Armenia http://rmenia.fotopic.net/ 26 rows en-gb 60 Slub w Armeni http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c1591333.html Slub i wesele w Armeni Tuesday 7 October 2008: Slub i wesele w Armeni

Stepan, jako Tanczymy przed mieszkaniem Marii po schodkach do kosciola Moj golab zostawil mi maly Golebie wypuscilismy jak trzy razy uderzyl dzwon Oto ja, ateista w kosciele, slucham ceremoni w jezyku, ktorego prawie kompletnie nie rozumiem, a moj ojciec chrzestny mruga do ksiedza. Maria tlumaczyla i rozkazywala: toasty Siostra Marii, Armine, zorganizowala prawie wszystko i wlasnorecznie zrobila prawie wszystkie dekoracje Wesele Stepan, ja, i Robin Tran (zona Robina) i Maria Zdjecia w parku Kuzynka Marii, Maria, i siostra kelnerzy przynosili mieso tanczac Ktos przyniosl pudelko pelne motylow

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]]> Tue Oct 7 2008 Parting shots http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c958399.html Some pictures from the last little bit in Armenia. Pictures from around the city, from a party, and from a last hike near Garni again. Monday 15 May 2006: Some pictures from the last little bit in Armenia. Pictures from around the city, from a party, and from a last hike near Garni again.

One more walk through the market. Note the cow's head behind the butcher sharpening the axe When I was leaving the city felt very much like when I first arrived: the snow had just melted, spring was in the air, all the girls in their tight jeans seemed to have an extra bounce in their high-heels... A partial solar eclipse, as seen through smoked glass One last Friday evening at the Stop Club to check out Nareg and the rest of the boys of Bambir And one more hike to a familiar location, using the traditional luxurious Armenian mode of transportation, of course Ziga, Stepan, Manushak and I went to Garni, see one of the first collections for more pics and descriptions. The canyon around Garni has these fantastic cliffs with the hexagonal pillars. We met this old-timer on the hike, who told us how 16 years ago (when he was 60) he met a bear in that region. The bear attacked him, and he had to fight it... When the bear roared, he stuck his arm down its throat. They fought like that, with his arm down its throat, for 30 minutes. He probably saved his life that way (you try biting something that's half way down your throat) and got only this small scar on his arm, but the bear's hind legs took a big chunk out of his thigh. He got a bad infection from the wounds, swelled-up like a balloon, and stayed in bed for six months. They pumped him full of drugs, which caused him to develop an allergy to alcohol. Despite that tragic, TRAGIC ending to the story, he still seems to be a happy guy, walking the mountains and forests with his dog. I had a little goodbye party for myself, here Areg and Hasmik are having a blast at my place, as always. Lillit, Ani, and Manushak Zigis and Ziga will take over for me at this point Red wine with a label to remind you of line-ups for meat, military parades, and really silly slogans. Actually, it wasn't bad Thanks to all the AIESEC'ers who made it a fantastic year for me in Armenia I went out with the newcomers to a bar, we talked politics, the conversation got pretty heated When I clearly beat Zigis in that little political debate, he doused me in cognac and set me on fire. Art from a country not concerned about political correctness

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]]> Mon May 15 2006 Engagment http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c891391.html On March 8th, I went to Maria's grandmother's home for the official engagement ceremony. There were more people there than I expected, but luckily none of them knew much more than me about how the proceedings were supposed to go, and everybody liked my choice of Stepan as my godfather for the occasion Wednesday 15 March 2006: On March 8th, I went to Maria's grandmother's home for the official engagement ceremony. There were more people there than I expected, but luckily none of them knew much more than me about how the proceedings were supposed to go, and everybody liked my choice of Stepan as my godfather for the occasion

Preparing the speech with Stepan's help Out came the 24 year old cognac, saved for this occasion Unfortunately, I did not manage to memorize the whole speech in Armenian, and had to look down at my paper a couple of times. Maria's dad agreed to give her away to me anyway, and the celebration started. Maria's dad is on the far right, her grandma is near the table I'm the one on the left Maria's dad, Hacob, toasting us Stepan turned out to be a natural toast-maker as well, a very important part of the godfather's role on this occasion Maria's cousin Lillit wrote and performed a little song for this occasion. It would not be an Armenian party without a lot of dancing. Everybody was quite impressed with my Armenian dancing skills. Clinking glasses with the cameraman Stepan (my godfather for the occasion), yours truly, and Maria Letting the folks back home hear the good news Maria's mom created the dress that Maria wore, as well as Armine's outfit. I don't know why I look so serious. We posed for some pictures at the end of the evening.

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]]> Wed Mar 15 2006 Beautiful winter http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c863023.html This winter in Armenia is the snowiest in about 15 years, making for even grumpier taxi and minibus drivers, but also providing me with some great shots. Thursday 16 February 2006: This winter in Armenia is the snowiest in about 15 years, making for even grumpier taxi and minibus drivers, but also providing me with some great shots.

Beautifully white and sunny My windows are the ones obscured by the tree, on the third floor, above the black VW Jetta that's parked on the sidewalk on the corner. Enjoying the view I noticed these cool icycles hanging off my balcony. It took some patience and a good reflex to capture this drop... ...and this one... ...and that one. The pulleys for my clothesline View outside my office window. I look out and I see these five dogs slowly walking nose to tail on a path through the snow. All of a sudden the two leading dogs stop and start humping. You could tell the other dogs were thinking The potato sellers came out even during this near-blizzard. One evening we went to see Bambir at the Stop Club again. I noticed this four year old kid with the Johnny Ramone haircut playing air-guitar in front of Narek and next to the dancing lesbians. At the Stop-Club. Near my house, this dude was guarding some other dude's car. I went scuba-diving in lake Sevan one night. In the deepest part I found the reck of Remarkably, that picture I took scuba-diving looks almost exactly like my snow-covered clothes line at night. It was actually very dark (see previous pictures) this is just an extra-long exposure. I was waiting for that car to drive away, so I could take one of those cool, long exposures with the streaking car lights. After about ten minutes of waiting and watching him struggle in one spot, I took pity, put on my boots and coat, and helped him to push it out. It turns out he just needed to park the car in that car-port at the bottom left, he then invited me in for some tea and supberb brandy. I pointed the camera at the sky and took this pic. The snow flakes that are furthest away are in focus, sort of. Note how the snow piled up on the seeds, at right. I got my funky photo with the light streaks after all

