9 March 2025 - Leaving Yerevan, Armenia

The vacation in Armenia had been thoroughly enjoyable with a mixture of the fading winter weather and the emerging summer season. Armenia once again proved to me that people make the country what it is. Friendly and honest, law abiding, deeply religious without wearing it on their sleeves, proud of their heritage and protective of their environment and monuments, the Armenians are.

Law and order are maintained with all seriousness. The visibility of police is all pervading. They are there in every street corner, every busy marketplace and on weekends their numbers are almost double. So is the case with traffic patrols. They are there everywhere. The seven days that I drove around in the country, urban, rural and highways, their presence was felt without any let up. Therefore, people adhered to road rules and traffic restrictions. Yes, there are always exceptions to the norm. However, the crazy drivers were few and far between.

It has no recourse to revenue source from natural resources. The per capita income, is however, twice that of India on PPP terms as per 2023 data. According to information supplied by the city walk tour guide in Gyumri, Aram, a family of four can get by on a monthly income of USD 250, which includes housing, food, transport and education.

Another feature is that you don't find homeless persons and people living in slums, in abject poverty. People don't have to pay for water as sweet water from the mountains slake their thirst. In every city, town and village there are public water fountains, which the Armenians call "pulpulak". At the time of checking into hotels and guesthouses I was told that tap water is safe and there is no need to buy water. They say it with a matter of pride.

Pedestrians use only zebra crossings to cross the road, be it in the cities, towns or even in rural area. A jay walker is a rare animal and is normally frowned upon. Where the pedestrian crossing is not governed by a signal, vehicles stop to give the right of way to one who steps on to a zebra crossing.

Similarly, the discipline of using the traffic roundabout is another noteworthy feature. Moving into the roundabout after giving precedence to vehicular traffic that is already in the roundabout from the left is a given. No need for signals and traffic policemen. Level crossing gates cover only that side of the road which is meant for the incoming traffic. It does not cover the entire stretch of the road from end to end as it does in India.

During the tour of Armenia, I noticed that there is a fairly large population of stray dogs in the country. But most of them had a round tag on their ears. I thought that the local authorities used it as a means of identification of the stray population. However, in Gyumri I sought a confirmation of my reasoning from Aram, the city walk tour guide. He told me that the tag indicated that the stray was castrated!

When I received the car from AutoUnion, the service provider of the car rental, I was requested to download the Yandex Navi App for navigation within Armenia. The company representative told me that Google Maps was not that reliable in the country. I did as suggested, and used it for the entire duration of my drive in Armenia. However, it too was not entirely dependable.

Twice, I was taken on the wrong route, and I used Google Maps to back to the right one. One, in fact, was almost within Yerevan. I was led to some godforsaken street when I had set Yandex Navi to Erebuni fortress. The second was when I had set the route to the ski resort, Tsaghkadzor. I landed up where I could not go any further with the entire place drowned in snow! Moral of the story: no navigation app is flawless; use it with caution.

During the entire duration of the Armenian tour, I never came across wantonly strewn garbage or unclean streets and public places. Cleanliness was the norm. People kept disposables with them till they found a bin; non-availability of a garbage bin was no excuse to fling them about. Besides, even in the toughest of situations, municipal workers could be seen clearing the road of ice and bins of garbage. Thus, a combination of responsible citizenry and accountable public workers ensured public hygiene and cleanliness.

I was most taken in by the TUMO initiative to skill teens living in Armenia. The 12- to 18-year-olds are given free vocational training and that is producing a generation of smart hands ready to serve the needs of an emerging country. It is probably this initiative that ensures that the young steer clear of crime and socially unacceptable behaviour. They are trained to be socially and professionally productive; a moulding process is in place to instill in them a sense of self-worth.

8 March 2025 - In Yerevan

The last full day in Armenia, the 60th country I have visited and the 45th I have driven in, dawned bright and sunny. I had to return the car to the AutoUnion car rental at 2 pm. As the city walking tour was scheduled for 2 pm, I arranged with the car rental company to hand over the car by 12 noon. They also nominated a car wash where they would take over the car after inspection.

After a leisurely breakfast of traditional and continental food I left for the Armenia Genocide Monument. Traffic was very light, being the weekend, and vendors had begun to setup their stalls. The Armenia Genocide Monument is dedicated to the 1.5 million Armenians who were slaughtered by the Young Turks during WWII in 1915. The memorial was inaugurated in 1967. It has since been a pilgrimage site and is integral to Yerevan's architecture.

