.
Tins
KNIFE CUT CHICKEN.
LEGS . (No Backs)
BREAST (No wings)
BEST of FRYERS
(No Backs, Necks or Giblets)
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Round Bone Shoulder Cut
SHIRLEY GAY
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1 -LB.
VAC
PAC
(PLAIN;
SUGAR
or CINNAMON
BURNS
Dr. Kilbourne was born in Japan
and spent 42 years of his life in .the
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iri' 'China and 20 in Korea. He is
vice-president of Seoul (Korea) •
Theological Seminary.
ONT. NO. 1
CHERRY
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ASSORTED
VEGETABLES
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• Margarine ,2 pkg
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faPlaviliressing16:ar
Granulated Fine•White Sugar 8a�.
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Liquid ileac ;l�s. 6
Nylons .... pair
414
TOP VALU
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