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]]> Thu Feb 16 2006 Georgia on my mind http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c785997.html On the first weekend of December, Babett and I took a little trip to Georgia. Due to short days and uncooperative train and bus schedules, we did not get to see much of charming Tblisi by day, but we did take a bunch of cool night shots of the city. Also, a day-trip to the Stalin museum in Gori, and to a nearby town. Tuesday 6 December 2005: On the first weekend of December, Babett and I took a little trip to Georgia. Due to short days and uncooperative train and bus schedules, we did not get to see much of charming Tblisi by day, but we did take a bunch of cool night shots of the city. Also, a day-trip to the Stalin museum in Gori, and to a nearby town.

The birthplace of christianity in Georgia On Saturday we went to the town of Gori, whose most famous native son was Joseph Stalin. The atmosphere in the museum was interesting to say the least, only the positive aspects of one of history's two most brutal dictators were shown. Still, the museum tells a very intersting tale of how a poor son of shoe-maker can rise to power, and in just over 30 years transform a huge nation from basically an agrarian society to a nuclear power (paraphrasing Churchill's words) Gifts for Stalin's 70th birthday in 1949: the plate is from Poland, the wooden shoes from the Netherlands, the wood carving from Lebanon, the cup from Germany Kind of creepy They built the structure above it to preserve the little house He traveled in this during the war He probably talked strategy with his generals here. No pictures allowed in the church, but I had to take this one Typical ugly Soviet appartments. Old fortress ruins overlooking Mtsheka Beautiful house in old Tblisi. Unfortunately it's hard to take night pictures in good focus Many of the little alleys and balconies reminded me of Paris Tblisi is a very charming city, though as recently as four years ago it was suffering from rampant street crime. This brand new cathedral is a bit controversial, it was built on top of an Armenian cemetary, and the funds for it come from an anonymous benefactor. Very impressive, polished marble everywhere In a small room in the cathedral In another little street. From the taxi on the way to the bus on Sunday morning From the bus on the way back. I can't remember if this is Georgia or Armenia

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]]> Tue Dec 6 2005 Sanne and Marieke leaving http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c785710.html Sanne and Marieke are going back to Holland (if the fog at the airport ever lifts) so we spent some nice last evenings together with them. Tuesday 6 December 2005: Sanne and Marieke are going back to Holland (if the fog at the airport ever lifts) so we spent some nice last evenings together with them.

After the Ara hike, we went to this cool little club called The Stop Club, where the group Bambir were doing some great covers of old rock groups, including Jimmi Hendrix, whose birthday it was that day. A couple of days later, we went to the opening of Sanne's photo expo at a little restaurant/club The pictures compared life in Yerevan and Istanbul Michael is here teaching English at a local university. Lucky bastard, 99% of the students there are hot girls. I was invited there once to see a performance of the Polish languange class, I needed one of the female students to escort me in. She got a couple of steps ahead of me, and that's when some old lady grabbed me by the arm and said something to the effect of Michael, Babett, Marieke, yours truly, and Vahagan Sanne, me, Vahagan, Marieke, Tamarra, and Stepan enjoying my crepes After dinner we went to a western-themed bar for a final goodbye to Sanne and Marieke Narek, the guitarist/vocalist for Bambir, also dropped by to say bye to the girls Maria is a beautiful dancer, but it's hard to drag her onto the floor. When I finally managed to convince her, everybody wanted to dance with her, including Narek and the drunk old men in the corner

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]]> Tue Dec 6 2005 Mt. Ara http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c785702.html Another hike, this time with a bigger group. Tuesday 6 December 2005: Another hike, this time with a bigger group.

Bits of khatchkars and other ancient stones It will make a nice piece of amber one day This one in the Ohanavan church I was in this area before, see the last pictures of the Khasak gorge in the fog You can read the legend of Mt. Ara here: http://rmenia.fotopic.net/p15622223.html Preparing for the hike Armenian style: huge brunch, with vodka, of course. Big and little Ararat between the clouds on the left Mt. Aragats in the background. Ara's Cool shades, Stepan I really like this foto that Babett took. The mountain in the center below the horizon is Mt. Hatis (http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c757454.html) Here Stepan is out-Juliusing Julius. This rock formation looked like a man-made wall from a distance, like a part of an ancient fort.

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]]> Tue Dec 6 2005 Halloween and Khor-Virap http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c771886.html Of satanism, christianity, pagans, saints, monasteries, sacrifices, and snakes. Wednesday 23 November 2005: Of satanism, christianity, pagans, saints, monasteries, sacrifices, and snakes.

Armine (Maria's siter), doing the artowrk on my back. Baphomet head and snake Marieke turned heads, again. Very topical costume Couldn't even open my Vodka... In pagan times, there was a citadel on that hill. One of the prisoners of the citadel in the IV century was Grigor Lusavorich, who was trying to spread christianity in the region. After spending years in the prison, Lusavorich was released by the king who decided that turning the nation to chrisianity would be politically advantageous. And so, Armenia became the first christian state in history. Pagan temples were burned down, churches were built on the ruins, and Lusavorich became Armenia's first and most famous saint. During his imprisonment, Lusavorich was kept in a deep pit, reportedly filled with poisonous snakes and insects. Legend has it that he was not fed all those years, but that he survived without food by god's will. But I'm thinking that he had all those tasty snakes and insects running all over the bottom of the pit... There was a mass when we visited the monastery Outside the church, some animals were enjoying their last moments. Babett snapped this picture on a hill near the monastery. We were approached by this farmer who told us a bit of his life story. He was originally from Baku, during the war he came to Armenia and he works in the vinyard visible behind him. He often hosts foreign visitors at his house in the nearby village, and he invited our little group over to show us some pictures and a big coffee-table book about Armenia, whose French-Polish author is a friend of his. Standing up left to right: Maria, Babett, Karlen's daughter, Agnessa, Karlen's wife, two girls that were part of our group but whose names I forgot (sorry girls) and Manushak. Karlen is center front.

