DAY 47 - CHALUS

47) SATURDAY, 13 AUGUST 1977 : 224KMS. - CHALUS

Starting from BANDAR-E-PAHLAVI since early morning, we drove  along the CASPIAN sea to  RASHT ,where up to 95 % of IRAN tea plantation  grown here. We  dropped in the city for shopping and filled up the fuel tank. But then something unexpected happenned to us (in confusion) .......

Tea plantation - Photo : Alen Isotokovic / Geolocation.ws (Bing images search)

…….As soon as TILO finished parking , we would get off to buy our supplies.  Once I stepped  down from the campervan, the large group of Persian onlookers stood around staring at us.  They talked to each other and narrowed their circle around us. So we had to leap up onto the campervan  but the crowd still refused to break up and kept on their eyes on us. 

Caspian sea - Photo : Bing images search

Finally TILO had to start the engine to leave the place. Sitting in the campervan, we were stunned  and tried to think over the incident. However,  we could only guess that it was because we, especially I,  did not dress modestly.The crowd might be angry having seen us  wearing  shorts, with the length  showing our thighs above the knees  and with undershirt revealing  too much naked skin  (Persian men generally dressed entirely, covering their bodies with long sleeves shirts and pants). 

But we just came  directly from the beach.  This city was near the seaside ,  or they have  never seen Asian  with small narrow  eyes like me before.  It was also funny then  when we  thought about it. It could be somewhat dangerous too.  We drove along the seafront road until we reached  the seaside town CHALUS.