Press HERE For System Restart

Admittedly, there were a few setbacks and the staff didn't return to their positions as quickly as expected, but this announcement serves as restart of the blog production line.  Our current environment is more conducive to work activities, as the inter web facilities are available and somewhat reliable.  So let's roll the clock back and post by post make our way to the present.

The backlog started back in our final days in ARMENIA.  We had experienced numerous random acts of kindness from all sorts of strangers.  Those encounters alone are probably enough to justify a visit from fellow backpackers. But, for someone who enjoys visiting old churches I would say it's definitely worth your time.  Surprisingly, we never got tired of visiting all the churches.  We walked through the forest to some and took "the world's longest cable car" through mountainous canyons to others. It was good times searching out all the churches and seeing all the scenery along the way.

Here are some photos of holy sites and other things we saw while we traversed the country:

Noravank

Saint Hripsime Church

Sevanavank

Haghpat Monastery

Matosavank Monastery

LOGISTICAL STUFF:
SOLO TRAVELERS:
Public transport is pretty limited and you'll probably find most of the marshrutkas (mini-buses) to be full unless you catch them at their original departure point.  We found hitchhiking to actually be easier and safer than the erratic driving of taxi or marshrutka drivers.  It was foreign to us at first, but we quickly learned that it was practically another form of public transport.

GROUP TRAVELERS:
Renting a car in Yerevan (the only place to do it) is probably the best option.  Although you'll miss out on the hitchhiking encounter, you'll get to see more of the country and get more out of your time.  Also, the local bus schedules don't always link up right, so you could end up waiting for your next bus for a few hours at the station.  Also, if you're more than 2 people it becomes almost impossible to hitch a ride since you won't all fit in a single vehicle.

ALL TRAVELERS:
We found it very customary to be offered homemade vodka from our guesthouse host or even from complete strangers when we were hiking.  From our experience, it was always harmless and safe, but drinking 40-50% proof shots can quickly send you into a very bad world. We enjoyed a shot or two, but there were definite occasions when we politely declined, which translates into saying, "no thanks" about 20 times (no exaggeration).

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