The inwardly canted khachkar-like stones of the memorial symbolize mourning in memory of the victims, and the erect monument symbolizes rebirth. Central to the memorial is an eternal flame 1.5 meters deep symbolizing the 1.5 million people who lost their lives. The 12 stones symbolize the 12 towns lost to Turkey in 1915.

The last attraction on the list to be visited was the Mother Armenia Monument in the Victory Park. The 22-meter-tall female personification of Armenia, sculpted in hammered copper, overlooks Yerevan city. The Mother Armenia statue replaced the statue of Stalin that was taken down in 1962. Surrounding the monument are tanks and other military equipment, guarded by military personnel. The Mother Armenia statue symbolizes peace through strength. It also reminds locals of some important and prominent female figures in Armenian history.

On the way out from the monument complex I spied a car wash doing brisk business. I stopped by to find out if they could clean my car up too. I was told that they were completely booked for the day! On the way to the car wash nominated by the car rental company I drove into a fuel station and topped up to the point which was the same as when I had taken over the car. I rang up the car rental company and was told that one of their staff would meet me at the car wash nominated by them.

As I drove in, the young man was waiting for me. He did a cursory inspection of the car, compared the fuel gauge reading and told me that a proper visual inspection could be done only after the car was washed, which would take some time. He suggested that I could leave and receive communication regarding the release of the deposit before evening. I gave him 5000 AMD for the car wash and left for the hotel. However, later in the evening I was told that the car wash could not be completed as it was overloaded with work and that it would be done only the next day.

Behind the car wash was the Charles Aznavour Square where the Moscow Cinema is located. The cinema was built in 1936 in the place where the Saint Peter and Paul's church stood till 1930, when it was demolished by the Soviet regime. The square was named after the famous singer and song writer of Armenian descent, who is known as the French Frank Sinatra.

Walking through the portals of the History Museum I got a glimpse of the rich history of Armenia. A copy of the 14th century Noravank Momik Khachkar with the inscription "Remember Christ God The Soul of Momik And Have Mercy" was one of the pieces at the entrance. My mind went back to Noravank and the poignant story of Momik, the architect. The other displays included copies of the Coat of Arms of the Bagratid Kingdom, high relief of Prince Bishken, hunting scene and the like.

Before getting back to the hotel I went to the Armenian Market to buy some dried fruits. Armenia is reputed to grow the best apricots and prunes. Besides those, I also bought dried parsimony, figs, pear, peach and cranberry. I found the prices, as compared to what we have in India, quite cheap; 4 kgs costing me about Rs. 4500.

Back in the hotel, I got busy packing my bags. I had a 2 pm appointment for the city walk tour. At the very last moment I got a message from the guide canceling the walk due to poor patronage. It was the second time the guide, Tigran, had done this; first on the 2nd and now today. However, that left me free for the rest of the evening.

In the evening, I walked the short distance from the hotel to the Vernissage, which is an open market-exhibition in the center of Yerevan and is listed as a must visit for tourists. When I reached the fabulous market, I realized why it was mentioned so in travel recommendations. It is a place to find exclusive Armenian handmade masterpieces, souvenirs and works of art.

I spent a lot of time in the Vernissage buying nothing but simply admiring paintings, the most impressive handmade souvenirs, crafts, carvings, pottery, silken scarves, unique jewelry, dolls with traditional Armenian costumes, handmade handbags, wooden chess or Backgammon board games, folk clothing, antiques, carpets and much more.

I was surprised to see old stationary telephone, radio and tape recorder bits, dishes, medals, and extremely dated equipment. A visit to the Vernissage is to take a piece of Armenia with you.

Another place that fascinated me in the vicinity, behind the Gregory the Illuminator church, was the Skate Park. The park was constructed in 2021 thanks to the generous donation from the Armenian community of Ukraine and their leader, Vilen Shatvoryan. Additionally, an amphitheater has been built in the area, adding to its appeal. I feel that such facilities must be built in India too where, all through the year, kids and the youthful can spend their spare time acquiring skills of coordination.

The Book Lovers Park was built with a generous donation from the Alen Margaryan charitable NGO in memory of the great book lover Alen Margaryan.

The Gregory the Illuminator church, also known as the Yerevan Cathedral, is the largest cathedral of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The cathedral was consecrated in 2001 to coincide with the 1700th anniversary of Christianity being made the state religion. The cavernous church can seat 1700 believers. The cathedral is 60 meters tall at its maximum.

