On 2008 I spent several days in Gilan visiting the city of Rasht, the Caspian coast at Bandar Anzali, and the beautiful Mordab-e Anzali Wetlands. Although I have childhood memories of family trips driving up the windy Chalus road to the coast, this was the first time the tea fields and the rice fields on the way made a lasting impression.
On a boating tour of the Anzali wetlands our guide spoke to us of the many rivers that originate in the mountains of the Talesh region and terminate in the wetlands that are home to 60 species of fish, 40 species of aquatic plants, numerous reptiles, mammals and birds. On this trip we sighted ducks, cormorants and a majestic Gray heron.
Later, as we took a stroll along the Anzali coastline, I thought of the countless times I had met people who imagined Iran as one big, hot, desert and I wished they could one day experience the coast or the mountains of this lush and humid province.
Journeys of a Diaspora Iranian 