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]]> Wed Nov 23 2005 Nagorno-Karabagh trip, part 4: an autumn day hike, Aghdam, and Togh village http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c762714.html We hiked near the Sarsang reservoir, drove through the bombed-out and deserted city of Aghdam, and visited a very interesting little village in southern Karabagh Monday 14 November 2005: We hiked near the Sarsang reservoir, drove through the bombed-out and deserted city of Aghdam, and visited a very interesting little village in southern Karabagh

Friday morning we took a taxi to Sarsang reservoir. We did not know of any good trails to hike, but this road looked good. Babett said: Could not resist I loved the sound they made under my feet There was a quiet sound of an axe chopping wood in the distance We took a minibus back to Stepanakert. To our surprise, it went through the occupied zone near the abandoned city of Aghdam Aghdam was an Azeri city of 100,000. The population fled with the Azeri army, as the Armenians beat them back. Now this city that stretched all the way to the horizon lies completely emtpy and quiet. Back in Stepanakert, we bought half a kilo of pork at the butcher, and got this guy to BBQ it for us right next door. Saturday morning we took a taxi to the southern part of Karabagh, a beautiful area with villages scattered in the valleys. Togh had three churches and a monastery nearby. We found two of the churches, but did not have time to reach the monastery. Next time... Note how the villager used an ancient khatchkar (stone cross) as part of his fence. This second church that we found was crumbling on the side of a hill But what is that sheep's skull doing on the corner of the church? Looks like pagan habits die hard (sorry for the gore) The moody weather and the silence of the village made this scene rather eerie. This is pretty much as far as we went. Had we an hour or two more, maybe we could have made it to that village, or to a monastery that was located at the top of one of the nearby hills. Walking along the road, we met a man dragging a freshly chopped branch. After stopping to chat with him in Russian for a couple of minutes, he invited us over to his house. That cow there made some of the best tasting cheese I ever ate. Saturday evening we met Edouard again, this time at his house in Stepanakert. Edouard served his time with the Soviet military in East Germany in '89-90 as the Berlin wall came down, then he was part of the Armenian secret services, during the war he was a batallion commander with 260 men under him, now he's a policeman. Here he is with his beautiful family: Catherine, his wife Lianna, and Mireille.

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]]> Mon Nov 14 2005 Nagorno-Karabagh trip, part 3: Gandzasar and area http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c762378.html On Wednesday we visited Karabagh's most famous monastery: Gandzasar. Once again, an encounter with the authorities provided an intersting story to tell. Monday 14 November 2005: On Wednesday we visited Karabagh's most famous monastery: Gandzasar. Once again, an encounter with the authorities provided an intersting story to tell.

When we were applying for a Visa to Karabagh in Yerevan, the lady at the embassy asked us for a list of places we wanted to go. We forgot about Gandzasar, so she added it herself, saying The monastery was built in the XIII century Marieke taking a walk in the yard of the monastery. A story goes that during the last war the main priest at the monastery defended it from the Azeris with a single heavy machine-gun, until the Armenian reinforcments arrived. The drum of the main church has fantastic relief sculptures The lighting in the church was very interesting Sanne and Babett under the tree, an artist in the corner. The monastery was surrounded by a cemetary Some of the graves were relatively recent, many young men died during the last war Note the hammer and sickle Mid-way through our stay in NKR, we arrived in a little village called Van, near the young republic’s most famous monastery, Gandzasar. The village of Vank near the monastery is at the bottom of a valley in a mountainous region, near the end of a long dirt road, near the middle of nowhere. As we were walking by this small, official-looking building, several men in suits, uniforms, and leather jackets came out. One guy in a leather jacket headed straight for our group, stopped right in front of me, said “privyet” (hello), and asked where I’m from. “Canada.” “You have documents?” – he asked with a smirk. “Yeah, right here in my pocket, you want to see them?” – I replied, trying to be a little cocky. “Yes, I do.” So while he showed me his police badge I handed over my passport, with my Nagorno-Karabagh visa, and a paper from the NKR foreign ministry with a list of the places we were allowed to see (Gandzasar, the nearby monastery, was on that list). Nagorno-Karabagh is still under marshal law, as the war with neighbouring Azerbaijan has not officially ended, there is just a cease-fire agreement in place. The police therefore have lots of power here, and there are areas that tourists should not visit (officially, anyway), and many things they should not photograph. Also, the new republic is not recognized by any country outside of Armenia, so as far as the Canadian and Polish governments were concerned, while I stayed in that region I have temporarily fallen off the face of the earth... (continued under picture 18) The policeman took my papers and looked them over for a minute, then took them over to the group of other official men standing not too far away, after a few minutes he came back with my documents, handed them back to me, and said I’m free to go. After about half an hour of walking around we found ourselves in the village’s only cafe, when the same policeman walked in, pointed at me, and said: “Please follow me outside.” “OK” – I said, while thinking “aww fcuk.” “Please have a seat in the car” – he ordered, “No problem” – I replied, still keeping calm, but now thinking “aww double fcuk” We had a seat in his old Lada, he shut the door, turned to me, gave me a stern look, and asked: “The local chief would like to invite you and your friends to dinner. Will you and your female companions come?” (continued under picture 19) Of course I accepted with relief, and after drinking our coffees we got into his car and drove the 50m to the village’s government building where the dinner was taking place. Seated at the head of the long table was Raphael, the local chief prosecutor who invited us once he was informed that there are three blonde girls and one guy walking around his village. There were a dozen or so other people at the table, including the local police chief; the head inspector (also called the village idiot by some, he kept on interrupting Raphael with his drunken babble); the village doctor (later, at Sanne’s request, I had to politely tell him to keep his hands to himself); Norik, the young policeman who brought us there, and some other village VIP’s. Marieke quickly noticed that their goal and idea of fun for the evening was to get us all drunk, but I replied that they are way ahead of us already, and that I’m all-right with it anyway. The girls agreed, and so the 80% mulberry vodka and the home-made wine flowed through our glasses freely, and we quickly felt comfortable and very joyful along with everyone else. The one person at the table who drank only moderately was Raphael. A very interesting man, he spoke Russian slowly and clearly, and so even while sitting at the opposite head of the table I was able to understand and translate the long toasts he made in our direction. He fought during the war with Azerbaijan in the early nineties, first defending and then retaking the town of Shushi. He was interested in the current state of affairs between Canada and Quebec (many people in NKR, like in Armenia, take pride in having good knowledge of the outside world and they like showing that knowledge off to visitors); he expressed his hope for peace with the Azeris and for greater recognition of Nagorno-Karabagh throughout the world; he toasted my pretty travel-mates who got Norik’s attention; he toasted his ancestors who died in distant battles and who are lying in unknown graves; he toasted all our parents; he toasted all the other important things in life like love, health, and friendship. I thought all his toasts were very beautiful and showed a deep love of humanity, though maybe the vodka is colouring my recollection of his words a bit. Near the end of the five-hour dinner, as Marieke was falling off her seat while trying to take a picture (there is all sorts of gravity in Nagorno-Karabagh) someone brought a Kalashnikov (AK-47, a Russian-made machine gun) and its bigger brother, an AK-45, and set them against the wall. Raphael pointed to them and said “Julius, later this evening we are going hunting, deer, rabbits, maybe even boars, pumas, and bears, are you going to join us?” I thought that vodka and automatic weapons were a great combination, so I said “of course,” but unfortunately later that evening I was a bit sick and unable to come. Thursday morning Marieke had to go back to Yerevan, while Norik and another policeman, Edouard, gave Sanne, Babett and I a tour of the region It was late October and everyone was wearing sweaters, but the beautiful water beckoned, and I could not resist. We stayed in a great new hotel, built to look like a ship. To promote tourism in the area, the hotel was free for visitors from outside of Karabagh. It was paid for by a businessman who was born in the village, and who is now the representative for General Motors in Russia. He is also building other tourist attractions near the village, and is paving the dirt road to Vank village. It was a bit strange sitting in this kitschy new hotel with the flat screen TV while outside was a XIII century monastery and a poor village. In the evening, Edouard and Norik gave us a ride to Mardakert. Edouard and Artyum both live in Stepanakert, but had a small place to sleep in while they worked in this city. They were nice enough to vacate it for the night and let us sleep there. Sanne had to sleep in the minature bed. Edouard especially was a great guy, a calm and patient host.