The main church also has two chapels in the name of King Tiridates and Queen Ashken who were responsible for the proclamation of Christianity as the state religion. After spending a few minutes in prayer in the church I walked back to the hotel, completing the entire sightseeing agenda.

On the way back, in a small open space, young people were playing roundnet, a game I hadn't seen till then. It is also known as Spike ball, invented in 1989, inspired largely by the concepts of volleyball.

After polishing off the Gilli Vodka spiked with lemon Fanta, I had dinner at the Tashir Pizza. The huge pizza was more than enough to sate my alcohol-inspired hunger.

That marked the end of the vacation in Armenia. I will be flying back to Ahmedabad via Sharjah from Yerevan tomorrow morning. The only downside of the return trip is the more than 9 hours of layover in Sharjah. Of course, I will also miss live action of the Champions Trophy final between India and New Zealand.

7 March 2025 - Tatev to Yerevan, Armenia

The room had been quite cold when I hit the sack last night. In quick time, though, it warmed up enough to present me with a comfortable night of rest. The guesthouse looked new and was fitted out with fancy lights and air-conditioning instead of gas-based heating. One of the lows of the guesthouse was the poor Wi-Fi connectivity. Whether it is a problem in Tatev or not, I am not sure. Even mobile data connection inside the guesthouse was poor.

The next issue was water supply. The force of water in the taps was very poor and the hot water supply was erratic. Either you got water that would chill your bones or water that could scald and scar you for life. The guesthouse didn't have a bucket and mug which I could have used to mix the water. Then the creative mind got to work.

The garbage bin was brand new. I cleaned and used that in place of a bucket. Next up, I boiled water in the kettle and mixed it with cold water from the bathroom tap. Now, for the mug. Guess what? I used a coffee cup! "Don't complain of the darkness, light a candle". The makeshift arrangement worked well, and I was ready for breakfast. 

The guesthouse has a large courtyard and place for people to dine in the backdrop of mountains, inhaling clean air. However, with snow in the courtyard, even though it hadn't snowed last night, I preferred to dine in the small, closed room. The kitchen was managed by the guesthouse owner's mother. She laid on the table a double egg omelette, sausages, Armenian bread, sauteed potatoes, apricot and cherry jam, local cheese and herbal tea. When I had got through most of it, she gave me a strong cup of black coffee and a piece of cake. "Mogambo Khush Hua"!

It was time to take the long road back to Yerevan. I had nearly 280 km to do today with four stopovers for sightseeing. First on the day's itinerary was the Noravank Monastery, 150 km away. As I was leaving Tatev, I saw children walking on ankle high snow, on their way to school. Young and bright faces; sparks that lit up the day.

The first part of the drive was over winding ghat roads. Last evening, in the cable car, I heard about the Devils Bridge and was eager to get a glimpse of it while leaving Tatev. I stopped where the Yandex Navi App pointed to its location. I got down a few flights of stone steps with guardrails to hold on as it was slippery in some places. There were puddles and tanks of minerals after with fungi formed like lotus leaves by the side of the steps leading down to the gorge. I got a flavour of the artistry of nature; hollowed out rock, different hues made by mineral springs, gushing water and stalactites.

I was retracing the road I had travelled on the previous day. The dual carriageway, winding around mountains was quite an experience. The hairpin bends didn't have guardrails. The weather was excellent, though. It was bright and sunny. I had to stop and clean the windshield for better visibility.

In a little over two hours, I climbed the steep road to the Noravank Monastery. There were many tourists at that hour. The irresistibly picturesque setting compliments the 13th century structure. Red and greenish brown cliffs surround the monastery, due to which Noravank Monastery is sometimes called the “Red Monastery”. In the past, along with Tatev Monastery, this had been an important center for education and culture.

The construction of Noravank Monastery has a poignant story attached to it. It is said that Momik, a reputed architect, had fallen in love with the daughter of the Prince of Syunik. The prince ordered Momik to build a monastery in 3 months to win his daughter in marriage. Momik took up the challenge and started construction of the monastery.

He cut stones from cliffs and managed to stick to the deadline. A few days before the monastery was to be handed over, a servant of the prince pushed Momik to his death from the rooftop of the monastery, as ordered by the prince. Thus, the last stone of the monastery became the gravestone of Momik, the architect.

The monastery has three elements, two churches and a chapel. The Holy Mother of God church, built by Momik, is unique in that it has two floors. The lower one was the burial ground of the Orbelian family and the upper floor was the memorial Temple. The present day St. John the Baptist church is a newer version of the one that was flattened in the 14th century by an earthquake.

