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Armenia

April 2024
A short but fine adventure by Mary Kieran Gap Year Read more
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  • TravelerArmenia
    111
    Day 1

    Day 84: B.Y.O.B. in Armenia

    April 3 in Armenia ⋅ ☁️ 45 °F

    A previous Soviet bloc in the Caucuses, militarily protected by Russia, 2022/looming 2024 border skirmishes with Azerbaijan, and political turmoil over a desire to join NATO/EU, a lot of people ask why Armenia (including work, sorry Ray).

    Can’t be more honest than this: System of a Down. One of the best modern metal bands of our time is the only reason Mary added Armenia to our travel list. Kieran was shitting bricks initially, but she explained that Armenia is just Eastern Europe: they have credit cards, alcohol, and spoke English as the third language (behind Armenian/Russian). One day in Armenia and Kieran is no longer anxious.

    We woke up and hit the much needed laundry mat; all the signs had English instructions and a local grandma selling baked goods spoke fluent English (both payable by credit card). We hit a delicious Armenia tavern opened in 1919 and picked up wine/beer (which was impossible in Tunisia/Morocco at the time). Both times we met wonderful locals who had advise on where to go, what to drink, and what to eat.

    We took a cab to Tsaghkadzor valley and enjoyed the snow covered mountains in the back drop of pink spring flowers. Armenia was the first country to have Christianity as its national religion so we visited an older monastery in the town and walked around the resort area. Mary liked seeing the Eastern European brutalist architecture, especially a huge power plant in the town of Hrazdan.

    Hotel: Teghenis Resort

    Restaurant:
    Dari Tavern
    Craftsman

    Food:
    Kharcho (spicy beef soup)
    Dolmas (grape leaves stuffed with meat)
    Beer Stroganoff
    Veil
    Lamb    Read more

  • TravelerArmenia
    Day 2

    Day 85: Ski Time Sadness and Lake Sevan

    April 4 in Armenia ⋅ ⛅ 39 °F

    Kieran loves skiing (he’s super talented) and starting Gap Year on January 10 meant he wouldn’t get a ski season. To raise his spirits, Mary said, “We can go skiing in Armenia; their ski season is February to early April.” Initially Kieran was adamantly against it because it wouldn’t compare to West Coast slopes and he wouldn’t have his gear (ski snob 🧐). He finally surrendered when he saw they got more snow last week.

    Well sad news, we get to the resort and they ended their season 24 hours before we arrived 😭💀

    We were still able to ride the gondola up and complain how the slopes were still in good condition and that Maryland ski resorts would sacrifice a child to have these Armenian slopes with this much snow in April.

    Instead of skiing, we ventured to Lake Seven and visited monasteries from 874 AD. We got some mulled pomegranate wine and beer from a local brewery, hit the ski resort pool/sauna, and had a lovely dinner.

    Super sad day with rolling emotions, but we made the best of the ski town 🥲

    Restaurants:
    Teghenis
    Kellers Brewery

    Food:
    lamb khashlam

    Spots:
    Sevanavank
    Lake Seven
    Tsaghkadzor Ski Resort    Read more

  • TravelerArmenia
    Day 3

    Day 86: Armenian History Museum

    April 5 in Armenia ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    Today we slept in and took advantage of the resort breakfast buffet to stock up on lunch sandwich meats. The manager encouraged us to try local food to the region including black currants and imam bayildi; he also gave us the ingredients (egg plant, tomato, bell pepper, oil) and cooking technique (BBQ, Clean off the char, fry in a pan).

    We drove back to Yerevan and Kieran felt under the weather so Mary headed to the Armenian History Museum. Armenia is one of the oldest civilizations of the world and the museum contained artifacts from the Stone Age and forward, including the world’s oldest shoe! Because of its geological location, Armenia has significant obsidian veins which were used for spears, weapons, and figurines.

    Hostel: Envoy Hostel

    Restaurants:
    Marilda Café & Restaurant

    Food:
    Hummus
    Summer Salad
    Lahmajo
    Foulmaddamas

    Spots:
    Republic Square
    Armenian History Museum    Read more

  • TravelerArmenia
    1
    Day 5

    Day 87: Garni & Geghard Monastery

    April 7 in Armenia ⋅ ☁️ 39 °F

    Today we booked a 5 hour tour to Garni. The first stop was Charents' Arch which centers on Ararat mountain, a sacred symbol to Armenian culture and history. We moved onto Geghard Monastery, which was built in 4th century and the main chapel in 1215. They carved the monastery into a naturally forming cave and a spring was used for blessings. Our next stop was a Lavash baking master class which is a traditional bread cooked in a ground pit against a clay wall. Then we hit Garni Temple, a Roman Temple and Bath House from 1st/2nd century. Our final stop was the Symphony of Stones which is a gorge where you can see where very hot lava met cold water and formed basalt columns.

    Our tour was mixed English and Russian, and there were only two other English speakers: Ana from Armenia and Enda from Ireland. Ana continued to show us around Yerevan to a local artisan market, the Manuscript Museum, the Cacades, and her favorite donut shop. We decided to go to dinner together and then got drinks at the Beatles Pub which played System of a Down (me and Ana were belting out jams). It was 2am and Ana was trying to motivate the troops to go to a rave that lasts until 5am. Luckily Enda had a flight in 3 hours so we were saved. Amazing night out and major thanks to Enda and Ana for their kindness.

    Restaurants:
    Grand Candy Donuts
    Tavern Yerevan

    Food:
    Lavish Bread
    Sea Buckthorn Tea
    Donuts
    Fruit Leather
    Armenian smoked meats
    Pickled Vegetable
    Kovsakan Salad
    Stuffed Eggplant
    Beef Tzhvzhik
    Khinkali

    Spots:
    Charents Arch
    Geghard Monastery
    Garni Temple
    Symphony of Stones
    Matenadaran
    Cascades
    Cafesjian Center for the Arts    Read more

  • TravelerArmenia
    Day 5

    Day 88: Mother Armenia & Soviet Sites

    April 7 in Armenia ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    Last day in Armenia we were hungover from partying with Ana and Enda. We checked out from the hostel at 11am but relaxed in the common area to recover. We met Connor from Canada who is traveling for two months through the Balkans and had also been to Patagonia. We hit it off immediately and planned to grab dinner and hit a brewery.
    We grabbed delicious Georgian soup dumplings and while eating we met Juan, Eva, and Evan from Indonesia and also invited them to dinner/brewery.

    For the remainder of the day we visited the Armenian Genocide Museum which was super informative and contained a beautiful monument to the atrocities. There are still tensions in the region between Turkey and Armenia, and many people still bring flowers to pay their respects to Armenia and also Palestine.

    Our final stop was the Mother Armenia complex, which was the most Soviet atheistic of the whole trip. The Ferris wheel and amusement park gave Call of a Duty Modern Warfare “All Ghillied Up” vibes and it felt like we were in Pripyat Ukraine. The Mother Armenia statue actually replaced a Stalin statue, but there were hammer and sickle carvings everywhere. It was wild.

    The night ended with a final Armenian meal and craft beers from Dargett with our new friends from Canada and Indonesia.

    Restaurants:
    Tumanyan Khinkali
    Tun Lahmajo

    Food:
    Khinkali
    Pelmini
    Imam bayildi
    Ostri
    Chakhokhbili

    Spots:
    Armenian Genocide Museum
    Mother Armenia    Read more

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