A Two-Day Drive Around the Country

I recently returned to the country Armenia with the intention of seeing much more of the country than I did during my previous trip. However, there was a slight problem with my plan: historical sites were many but my time was limited. What was I to do? Alongside two friends, Teresa and Remi, and a fourth person to split the cost, Roberta, we rented a car in the capital Yerevan and then headed south to see mountains, ancient monasteries, and whatever else lay ahead. Since the country didn’t recognize my American driver’s license, Remi was left as our sole driver.

We set off later that day to our first location of Khor Virap, a 16th century monastery situated on a hill with the gigantic Mt. Ararat looming in the background. During my previous trip here, two brothers attempted to rob me, but this time there were no such difficulties (aside from waiting for a particularly ‘large’ family to clear out of one of the underground rooms so we could enter). We spent our time wandering around the site, gazing at the magnificent scenery, artwork, and mustache (see below). After that we set off, stopping about an hour later, upon Remi’s insistence at a roadside stand in order to buy wine. We tried many kinds (some good and some bad), but ended up buying both.

From there, we headed south for several hours, serenaded by the relentless obsessive rantings of our fourth companion. To either side of us lay mountains and valleys consisting of so many different earthy colors. We crossed mountain passes, drove down through valleys, passed numerous herds of sheep, and finally, just after the sun had set, we reached the town of Goris where we decided to spend the night. We found a nice guesthouse with a friendly owner and comfortable set up and stayed there. Unfortunately though, two of the beds (the one Teresa and I took) didn’t have any warm blankets so sleeping turned out to be difficult. On the bright side, we were treated to a nice breakfast. So I guess you win some and lose some.

We then left to go see one of the country’s most famous sites, the Tatev Monastery. On the way, however, we came across a trail that was said to lead to the ruins of another monastery, and being generally adventurous, we decided to go see (except Roberta who liked neither walking nor nature). We followed the trail for about 15 minutes and eventually came to the ruins, slightly overgrown by plant-life. Naturally, we walked in to have a better look, and to our surprise, found a few tools lying next to a mini garden. “Looks like someone stayed here recently,” I observed. “Probably him,” said Teresa, pointing to a bearded monk who had just emerged into view. Curiously, we walked over to find out who this guy was. Speaking Russian, the monk introduced himself as Yakov and said that he had been living there by himself for the past four years. Winter included. He then explained the history of the place and we chatted for a bit. Then, upon going, we summoned up the courage to ask him for a picture. He replied, “No… Unless you get in the picture with me.” Happily, we agreed. (see below)

A little while later we made it to Tatev Monastery. Although this one was much more in tact than the one with the monk, it unfortunately had more tourists. Nonetheless, it was still pretty amazing to see. Plus there was both a traditional Armenian wedding and a baptism going on while we were there. We stayed there for about half an hour, and upon leaving, we purchased a jar of fig jam and a bag of tea leaves, and were given a complementary shot of homemade vodka.

Finally, it was time to return back to Yerevan. The road was long and semi paved, but we broke up the journey with a lunch at a waterfall en route to our destination. So with that, dear readers, I’ll leave you for now because I am tired and to lazy to continue writing at the moment. Please enjoy the pictures.