To this day, the whole of Noravank maintains a reputation of being a special and significant piece of Armenian architecture, as well as a staple of its strong Christian history. I sought the blessing of a priest who explained that Armenian church has five sister churches of which the Malabar church is one.

The Arena 1 cave visit was a complete flop, in the sense that only a few meters of the cave is open to the public. The cave was accidentally discovered by an Armenian student and archaeologist in 2008, when the earliest known shoe was discovered. Later exploration brought up the earlier known winery, a straw skirt belonging to the 4 century BC and a humanoid brain.

The visit to the cave didn't take up much time. I took more time in a store near the ticket counter. Exquisite carvings of limestone and wood and woven yarn. The work of a young artist couple, the productions are masterpieces. Had it not been for the baggage weight restrictions I would have loosened my purse strings a bit.

The Khor Virap Monastery is about 80 km from the Arena cave. The road was adequate and the drive was smooth. A fair distance away from the monastery the Ararat Mountains come into view. The Little Ararat and Greater Ararat are dormant volcanoes in Turkey. The latter is the highest peak in Turkey at 5127 meters; it was first scaled in 1829.

Mount Ararat is traditionally considered as the resting place of Noah's Ark and hence, holds biblical significance. The mountain is sacred to Armenians and is the principal national symbol of the country. The best views of the twin mountains are had from the vantage position of the Khor Virap Monastery.

Legend has it that the ancient city of Artashat, the capital of Armenia, was located where Khor Virap Monastery now stands. Under where the church stands today was a prison pit with snakes, scorpions and other poisonous insects. The pit was meant for prisoners and stank of rotting flesh.

The king at the time, Tridat, a servant of pagan gods, imprisoned Gregory the Illuminator, the patron saint of Armenia, in the pit for preaching Christian sermons for 13 years. Gregory was released after the king's sister saw an angel in her dream seeking his release as a solution to the King's madness.

After his release Gregory prayed beside the king and restored him to normalcy. From that day on Tridat became an ardent supporter of Christianity and declared it as the state religion. This happened in 301 AD and in the exact place where the prison pit had been located and the Khor Virap monastery was built. Thus, this place has great significance to Christians in Armenia.

After a tour of the historically significant and goosebumps raising monastery, it was time to get closer to Yerevan. The Erebuni fortress is an 8th century BC fortified settlement in the outskirts of Yerevan. In fact, the name Yerevan is reportedly derived from the name Erebuni. Yandex Navi App failed to get me to the fortress, and I landed up in a godforsaken neighborhood.

I switched to Google Maps and reached what looked like the entrance to the fortress by taking a steep, winding road. A guy in military uniform spoke to me in chaste Armenian! What he wanted to convey, I had no clue of, and he was frustrated by my English! After a few minutes of meaningless exchange, I took it that I would not be able to enter the fortress unless I had a ticket, which I had to obtain from someplace else. As I did not have the time left for it, as the complex closed at 4.30 on, I skipped the tour inside the fortified structure.

On the way to the accommodation, I had booked in Yerevan for the last two nights in Armenia I drove into a car wash, hoping to get the car cleaned before handing it back to the rental company. The guys told me that it would take another hour as they did not have power supply then. I drove out hoping to get the car washed the next day.

Through busy Friday evening traffic, I inched my way to what was meant to be the address of the accommodation I had booked in Yerevan for two nights. There was no place to park, and I sought temporary refuge in a private residential complex. I walked to the address and found it to be a massage parlour with girls of different ages and sizes waiting for 'clients'. The madam of the massage spa told me that there isn't any "cozy apartment" there for stay. That was that.

I decided to go to the Hotel Tigran Mets, where I had stayed on my arrival into Yerevan. They gave me a deluxe suite as that was the only one available. Pricey, but very nice. I got all the luggage into the room as I had to pack for the return to India in a couple of days. Thereafter, I took a walk to locate the Armenian market, from where I intended to buy dried fruits, for which Armenia is famous for.

The city wore a festive look and was vibrant. Perhaps, a combination of the start of the weekend and the receding winter weather. The evening was very pleasant and the Republic Square looked radiant and rich. I made my way through busy pedestrian traffic to the Lavash restaurant that was recommended for traditional Armenian food. I had a portion of pumpkin soup and a traditional BBQ chicken with lavash. The excellent visit to Armenia was coming to an end.