mood of tehran on a hot summer day

It’s early in the morning; the city is awake. I meet friends to go hiking in “Daar Abaad” and enjoy the glorious mountains and waterfalls of north Tehran. We walk through the cold rivers and let the waterfalls run from our heads to the toes. How incredibly cold the water is and how good it feels! My clothes are all wet and how I enjoy the feeling. Alborz is sacred. People smile and say “khasteh nabaasheed” to us as they pass by. This is an unlikely scene in the chaos of the city. The best part is delicious Omelets in a traditional tea house after a few hours of hiking. Fresh bread with plain omelet made of eggs and tomatoes; and yes, there is always hot tea available. It’s almost noon when we return.

Walking slowly through the few remaining “koocheh baagh’s” of Tehran in Maghsood Beig in the afternoon, I inhale the air with greed and pleasure. Gardens are so rapidly disappearing here and are being replaced by tall buildings that seem to have nothing to do with one another or their surrounding nature. Many days of raining has clearly made an impact on the air and the mood of fellow Tehranies. I pass through Doctor Hessabi’s house and see a beautiful garden with a gorgeous old building in the middle, which is now a famous café with art galleries (café baagh e mouzeh). There is a long waiting list for out-door seating.