Southern Armenia (10/19/2016 - 10/21/2016)

Our day outside of Yerevan began with riding the 'Wings of Tatev', one of the longest cable car routes in the world at 5.7 km in length, connecting Halidzor to Tatev Monastery (sadly very limited visibility due to the clouds), followed by a visit to Karahunj. It is also known as the "Armenian Stonehenge", who some believe dates back to the 6th millennium BC. Its exact purpose remains elusive, with the prevailing theory being that of an observatory, although some tombs have been found in the area.

We then went to the spa town of Jermuk, where we had a chance to sample the numerous sources of spring waters available (some tasted more mineralised than others), before I took a dip in an active geyser, ~2,000 meters above sea level. Fortunately the temperature difference between 'on' and 'off' was only 2 degrees Celsius, otherwise I wouldn't be here writing this entry!

The second day finished with a visit to the Noravank monastery, and a visit to an active archaeological site where the oldest industrial winery (at 6,000+ years old), and the oldest shoe were discovered.  It turns out the ancient Armenians really took their wine seriously as there were the ancient remains of young girls ritually sacrificed to ensure the success of the wine fermentation.

The final leg of this southern journey took us just south of Yerevan to Geghard and Garni. In Geghard we visited a monastery tunneled out of pure rock and enjoyed a local vocal concert. Garni is the site of an ancient Hellenistic temple and the only one still standing in Armenia. Continuing with the musical theme, we had the fortune of listening to the somber tones of a duduk performance (local Armenian flute). In the nearby valley there were natural basalt columns that looked quite out of this world (referred to as the Symphony of the Stones).

You may be wondering what the ornately carved slabs of stone are - they're known as khachkars /խաչքար and represent events of significance (usually memorials to the deceased and victories) and the art form is unique to Armenia, and has been around since the 9th century at least. Thousands were irretrievably lost during the various invasions of Armenia, but fortunately a fair number of them were saved.

Wings of Tatev / Տաթևի թևեր

Karahunj / Քարահունջ

Jermuk / Ջերմուկ and Vicinity

Noravank / Նորավանք

Areni / Արենի

Geghard / Գեղարդ

Garni / Գառնի

Yerevan/Երևան, Armenia (10/18/2016 - 10/27/2016)

And now for something a little different.  We had actually wanted to visit Georgia initially due to discovering its cuisine and wine while in Russia, but had some administrative issues with getting a visa.  The Caucasus region itself had long piqued my curiosity, and Armenia seemed as a great start as any, having met a few Armenians while living in Toronto.

Armenia was the first official Christian country in the world, and to this day has some of the oldest churches and monasteries.  It's also been at the centre of an unfortunate tug of war between the Persian, Ottoman (later Turkish) and Russian empires (not to mention the Mongol invasions), which has on multiple times left the country in ruins and significant scars on the nation's psyche. Most tragic were the two Armenian genocides that exterminated between 1.5 and 2 million Armenians.   The territory of Armenia has shrunk by 75% since its peak just over 2,000 years ago, and Mount Ararat, regularly visible in Yerevan and considered the symbol of Armenia (and some believe the final resting spot of Noah's Ark), is firmly within Turkish territory.

We started our trip with the capital city, Yerevan, which was founded in and continuously inhabited since the 8th century, BC. Archaeological digs suggest a history reaching back over 6,000 years.  It was considered the 'jewel' of the Soviet Union, and one of the nuclei of scientific and artistic progress. Ironically, it's also one of the few places where many people miss the Soviet times.

Yerevan itself felt like a modern European city, impeccably clean with developed public transportation and infrastructure, and filled with restaurants, art galleries, cafes, open plazas, and tree lined boulevards. This seemed quite contrary to its supposed status as a developing country, with a GDP per capita lower than Indonesia and just above Angola.  This was consistent throughout the rest of the country as well, which led me to believe the broader Armenian diaspora (outnumbering local residents almost 4:1) were significantly contributing to the economy in an unofficial capacity.

Most memorable were three things - the manuscript museum (Matenadaran), housing ancient manuscripts (some over a thousand years old) from around the world; the Cascade, a giant series of steps constructed over nearly 40 years, connecting two parts of the town together; and the ubiquitous use of pink tufa in constructing its buildings.

We spent roughly half of our nights in Yerevan given the country is quite small and our destinations quite scattered. As such got to know the city quite well during our stay - we really enjoyed the food, culture, local music scene, and just meeting random people that called this place home.

Thanks kindly to Mariam, Noor and Levon who were perfect tour guides, showing us around Armenia, acting as interpreters, and who gave us many great recommendations for Yerevan itself when we were on our own. If you don't speak Armenian or Russian fluently, highly recommend you seek some help in your travels!


The Food

The Markets

The Matenadaran

The City