Armenia

Hello again!

Basically, I have taken a big loop through Armenia and through Artsakh, the semi-independent region that seceded from Azerbaijan, thereby creating an ongoing war. From this area, I was able to continue my tour of the country through the southern canyons and mountains before finally coming back to Yerevan.

Unfortunately, I am very pressed for time, as I am catching a train in a few hours, so I am only going to post some pictures for quickly for your enjoyment.

Thanks for reading!

Daniel “Cloudwalker” Liu

: City square in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan.

: Armenia is well-known for its cognac, so I went on a tour of the famous Ararat Brandy company. There are many interesting traditions involving brandy, including one in which any president who visits Armenia receives a barrel of brandy which can only be tapped by him. Other Armenian traditions include holding the glass in the left hand (because this brings the brandy closer to the heart) and pairing brandy with apricots.

: Mural depicting the dedication of Christ at the temple. Actually, most of the churches in Armenia do not have frescoes, but this one did.

: In Gyumri, I discovered that there was a dancing festival going on, so I went to check it out. In spite of the initial rain, everyone had a good time.

: Ancient church including chapels, a seminary, monks’ cells, and a library

: I include this picture to give some indication of what 90% of tourist destinations in Armenia look like.

: As I hitched along Lake Sevan, these guys called me over for breakfast. They are Iranians who are doing a long-distance bike ride, and we had a lovely meal together.

: An important part of Armenia’s cultural heritage are these khachkars, or stone memorials. They replaced ancient pagan stones with stones engraved with the cross, occasionally blending both pagan and Christian symbols. For example, the disc below is derived from pagan symbols representing life.

: The war in Artsakh is still very real to many Armenians. Shushi, the former capital, was largely destroyed by Azerbaijan. I also met an English teacher who told me she had lost several family members in the war.

: A massive plane tree, nearly 2000 years old

: Zontik, meaning umbrella, waterfall in a lovely gorge

: Tatev Canyon, with the mountains in the distance. The longest cable railway in the world is here, but it was closed, so I didn’t go.

: An ancient monastery only accessible by foot

: More views of Tatev

: Armenia’s version of Stone Henge, these stones are thought to have been placed as memorials to the dead.

: This is the pit where Gregory the Illuminator, the man who converted Armenia to Christianity, was held for 13 years. His story is very dramatic. His father assassinated the father of the future king of Armenia, Trdat. Both left Armenia, and when Trdat was restored to his throne, Gregory joined his court, but concealed his Christian identity to preserve his safety. However, when he would not participate in pagan festivals and his identity was discovered, Trdat threw him into this pit together with poisonous creatures. Afterwards, Trdat executed Hripsime and her virgins who had come to spread Christianity in Armenia. He was in love with Hripsime, and went mad following her execution. Trdat’s sister had a vision in which she realized that the only person who could save the king’s sanity was Gregory, so he was removed from the pit. He restored the king, who confessed his sins, and went on to convert the entire kingdom.

: Fantastic canyon views in Vayats Dzor. The name comes from an earthquake which lasted for 40 days during which the people wailed, ‘Vai! Vai!” So, it became known as the “Canyon of Wails.”