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]]> Mon Nov 14 2005 Nagorno-Karabagh trip, part 2: Stepanakert, Shushi, and Amaras http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c758598.html Sanne and Marieke joined Babett and I in Stepanakert, we walked around the city and went to a bar with some Armenian guys. m The next day we visited an out of the way monastery that was on the front lines of the recent war, and we also visited the town of Shushi. Friday 11 November 2005: Sanne and Marieke joined Babett and I in Stepanakert, we walked around the city and went to a bar with some Armenian guys. m The next day we visited an out of the way monastery that was on the front lines of the recent war, and we also visited the town of Shushi.

I love the clotheslines everywhere The BBQ is a big part of Armenian cuisine, even if you live in an appartment block We ran into some Armenian guys, musicians. The little guy there is Artur, he's about 150cm tall but definitely the leader of the group. His friends call him Marieke was obviously overjoyed at getting all that attention from the guys. Next morning we took a taxi and went on a little tour. The last bit of the road from the village of Karmir Shuka (Red Bazaar) to Amaras monastery had to be made in this old Russian Uaz. By the way, after I lent my camera to Babett, that pig quickly became the most photographed farm animal in all of Karabagh Amaras Monsastery's biggest claim to fame is that Mesrop Mashtots, the inventor of the Armenian alphabet, taught here in the fifth century Note the bullet holes on the wall with the cross Volodya, the man on the right, was the owner of the Uaz, and he had many stories to tell from the last war. I forgot the other old-timer's name, but he was a caretaker of the monastery. This sealed entrance in a small catacomb under the monastery led to a 500m long tunnel, through which besieged defenders of the monastery would smuggle food and supplies Azeri soldiers would creep up to the peaks of those hills visible in the background, and snipe at the Armenian soldiers inside the monastery. The Azeris tried taking the region around the monastery with 20 armoured vehicles, including this one, but the Armenians held them back with just two vehicles of their own, along with the help of the local villagers and their weapons. Near Karmir Shuka were the ruins of a XIII century church At the end of the day we went to visit the town of Shushi, 10kms away from Stepanakert where we were staying. Shushi saw heavy fighting during the war and was occupied by Azeri forces who shelled Stepanaket, the main city in Karabagh, from here. But the church was spared as the Azeris used it as an ammunition and weapons depot, knowing that the Armenians would not dare to fire upon it. This lady fled with her family from Baku, the Azeri capital. She sustained some injuries during the war, and her daughter became crippled during a bombing raid. Now she sells souvenirs in from a little shack in front of a Russian church, near this bombed-out building. A belt in the engine broke, and we had to push the taxi for a bit. Luckily for us, Shushi is on a hill above Stepanakert, so after pushing the Lada for a few hundred metres, we were able to coast almost the entire 10kms back downhill to Stepanakert.

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]]> Fri Nov 11 2005 Nagorno-Karabagh trip, part 1: Goris, Tatev and Anapad monastery http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c757650.html Before our Dutch friends Sanne and Marieke joined us in Karabagh, Babett and I spent a couple of days in southern Armenia. We hiked through the fantastic rock formations just north of Goris, and we also visited a couple of monasteries in a great location. Thursday 10 November 2005: Before our Dutch friends Sanne and Marieke joined us in Karabagh, Babett and I spent a couple of days in southern Armenia. We hiked through the fantastic rock formations just north of Goris, and we also visited a couple of monasteries in a great location.

