THE Tehran-Amol highway, also called the Haraz Road, paves a two-hour drive from the Iranian capital to a royal-era ski resort nestled in the scenic Damavand mountains. In the early years of the Islamic Revolution, it was where the rich elite gathered for lavish picnics, unaffected by the radical changes convulsing their country. Along the road, the wafting sounds of melody and cadence revealed the musical preference of the day for Michael Jackson and Madonna. From the local pick, the Mordab (swamp) song by singing-acting sensation Googoosh was a rage with men and women heading to the skiing resort in the winters.
On the snow-caked hills on the far side of the gorge separating my binoculars from the ski slopes on a 1982 visit were massive love-heart signs etched in fresh snow by female skiers sans hijab. My official minder did look disturbed — not by the sight of the women in free flow, but by a busy camera
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