Acts of Kindness

My first thoughts of Armenia are that it is the poorest of the three South Caucasus countries ($9,500 GDP) and the friendliest. In every village we passed through on our drive to Yerevan people looked excited to see our bus and waved enthusiastically.  On the streets in Yerevan, local people continue to smile. I don't think I made eye contact with people in Russia.   This is most refreshing

At one of our WC stops on the road to Yerevan, Taylor poked his nose into a quiet shop, and discovered a few women baking bread.  He brought me over to see the women work, and one of the women presented us with a loaf of bread hot from the oven.  She refused to take money.

Yesterday, while waiting on the side walk in front of the hotel, we admired the gorgeous roses and told the gardener the roses were beautiful.  About five minutes later he presented me with a sprig of roses.  And, yes, they are fragrant.

Taylor ran upstairs to get a water bottle to use as a vase.  We enjoyed our little bouquet in the bus.

We had a wonderful dinner by ourselves in a little restaurant on a side street.   Since Armenia is known for it's cognac, Taylor ordered it after dinner.  Since I had had two glasses of wine I declined.  However, our gracious waitress insisted that I try the cherry liquor. It was not heavy and syrupy, but light and really had a lovely cherry flavor. This was her gift to me.

When we have breakfast at the hotel, we check in with the hostess and give her our room number. After the first day, our hostess at breakfast remembered our room number.  Today she asked me where I am from, and if I had read about Armenia at home.  She then thanked me for knowing about her small country, and for coming to visit.

One last comment about the graciousness of this country.  Every toilet I have used has not only been clean, but it's had western toilets, toilet paper and paper towels. I really like Armenia.

Genocide Memorial

Over one million Armenians perished as a result of policies of the last Ottoman government between 1914 and 1918.  Thousands were deported to Syria and faced starvation, and other were methodically massacred.  Many remaining Armenians fled to other countries in what is now called the Armenian Diaspora.  There is now a larger population in the Armenian Diaspora, than there is in Armenia. This memorial complex was built in 1967 on the top of Tsitsernakaberd.  It took 50 years for the Soviet state to acknowledge that there had been a genocide.

The Memorial complex was built in 1967.  The tower on the right is tall enough to be seen by Turkey, which is over the mountains on the right of the photo.

The eternal flame. People are still leaving flowers after all these years.

Since the memorial was built in 1967 Armenians gather from all over the world  on April 24, Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day,  to remember the victims lost during the genocide.

Lake Sevan

Lake Sevan is one of the largest alpine lakes in the world.  It's a favorite of the resort set from Yerevan.  However, we don't go there for the resorts.  We go to have lunch, and to visit one more church.

I'm standing on what was once an island in Lake Sevan.  Now, due to the 1930s Soviet plan to use lake water for hydroelectricity and irrigation, the water levels are lower, and  it is a peninsula.

Remote island location in the middle of an alpine lake.  Is there a better place to build a monastery?

The monastery and surroundings are the perfect location for artists.

Taylor and I walked away from the monastery and followed a path towards the end of the peninsula.  Looking down, we discovered the home of the former president.  I wouldn't mind a house here.

This is beautiful right now, but I imagine that the winter would be pretty brutal.

The Temple of Garni

As our time in Armenia is coming to a close, Taylor expressed his thought that he'd seen enough churches.  Well, we have have seen quite a few churches, so now it's time to learn out to bake lavash.... and to see a temple, instead of a church.

Each lady is actually sitting with her legs in a hole in the ground.  The oven is also a hole in the ground.  You can see one loaf of lavash is already in the oven.

The woman to the right rolls out the dough, and the woman on the left tosses it, like pizza dough.

She slaps the dough onto the wall of the oven using the padded pillow that she is leaning on.  When it is baked, she pulls the bread out with the iron poker.

Voila!  Hot lavash.

Now that we've viewed bread baking and had lunch, it's time for - not another church, Taylor, but a temple.  The Temple of Garni was once the summer palace of King Trdat I who built it in the first century AD.  It's entirely different from the Armenian Apostolic Churches, as you can see.  However, like many of the churches we have visited, it also is in a stunning location.

I'm looking down a cliff and can see the road far down the in the valley.  What a view!

We only have one more day, here in Armenia, and only one more church.

Sacred Space, Sacred Music

We left the Hakobyans and drove out to the mountains to visit Geghard Monastery.  The church dates from 1215 and is built into the mountain and beside a river.  The river runs through part of the church and people fill bottles with holy water with them to cure their ills. The church provides access to another building that has a roof formed by stalactites, and tje convent of the monastery is in a cave adjoining this building.  The only way in to the convent is through a narrow opening in the roof.  The churches in this monastery are still functioning.  We went through a narrow opening into a cave and appreciated a concert of sacred music performed a capella.