When the minibus driver stopped to fill up, we snapped this picture. As recently as 1940 some people were still using a few of the caves as homes. You can tell that even today some are used as garages, barns, etc. This funky rock was turned into a chicken coop A little hole in the rock The trees on the slopes in the middle of the picture surround a holy spring. With a typical Armenian nose Poor little kid was just pushing his trike down the street Near the main square. Goris is a nice little town, mostly untouched by Soviet architects and planners. These construction workers invited us for breakfast We decided to save a couple of drams and hitch-hike to Tatev monastery Like most Armenian monasteries, Tatev was built in a location that was easy to defent, with walls to discourage invaders. A couple of steps to my right was a steep and long drop The monastery was filled with small, narrow, intercepting hallways. A small staircase in the floor (which was probably camouflaged and secret at some point) led to a twisting passage outside the walls Babett didn't tell me she was taking a picture here, but I still like it. Note the little village on the slopes next to my right arm Obviously Armenians, judging by the noses A grizzly little scene in a dark quiet corner of the monastery From Tatev we walked down into the canyon to Anapad monastery. While hiking through the wallnut and fruit orchards we met this old man who gave us directions The monastery was built in the 17th and 18th centuries, and then abandoned for some reason. It is completely deserted, Babett and I may have been only two of a very small handful of people to have visited it all year. No road leads to it, just that little zig-zaggin path visible above and to the right of it, and it is not mentioned in any of the tourist guide books about Armenia. Cool, eh? The place is very quiet, and a little creepy. Later we heard that a Russian tourist tried spending the night there, but could not fall asleep because of the wolves... The main building is pretty big. Destroyed by earthquakes, foreign armies, or just time? The monastery lies at the edge of this canyon Hitch-hiking to Tatev monastery was no problem, but hitch-hiking back... We walked for over an hour, the very few cars that passed us were full, and it was starting to get dark. At one point an old Lada going the other direction stopped, and two young guys in it asked us where we were going. We replied

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]]> Thu Nov 10 2005 Mt. Hatis hike http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c757454.html Early in October, Stepan, Manushak and I went for a short hike to the peak of nearby Mt. Hatis. We got great views of rolling green hills, fields, nearby villages and Mt. Ararat. Thursday 10 November 2005: Early in October, Stepan, Manushak and I went for a short hike to the peak of nearby Mt. Hatis. We got great views of rolling green hills, fields, nearby villages and Mt. Ararat.

This spot at the beginning of the hike had a spring, a little chapel, and these old carvings of saints. Stepan decided to climb the cliff to that cave visible right above the cross Manushak looks on in concern as Stepan makes his way up the cliff We started walking from that village right above Manushak's head. Mt. Ararat is on the horizon, and highrises in Yerevan suburbs are visible on the right edge of the picture, at the top. I like that lonely tree at the edge of the field, right below the peak. In the afternoon it became a little more hazy, and Ararat was hardly visible anymore The final ascent was pretty steep. On the peak we met these two guys who were having a smoke in a nearby bunker. One of them did not like a flag being higher than the cross, so he climbed that little structure and cut the flag off. It was pretty cold at this altitude: 2600m Can't have a picture collection without a cool bug in it. Right before sunset.

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]]> Thu Nov 10 2005 Hike and conference near Tsaghkadzor http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c717390.html There was an AIESEC conference on September 24-26 in a resort area not too far from Yerevan. This was one last opportunity to swim in Sevan, as well as another chance to go hiking. Friday 7 October 2005: There was an AIESEC conference on September 24-26 in a resort area not too far from Yerevan. This was one last opportunity to swim in Sevan, as well as another chance to go hiking.

After learning that Babett and Anahit will be coming with us, Vagham was kind enough to give us a ride to and from the conference The peninsula used to be an island, before the Soviets decided to dramatically lower the lake's level for industrial purposes. Armenians have done a pretty good job of undoing a lot of the environmental damage though, and the level of the lake is rising again, though it will likely never reach its original size. The other little church on the peninsula The water in Sevan was wonderful as always. Despite the lake's popularity, it is almost completely devoid of any boats. I would love to come back to Armenia one day with a sailing licence and some more money... This beach is very popular during the summer, by early September it becomes deserted. This is the place where we stayed the night. A typical, old Soviet resort. The pool looked nice from a distance, but the only things that swam in it were a couple of frogs and some dead mice. Still, it was clean and comfortable, the food they served was really good, and the location was fantastic. In the evening Stepan arranged for Julius to try something new, and Julius likee... The second day we went for the hike with a couple of Georgian guys. The scenery around Aragats a month ago reminded me a bit of British Columbia, this scenery definitely reminded me of southern Poland. Iraklio (one of the Georgians) was a big talker, but not much of a hiker, and we often had to wait for him. The people on the top of the opposite ridge are kids from a nearby children's sanatorium. Stepan and Babett in the foreground Just to the right of my backpack you can see the top of a chairlift. Maybe I will carve some snow here in the winter. The view was marred only slightly by that power plant. Babett and Anahit. Blue, blue was the sky... It was all so calm and pretty. Anahit is an ex-AIESEC'er, who spent a year studying in the States.

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]]> Fri Oct 7 2005 A (non-working) day in the life http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c716701.html Some typical scenes of my Armenian life during a non-working, non-hiking day. Thursday 6 October 2005: Some typical scenes of my Armenian life during a non-working, non-hiking day.

