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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Iced Coffees

Something happened today that I just can't get past. Matt and I were trying to hitch a ride from Yeghegnadzor to Goris (because we found out that we had missed the last marshrutka by just 8 minutes). After being propositioned by several Taxi drivers who had stopped for us, we see a man slam his brakes, reverse his car and exclaim, “No money. No money.” He wasn’t going to Goris, but he offered to take us to a town halfway. So, we hopped in. 

Mid-way through the 40 minute ride, he pulled over for a pit stop - we were assuming he had to run an errand. Two minutes later, he hops back in the driver's seat bearing gifts – iced coffees for himself, Matt and I.

Wait a minute. We ask for a ride, and YOU are the one that gives US something. Mind exploding - shouldn't it be the other way around? I mean, we didn't have much, but we were prepared to offer him an apple we had stashed in my bag.

I don't know why I'm so dumbfounded by this simple gesture. I guess it's because things like this just keep on happening. Just the night before, the next door neighbor of an apartment we were staying in randomly brought over a tray of fresh fruit and hazelnuts as a welcome gift. Then later invited us into her home for coffee and pastry with her family, where we ended the night with a gift from her son – a stone cross necklace for me.

I've never encountered perfect strangers with such blatant generosity and not a shred of expectancy to return the favor.

This world just keeps surprising me, and I'm so grateful that we get to experience these little moments one encounter at a time. As for the man, we said thank you in broken Armenian, popped open our iced coffees and cheersed our new friend – he politely said no to the apple. 

Yerevan Or Bust

We've quickly found out that here in Armenia all roads lead to Yerevan. It's easy to get there, but much more difficult to leave with a specific place in mind - outside of taking a Taxi, renting your own vehicle or hitching a ride (aka: auto-stop).

From Tbilisi, GEORGIA we wanted to cross into ARMENIA and stop 2km past the border in a town called Alaverdi. Unfortunately, according to the bus station, no such ticket existed. We tried for 3 hours to find a marshrutka to take us there (taxi wanted to charge 50 Lari / person), but they would only let us buy a 30 Lari ticket to Yerevan. If you speak Georgian, you may be able to work out a deal, buy even that is difficult without going through "the chief" first.

Chris - Using her backpack as a seat.

LOGISTICAL STUFF: 
TBILISI, GEORGIA - ALAVERDI (OR YEREVAN), ARMENIA: From the Ortachala international bus station in Tbilisi, buy a marshrutka ticket to Yerevan (last one leaves at 15:00 - private bus companies do not go to Alaverdi) for 30 Lari / person - sadly, you cannot get a cheaper ticket just for Alaverdi. We were unable to locate any information on trains to Alaverdi. If anything, there is a train to Yerevan on EVEN days, and one from Yerevan to Tbilisi on ODD days, but we are unsure if they even stop in Alaverdi. From talking to several travelers, there may not be one, and if so, it's difficult to stop.

Matt - Inside Georgian border control building.

VISA:
Hop off the bus (leave your bags on board) and go through the Georgian border control building to obtain your exit stamp. Hop back on the bus to travel 30 feet to the Armenian border control booth (outside, next to a large metal gate) to obtain your VISA. Fill out an application given to you by the officer in the booth - no photo required, despite what it says in the designated rectangular area on the top right corner of the application. Make sure you have a full-page available in your passport for the full-page VISA sticker to live. Sign the entry/exit paperwork (again, given by the officer) and pay the man. You cannot pay with any other currency other than Dram - 3000 Dram / person for U.S. Citizens. (If you need Dram, ask one of the security officers in fatigues to point you to the "bankomat" across the Armenian border - he will hold onto your passport until you return.) Walk 30 more feet to a tiny booth next to several car lanes to get your entry stamp. Welcome to Armenia! :) Don't forget to hop back onto the right marshrutka.