May 14, 2020, Zarkhesht (1) | Meeting Ali Sekhavati

A few weeks earlier, I had told Ali Sekhavati that I was very interested in seeing Zarkhesht. Following his own trip there, he accepted my request and invited me. It seemed like a simple trip, but little did I know that my mouth would be thoroughly tested along the way.

A miscalculation led me to book a direct ticket to Rasht instead of traveling via Qazvin, and I didn’t realize that buses to Rasht pass through Ardabil–Heyran Pass–Astara–Anzali. This meant I not only missed the “on-the-way” scenery but turned a six-hour journey into a twelve-hour ordeal. Add the numerous stops for luggage, engine failures, and a popped wheel, and it became quite an adventure.

After arriving in northern Rasht, I took a taxi at 4 a.m. to the southern part of the city. From there, a driver overcharged me to the wrong village and then brought me back to somewhere between Zarkhesht and Rasht. Hopeless, I had to call Ali at 5 a.m., and he kindly came to pick me up.

Eventually, I settled in the attic floor of Zarkhesht. After a short rest, accompanied by the sounds of roosters, sheep, birds, and everything else coming from the attic, I started my Zarkhesht adventure and explored the surrounding area.

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May 15, 2020, Zarkhesht (2) | Farming, Gardening, and Everything He Does