I have the big room with the big bed, yeah. I head out to the market, on the way I say hi to my neighbour, who is beating wool. Occasionally I stop to play football with Artur (under my right elbow), his older brother Hacob (under my left elbow), that nameless kid in the centre and other neighbourhood boys. Once in a while I run into the An open-air market where I buy almost all my food. A typical scene when I come back home from shopping: Marcos is just waking up, while I do some housechores. I conducted a little experiment with Marcos and Shiao-Ma once: I stopped taking the garbage out to see how long it would take before they did it. Once the cockroaches were making too much noise at night chasing the maggots around the kitchen floor, they got the hint and threw the trash out. Time to head out to town... I like walking to the city centre via the Cascade If I'm late to meet someone though, I will splurge on a taxi. It does not help, however, if the driver pulls over to take a leak in the nearby bushes. I walk around, seeing the sites, like this fountain on a small square. Or this bigger fountain near my office. The old man on the left is scolding the two kids, but I don't know if it's for swimming in the fountain, or for doing it in their underwear. Some interesting contrasts. This is a statue of an Armenian fighter ace from WWII. I believe he died when he rammed his plane into an enemy bomber, after running out of ammo. It is the evening of the day, I sit and watch the children play... Occasionaly I attend a classical concert. This one had internationally known musicians performing Vivaldi's Four Seasons, and it was free. It was great to be so close to such talent without having to pay through the nose, it was also interesting to see parents bringing their small kids to the concert so they can soak up the culture. On other occasions I go to see something less cultural, like this free rock concert on Republic Square. It is said that the vice-president of the country has the remote for that big TV screen behind the steetlamp, and that sometimes, late at night, he switches it to porn. A few years ago, there was a big statue of Lenin where that TV screen currently stands. Now he is lying headless in the backyard of the National Museum on the other end of the square. Oh, and count the number of cops and soldiers checking out my friend Sanne. Time out for a bite. Evening comes and the options multiply. Sometimes Maria drops by... Sometimes I drink a little too much... And sometimes I just stand there looking good. But it's always more fun when more people can join us. Here I'm preparing pierogies for a dinner party at my place with my color-coordinated assistants. When Shantanu was here he would do some cooking too. The parties are usually a great success. Left to right (bottom row): Stepan, Alpi (Stepan's sister), Mariam, Marianna, Lillit, and Babett. I'm standing next to Toma, the new AIESEC president in Armenia. At other times I go out to someone else's house for dinner, often at Stepan's. Here Sanne, Stepan, Marike, Hacob, Artur and Shantanu are enjoying the view from the balcony. Shiao-Ma and Stepan on the balcony. Stepan's grandma has a beautiful garden in the back with grapes, apricots, wallnuts, plums, and many other fruits and vegetables. Stepan's grandpa was apparently a bit of a bon-vivant in his younger days. Now he leads a more quiet life, raising pigeons in the attic of his place. Once in a while he sells them all, but some always come back, and he starts all over again. The party is on its way The place where Stepan's grandparents live used to be a factory, leading to some interesting architecture for a residential place. Stepan delivering a typically long Armenian toast. Shantanu and I. I'm going to miss the conversations about morality, politics, religion and other topics that we would engage in over tea late at night. When we feel like going out instead of staying at someone's place, I gather some friends and we hit the town in the evening. Maria snapped this photo in a nice little tea-house. The fountain near my work again. This place is really cool after dark. Most Armenians do not like this new cathedral, it is much bigger and colder than most other beautiful little churches in the country. But it looks ver majestic at night. We threw Shiao-Ma's goodbye party at this nice little restaurant. Marcos managed to convince the waitress to let them bring in and drink a bottle of champagne from the outside, saying that he was saving this bottle for months for when his little brother has to leave Armenia. I really like this place This is another favourite place to go on a Friday or Saturday night. The bands here are actually pretty good, as long as they stick to music with a good solid beat instead of trying to get too fancy. Sanne and Marike are here from Holland, working for an NGO for half a year. I spent the $20 I got for taking part in a TV commercial on treating my friends to dinner at this Caucaus themed restaurant. Shantanu sang a couple of Indian songs with the musicians, who knew them from old Bollywood movies. Shantanu takes many pictures this way. The owner of the place usually invites me into his kitchen for lahmajoo (thin pizzas with lamb meat and herbs) and tan (sour-milk/yoghurt type of drink). We talk about how much better it was in Armenia during the Soviet times. After taking steps towards independence in 1988, Armenia suffered a massive earthquake that killed over 50,000 people, a seven year war with neighbouring Azerbaijan, an economic collapse, and an energy crisis. I don't think they are back to the living levels they were at in 1987, so it's not surprising that many people here (especially the older generations) longs for the good old communist days. Marcos and Shantanu returned home on the same weekend.

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]]> Thu Oct 6 2005 Lori region hike http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c715292.html Canyons, vultures, changing weather, and an interesting encounter with the boys in blue. Wednesday 5 October 2005: Canyons, vultures, changing weather, and an interesting encounter with the boys in blue.

Stepan's grandpa lent us his '85 Volga for the trip. Stepan's friend Hacob is driving, and check out the awesome map Stepan is using to find our way! You can see all of Armenia in 3D... The buzzards started circling as soon as they saw the city-slicker hikers pull up. We hiked near the confluence of the Dzoraget and Debed rivers. A fancy hotel in a very nice spot There was a family of vultures circling near the high-point of the hike, we spent a lot of time observing them. It had a wingspan of approximately 150cm The first part was the toughest, we decided to rest early on. Check out the small town at the top of the plateau. Our starting point, the Tufenkian hotel, is at the bottom of the canyon below the plateau (click to enlarge). The girls needed some help getting through the trickiest spot. Further back this ledge between the cliff and the canyon below was much narrower and scarier. He's got it patented After getting through the tricky spots between the cliff and the canyon, we came upon this plain with three small hills at the edge of another gorge (click to enlarge). Reminds me of scenes from western movies We crossed the river over an old, small hydroelectric dam Stepan and I took a little detour into a damp passage to explore the guts of the dam It was a bit bigger than my middle finger. Left to right: Babett, Lillit, Hacob, Maria, Stepan. At this point of the hike, Hacob and Stepan started to keep everyone in stitches with their comedy duo act. The weather turned during the last hour of the hike. While driving back to Yerevan, Stepan decided to show off and sit on the door (with the window rolled down) on the passenger side of the Volga, his legs inside, his half-naked body outside, in the rain. It was all very funny until we got pulled over by the police. Hacob went to talk to them, and after a few minutes he came back smiling and we drove away. Hacob explained to the cops that Stepan was his friend from Germany, a bit of a nut.

