2 March 2025 - In Yerevan, Armenia

A few weeks back, while still planning the vacation in Armenia, I had come across a free guided walking tour in Yerevan. The more I went through the details the more I felt it would be the correct way to understand the city better. I booked the guided English tour and promptly got confirmation for the three- and half-hour tour starting at 10 am.

However, this morning I found a mail from Tigran, the guide, that the 10 am start had been postponed to 2 pm. That completely upset my schedule of taking the hired car for out-of-the-city sightseeing in the afternoon. I decided to rework the rest of itinerary for Armenia. As I had already paid for the car, rescheduling its hire was out of the question. Instead, I decided to take the car this morning itself and pack in what I had missed yesterday afternoon and what I had planned for the next day. That fitted in neatly.

Breakfast was built into the tariff. The hot shower prepared me for the day. The dining hall in the basement of the hotel had just started to come alive. The buffet breakfast was a mixture of local and continental food. Chocos with cold milk kick-started the buffet. Egg varieties were boiled, sunny side up and omelette with sausage which could be had with toast, jam, butter and Armenian cheese. The local version of hash browns, risotto rice stuffed cabbage leaf, dolma and three healthy salads were more than adequate for the vegetarian. For those with sweet tooth there was Apple pie, moist chocolate cake and Gata, a local desert. All these could be washed down with filtered water, coffee or tea.

After making sure that the stomach is attended to, I walked to the address given in the car booking voucher. It was barely 300 meters from the hotel. It was quite cold, but the sky was clear, and the streets were free of muddy pools. When I reached the Google Maps aided address location all I saw was rows of residential buildings and, with it being a Sunday, there was no one about. Finally, I rang the number given in the booking voucher of AutoUnion car rental. After a few tries I got through to a pleasant gentleman, who guided me to their office, just a few steps away.

In the office was the tall, gangly Hovo, who took my passport and driving license and filled up details on his tab. I filled up personal details like address, emails and phone number as well as for the credit card. When it was time for the sign off Hovo dropped the bomb. I had made the reservation through Discover Cars, an online aggregator, specifying the car I wanted, the number of days of hire and opted for the full cover insurance. I paid the total amount for the six days hire of a Citroen C3 with the full cover of Rs. 17,115 online. Hovo told me that the cover I had did not cover tyres, rims and windshield and that I would have to cough up another Euro 105! That meant that the insurance would cost me more than the car hire. Ridiculous, to say the least.

However, Hovo told me that I could speak to Discover Cars and then take a decision. He connected the UK number, and a kind gentleman acknowledged my booking and told me that I had the option of either going with their original insurance or take the AutoUnion one. If I took the latter, the original insurance amount would be refunded. However, he confirmed that if I went with the original insurance, I would be reimbursed any amount that AutoUnion would charge me in case of any damages that were not covered. That saved my day. I stuck with the Discover Cars insurance. I also realized how I had similarly been 'gyped' in Mauritius last year. This is a big 'game' between the aggregator and the service provider. Mercifully, I learnt a valuable lesson this day, mostly due to Hovo and the kind gentleman of Discover Cars.

Once all formalities were completed, he led me to a jet-black Nissan Versa, a car significantly bigger than the one I had booked. It was an upgrade. Hovo took videos and photos of the car, told me the speed limits and road rules, how to spot free parking and how to pay for the paid parking. The fuel rule was same to same, which meant that I had to return the car with the same amount of fuel the tank had at the time of hire. It was time to shake hands with Hovo and leave. He told me that I could call him at any time of the day or night and added his contact to my phone. He also told me to use the Yandex Navi app as it would guide me with cameras and permitted speed limits.

I eased out of the parking lot and set my sights for the Echmiadzin Cathedral. Traffic was sparse and I reached the historic church in a half hour after navigating 20 plus km. The cathedral is widely regarded as the oldest church in the world, with the first one established in 303 AD. It is the mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The founder of the church was Gregory the Illuminator, the patron saint of Armenia.

The church was built over a pagan church to signify the change from paganism to Christianity with the adoption of it as the State religion in 301 AD. The cathedral underwent years of neglect, plunder, political turbulences and weathering due to which the cathedral went through multiple renovations and changes. Known as the Armenian Vatican, it is now a major pilgrimage center and is one of the most visited sites in the country. The large, forty-acre complex is a UNESCO world heritage site. The museum of the cathedral complex has relics of John the Baptist, apostles of Jesus and a fragment of Noah's Ark.

As I entered the complex, I heard singing and prayer chants; the Sunday holy mass was on. Along the walkway to the cathedral are stone crosses and relics of church facades of centuries past. The cathedral was almost full to capacity. I squeezed my way in to the cruciform structure. The faithful were moving in and out of the church. I suspected that not many stayed through the entire course of the mass.

