About 200 Kilometers away from Tehran, off Chaloos road, there exists a hidden lake called “Valasht” or “Valasht Lake” which has spread its greatness and calmness to the relatively few visitors who enjoy the scenery more than diving in and going for a swim! The water level has a sharp fall and reaches around 30 to 35 meters in depth in some parts. This beautiful lake that is in fact laid-out in a valley, makes great opportunities to see the mountain reflections in its water – like those dreamy paintings or Java Applets that try to simulate this effect. On the sides of the lake are bunches of straws that stand to a height of 1.5 meters from the water surface. The walking-path on the lake side takes you from where people mostly gather for their seemingly short holiday to more extraordinary places that are less visible to people. And that’s where my friends and I landed.
After evaluating our stay plans for the day, we decided to help ourselves with some swimming. I felt very comfortable with the water as I have a large database of experiences for enjoying large masses of water. I was the first to get ready and I slipped in.
The water felt a bit cold, but in this hot end-of-the-summer day it was a thrill and a blast! We played around in the cool water, competed, did some things that basically anyone with just a bit of experience normally does. I went far off our shore both alone and with friends. The lunch was yet to come!
Barbad, our tour-leader who happens to be a good cook is also a very responsible person. He managed to cook the chicken-breasts and wings, which he had previously marinated. We really enjoyed the food (while we had also brought food from home). The two or more persons groups enjoyed conversations on just about anything! We also had some shortage of water, especially that the hot weather had at least doubled our thirst! We managed it well – actually one of us did by buying some water from a small store at the most commonly visited part of the lake-shore. All of this was fun. But the most interesting and soothing event for me was on its way.
After having lunch I announced to the leader that I am going for a swim in the lake and I may get far from him and the group. He warned me a bit, requesting me to not go too far. But I found no limit. So I slipped in the lake by the muddy entry and swam my way to about 300 meters from where the camp resided. And now my desire was pulling me into releasing the tension and the extra energy. So I started swimming with full power… Butterfly, Crawl, whatever. I did anything I could to enjoy the water in the sun, with a vast body of water surrounding me and hearing no human voice except that of my own. The gentle wave-like movement of the water could be seen anywhere. And that’s where I re-welcomed my commitment to myself in seeking the right path in my life and praising the Lord for many wonder’s He’s given us. I reassured myself that I can do what I want to do in life. It was a period of beautiful moments!
The experience was great. I have decided I’m going to do more such trips in the future. It opens doors to realizing yourself and being with friends. This I want to do more as it is very fun to experience the world in more ways than the normal day-to-day city life.
.Bamshad
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