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]]> Wed Oct 5 2005 Aragats hike http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c714217.html I finally got around to posting pictures from this great overnight hike. I went to the highest mountain in Armenia (just over 4000m) with Stepan, Sanne, and Shiao-Ma. I saw some of the most spectacular, rugged scenery ever. Tuesday 4 October 2005: I finally got around to posting pictures from this great overnight hike. I went to the highest mountain in Armenia (just over 4000m) with Stepan, Sanne, and Shiao-Ma. I saw some of the most spectacular, rugged scenery ever.

On the way up, our taxi ran out of gas. The driver turned his old Volga around and coasted down hill, while we were met by these Yezdi boys from their nearby camp. Check out the cool toy. The Yezdis are a minority in Armenia, most of them are shepherds. A small Yezdi camp in the distance. From the peak of Aragats you could see a few of those settlements scattered throughout the plains around the mountain. The pregnant man and his family invited us to breakfast, and of course, vodka. They said last time they were there some foreigners (Frenchmen) invited them over, so now they were just returning the favour. We started off at Kari lake, at an altitude of 3200m, visible down below. Stepan and I swam in the lake, then we were invited to breakfast and Vodka by a picnicking Armenian family. Having to walk over an hour prior to that (because of the taxi that ran out of gas), starting at such a high altitude, and being a wee-bit drunk and later hung-over made this a pretty damn tough hike. It was a tough hike for everyone except for wonder-boy here. Check out the two bags he is carrying, he climbed over the southern peak with those bags while Sanne, Shiao-Ma and I found a slightly easier way, then he helped a lost hiker find her way back to the lake, back over the ridge, then he climbed down to the crater with Shiao-Ma, and only then he started feeling The high point of Armenia, Aragats' north peak, is visible above Shiao-Ma's head. We are probably at around 3600 m here. We pitched our tent on the grass right next to my right shoulder on the picture. View from the southern peak. The crater is to the left of the ridge, our campsite was to the right, Sanne and Shiao-Ma are visible to the lower right. Unfortunately, we never made it to the north peak, the highest point in the area. Still, the south peak (3900m+) was also a new altitude record for me and also gave us fantastic views. The crater and north peak are at centre-left, the stream from the crater is at centre, the ridge from picture 13 is to its right, our tent was pitched on the grassy plain in the saddle between that ridge and the next one to the right (the one with the snow patch), and Kari lake is visible above Stepan's knee. Click picture to enlarge. Setting up. Cheese, meat, and greens wrapped in lavash. I got up early in the morning for the sole purpose of seeing the sun rise. Hah. Seeing how the sunrise was invisible, I decided to go back to sleep, away from my tent-mates' farts There were occasional breaks in the fog. I went for a little morning walk towards the end of the ridge visible in picture #13. That rocky outcrop would appear and dissappear in the fog. Stream formed by the melting snow The rest of the stream In the crater. This was the first time ever that Shiao-Ma touched snow. Sanne said: We broke camp right on time. Just as we were on the highest point of our return trip, we saw this massive cloud rolling towards us. It brought with it a sudden drop in temperature, winds, and hail. Stepan convinced our taxi driver to take a small detour to Ambered fortress without chargins us extra, since he ran out of gas the day before. The fortress was one of many defending the ancient Armenian capital. It was destroyed by the Mongols in the 13th century. This church was spared by the Mongols who destroyed the nearby fortress On our way back we stopped to take this picture. The southern and northern peaks of Mt. Aragats are covered in fog (to the left of the smaller peak, that is to the left of the cross).

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]]> Tue Oct 4 2005 Hike near Dilijan http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c673174.html After being absent from the relatively easy hike to Mt. Tsma, Stepan joined me on a hike near Dilijan, and things were back to normal: we got lost three times, we met some interesting people on the way, we managed to walk probably over 20km on a 15km hike, we finished exhausted but very happy. Also, some pictures from a haunted mansion. Wednesday 31 August 2005: After being absent from the relatively easy hike to Mt. Tsma, Stepan joined me on a hike near Dilijan, and things were back to normal: we got lost three times, we met some interesting people on the way, we managed to walk probably over 20km on a 15km hike, we finished exhausted but very happy. Also, some pictures from a haunted mansion.

I stayed with Stepan and three of his friends in this cabin for a couple of nights. An old truck by the side of the road. One of Stepan's friends joined us on the hike. He barely made it... This fountain was built by a stream in memory of two brothers from a nearby village who died during the war. We did the hike in the direction opposite from what the hiking guide recommended, and so we managed to get lost several times. Here we are taking a little rest while following a stream after we lost the trail. I almost didn't see him there The nice lady pointed us in the right direction... ...and the nice man pointed us in another one The fields are still worked mainly by hand Dilijan is a pretty resort town in one of Armenia's most forested regions I think you overdid it with the pose, my lord. I think I will be an entimologist when I grow up. Mean looking thing. After getting lost a second time. These guys informed us that we got lost a third time. To get to the monastery which was our final destination, we needed to either struggle back uphill and backtrack, or head down through the steep forest. We bushwacked for about two hours, following very faint tracks and streams. The final destination, so close yet so far... It took us two hours to get us from the point this picture was taken to the monastery where Vlad and Tigran were waiting for us. The delay was caused by a really steep slope, a big field of face-high poison ivy, and a certain hiker (who shall remain nameless but it wasn't Stepan or I) who insisted that we call a rescue helicopter to come and get him. Near the cabin where we spent the night was this beautiful but abandoned and reputedly haunted mansion. I decided to check out the haunted mansion at midnight. I got a little lost in the dark, and when I thought that it was still a ways away, it suddenly appeared to me around this corner. Weird. I shined my light at the entrance, I moved the beam up to the second floor window, then to the third and I froze... a figure in the window was watching me! My heart skipped a beat before I realized that it was just a concrete pillar behind the window. I took two or three careful steps insie, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end, I got this horrible foreboding feeling, I thought Some parts of the mansion were still quite beautiful. This is the ceiling above the center of the round house Tigran at the back-door. Tigran is a karate expert, he had roles in some of Armenia's first action movies, as well as a small non-speaking role in a French movie. He also impressed the hell out of all of us by doing 33 push-ups on his left (weak) hand. Note the hole in the floor Once it must have been a beautiful house with a great view. I wonder what happened.