Photography was not prohibited. I spent many moments in prayer and many more taking videos and photos. Later, after the mass was over, I got the opportunity to take a complete tour of the cathedral from the inside. I was on one of the holiest, and most certainly, the oldest Christian sites. I marveled at the way in which my plans had changed, and I got the opportunity to attend Sunday mass in this holy pilgrim site. The ways of God are many. Nothing ever happens as an accident; everything has a reason and is by design.

After picking up a few souvenirs, lighting a candle in the chapel and seeking the blessings of the priest I returned to the parked car. Next on the agenda was the Amberd fortress, nearly 50 km from the Cathedral. I left Yerevan behind and started the drive towards snowy mountains. With the sun blazing above, puddles had started to form on the roads and the village roads had to be navigated with patience and plenty of concentration. White storks had made nests on top of electric poles.

As I got close to the mountains, the snow was thicker, and the roads began to wind up. I passed the Amberd Hotel and was just about 5 km from the Amberd fortress when I confronted a thick layer of snow on the road. Up ahead I noticed a car stuck on the snowy road. I thought it better to return to the Amberd Hotel and seek the guidance of the staff. It was tricky reversing the car as the tyres were not gripping on the icy surface. In the end, I made it to the hotel, where the staff told me that the snow was heavy over the weekend and that I would not be able to proceed to the 10th century fortress that was at 7500 feet above MSL, on the slopes of Mount Aragats. That scuttled the fortress plan.

I retraced most of my steps to head to the Saghmosavank Monastery, about 30 km from the Amberd Hotel. As I turned off from the main road to the one leading to the monastery the road became bad with pools of water and melting ice. Eventually, after careful maneuvering I reached the monastic complex and found a place to park. Most of the parking lots were taken as a wedding was going on inside the monastery church. The 13th century monastic complex is situated atop the precipitous gorge carved by the Kasagh river. It was completely snowed under. I visualized how beautiful the setting would be in spring, which is, ideally, the time to visit the country.

The church is a type of cross-winged domed structure. I got into the church after roaming the grounds, taking in the awesomeness. The newlyweds vacated the church for the faithful to get in and pray. The rich interior is belied by the modest exterior of the church. The acoustics of the church is also excellent making the spiritual chants even more so mesmerizing.

Once I had spent enough time in the monastic complex it was time to head to the Yerevan Park, that was next on the list of places to see this day. It is a themed amusement park, popular with the young and old alike with plenty of rides, roller coasters, water games, Ferris wheel and the like. Yerevan Park is a family company which was founded by Garegin Nushikyan who wanted to bring things that were present around the world but missing in Armenia. His focus was on putting smiles on people's faces and take pride in what was 'their own'. The fees are quite steep, almost Rs. 2000, which includes a few rides too.

A few things on my list of places to visit were closed till 4th March; I wondered why, though. Those were the Victory Park, from where I could have seen the Mother of Armenia statue at close quarters and the Zvartnots Temple, the ruins of a 7th century cathedral. Though disappointed, I made good use of the left-over time for the day.

I went to the Children's Railway Park, which is one of the most beautiful parts of the Hrazdan Gorge. The narrow-gauge railway was built in 1943. The original building of the railway station was built of wood, which was replaced by a stone building later.

The children's railways functioned also as educational institution that allowed young students to learn various railroad professions. In the warm season, visitors to the park can take a train and take a short walk through the Hrazdan Gorge, walking about 600 m, and return to the starting point. At the time of my visit snow had covered the entire park and the train set was not in use. The steps to the station building had to be taken with tremendous caution as the ice made it very slippery.

Last on the itinerary for the day was the ARARAT Museum. The history of ARARAT brandy dates back to 1887. Current production is a combination of centuries-old traditions, the generosity of nature and craftsmanship. Selected Armenian grapes go through a controlled distillation process to produce the high quality of products that range from the young 1-year-old to the Caucasian oak-cask aged 20-year-old. At the reception I was told that the Museum tour with English guide happens thrice a day and has to be booked in advance. The tour comprises of a familiarization experience as well as tasting of various vintages. I spent a while in the retail shop attached to the Museum and made my way back to the hotel.

I bought a couple of bottles of the Armenian beer, Kilikia and sought refuge in the room for some time. Once the beer was done, I sought out the Rossia Mall food court, which had a large selection of soups, sides, salads, juices, ice creams, main dishes, pizza, sushi and the like. I settled for beef spaghetti, kidney beans and pumpkin soup. The last named was superb. That was the end of the second day in Armenia.