On the way to Geghard Monastery. As you can see, it's remote.  Mt Ararat in the distance.

Although we drove in on a somewhat primitive road, can you imagine getting to this monastery back in the early days?

A beekeeper, probably a monk, next to the monastery.

We went through the opening in the lower center of the picture to hear the music.

These are the singers, before the performance.  They are wearing robes decorated with pomegranates.

Inside the cave.

When we went into the entry of the church next door we encountered this. The stream with the holy water is in this same room.

This is the main sanctuary of the church at Geghard Monastery.  It is still functioning as you can tell from the candles, altar cloths, etc.

I agree the spaces at this monetary are sacred, as is the music.  But in my mind, the location also qualifies.

Karen Hakobyan

We were fortunate  to be invited into the home of Karen Hakobyan and his wife.  Both are professional musicians, and he also makes the flutes, called duduk.  We sat on the patio, enjoying the music and then his wife served morning coffee and pastries.  Music, food and a lush garden - what could be better?

Walking from the busy city street in to Karen Hakobyan's garden.

Our host with his display of five families of flutes.

Karen plays the Armenian bagpipe, made from goat skin.

The piano is permanently installed the patio.

Coffee break.

A lovely duet after the coffee break.

I am convinced - Armenian duduk music and Armenian hospitality are truly noteworthy.

Can a City Be Older Than Rome?

Yes! Yerevan, Armenia is older than Rome.  As a matter of fact Mt Ararat used to be in Armenia, and that, as you may remember was the location of Noah's Ark.  Mt Ararat is now in Turkey, but on clear days we could see it in the distance.

Mt Ararat, seen from our hotel.

We actually saw a piece of Noah's Ark in the treasury at The Cathedral at Echmiadzin.  At the site of the Cathedral we admired the ruins of the 7th century Zvartnots Cathedral which was once the largest round church in the world.  Being round, however, led to collapse.

The wood behind this cross is from Noah's Ark.

I was quite fascinated by all the reliquaries which hold bits of deceased saints.

7th century Zvartnots Cathedral was the largest round church in the world.

Hripsime Church sits on the foundations of  a  4th century mausoleum of the martyred St Hripsimeh.  It was completed in the 7th century.

Since it was Sunday, we stumbled upon an actual service in Hripsimeh Church. It was a treat to see the church in service, but we were not allowed to explore.

Since we were still in recovery from yesterday's harrowing bus ride, our guide gave us the afternoon and evening off.  In the evening Taylor and I were happy walk to a local restaurant for dinner on our own.  We enjoyed seeing a park, and streets not typically frequented by tourists.

We walked through English Park, where lots of locals were enjoying the cooling temperature, away from tourists.

Driving through the main streets of Yerevan, with fashionable hotels and boutiques, we wondered where the locals live.  Here.

And here.

On our way back to the hotel, we strolled through Republic Square.  The most important square in the city. There are four buildings of circular attitude, so perhaps this should be called Republic Circle.

We had a lovely low key dinner on our own, and prepared for more sightseeing tomorrow.

Moving on to Armenia

The trip from the Georgian border was rather long and arduous.  We arrived at the border with a crowd of tourists and locals going to Armenia.  The line through immigration was painfully slow.  After this, the drive was beautiful but the roads are extremely bumpy and narrow.  This is the only road from Armenia to Georgia, and then to Russia.  Armenia is truly isolated as well as landlocked.

Typical views from the bus window.

We stopped at Haghbat Monastery, high up in the mountains.  The views were spectacular.  This monastery was founded in the 10th century.  How this was built, in such a remote area so long ago is a mystery to me. The isolation appeals to me.  I wonder how I would do as a monk? 

The monastery has many rooms , as it was the literary, artistic and educational center of the area.

There are a few frescoes inside the church, but otherwise it is very simply decorated inside and out.  The reason for this is that the Armenian Apostolic Church believes that one enters the church to pray to God, and to focus on the spiritual. The glitz is eliminated to encourage complete devotion

How in the world was this place built in the 10th century?

The drive continued to be teeth rattlingly jarring.  However, one of our WC stops happened to be in a village where there was a bakery.  Watching the bread, as well as the local travelers was a welcome diversion.

After this long day's journey we finally arrived in Yerevan, Armenia - the largest city in the country.