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]]> Wed Aug 31 2005 Mt. Tsma and Sevan II http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c671603.html A pleasant little hike to the top of Mt. Tsma near the resort town of Tsarkhadzor. Also, some pics from an overnight stay on the Artanish peninsula on lake Sevan. Tuesday 30 August 2005: A pleasant little hike to the top of Mt. Tsma near the resort town of Tsarkhadzor. Also, some pics from an overnight stay on the Artanish peninsula on lake Sevan.

On the last weekend in July, we went for a little hike near Tsarkhadzor, a famous Armenian resort town that used to be a training ground for many Soviet athletes. We walked from Tsarkhadzor to the village of Makhavan, then to the peak of Mt. Tsma, then back to Tsarkhadzor. Makhavan village, the town of Hrazdan in the background, Mt. Ara on the horizon Armenian special forces captured a Taiwanese spy Ani, Shiao-Ma, Marianna, Manushak Manushak is encouraging Ani, but Marianna disapproves Mt. Tsma is the small forest covered one, center-right. We took a little break at the top, enjoying the views It was so peaceful there... On the weekend of the 13th of August, Stepan, Lilly, Marina, Ani and I decided to escape the heat of the city and we went on an overnight trip back to Artanish penninsula on lake Sevan. Four hours in a slow moving train was a little too much for some people We got a ride from some fishermen half-way around the penninsula, we walked the rest of the way. We pitched our tent near a farm, on a pasture The tent that Stepan borrowed from his uncle was obviously well made The farmers going for a ride Marina and Ani entertained us with some break dancing We got some fresh yoghurt from the people in the farm in the background. We also got an offer to stay there overnight, but we decided to stay away from their dogs and crowd into our tent instead. The fishermen who gave us a ride came to our campsite in the evening and gave us a whole bunch of freshly caught crayfish, along with a few fish. While I was drying off after a midnight swim, the girls were suitably impressed by my steaming hot ass.

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]]> Tue Aug 30 2005 Lake Sevan Hike http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c630117.html A hike around a peninsula on beautiful lake Sevan. Hiking, swimming, lizards, one-legged chauffeurs, gorgeous meadows and landscapes, hiking in high-heels, another successful trip. Tuesday 26 July 2005: A hike around a peninsula on beautiful lake Sevan. Hiking, swimming, lizards, one-legged chauffeurs, gorgeous meadows and landscapes, hiking in high-heels, another successful trip.

This nice family gave us directions at the beginning of the hike. On our way back, one of the women from the nearby farm invited us to come back and stay the night if we were in the area again. The texture, colours, and smells of the meadows were fantastic. Ani, Marina, and their other personal photographer, Manushak Relaxing and taking the scents in. We lingered for quite a while in the meadows Sanne and I enjoying the leisurly descent. The lake on the other side of the peninsula is already visible. A little dragon in its cave Lilly admiring her handiwork Shake it Ani, shake it The group after the toughest moment: a steep long climb on the way back. Left to right: Lilly, Anna, Manushak, Marianna, Shau-Ma, Marina, Ani, Stepan, Sanne. Marina, Shau-Ma, Marianna resting at the high point. Marina works nights, she went to work right after the hike, I don't know where she gets the energy. Marianna recently started her first job, she's already a manager with 15 employees. (Beats the hell out of my first job: washing dishes in a restaurant managed by a pedophile.) Surrounded by such tough women, Shau-Ma did not dare to peep one word of complaint about the heat or the climb. Enjoying the feeling of reaching the high-point. The sun low over the penninsula I climbed a small hill to scout the trail ahead. Everyone else is visible at the lower-left. Artanish village visible at the foot of the mountains in the distance. Anna did not get my email where I specified the kind of footwear to bring. She completed most of the hike in flip-flops, but then she lost one in the grass, and had to walk the last 5kms over difficult terrain in one high-heel. Tough girl. We hired a couple of cars to drive us to the peninsula, where public transport was scarce. The driver of this Mercedes had his leg amputated below his knee, he used his crutch to press the clutch. That's OK though, he made up for his lack of his left foot with a really heavy right foot, reaching 160km/h when all the Ladas around us were struggling to go 100. When he was pulled over and the cop asked him for documents, he opened the door, showed him his left leg, and said We don't need a stinking trail, I see a shortcut over them hills. Men, men, men, we are men, we have hair on our chests, we make fools of ourselves, for we are men... Still a long way to go, Marina Lake Sevan means Sports Illustrated has been flooding me with emails, Ani. He convinced everyone that he did not know how to swim. Sanne and I started to teach him the breast-stroke on dry land, then showed him how to float on his back in the water. He then gets in the lake and swims 20m out using the butterfly. Bastard. Two people putting their socks and shoes on after swimming, and one guy imitating the Karate Kid.

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]]> Tue Jul 26 2005 Around Yerevan http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c624930.html These pictures were taken on daytrips near Yerevan. They included a big BBQ/picnic, a visit to the ruins of a VII century cathedral, as well as to a museum built on the site of a famous Armenian victory over the Turks. Also, pictures of a hike near Yerevan. Friday 22 July 2005: These pictures were taken on daytrips near Yerevan. They included a big BBQ/picnic, a visit to the ruins of a VII century cathedral, as well as to a museum built on the site of a famous Armenian victory over the Turks. Also, pictures of a hike near Yerevan.

Don't make me angry... You won't like me when I'm angry... We wondered where this hole in the floor led to Overlooking a beautiful landscape Marianna, Manushak, Julius, Stepan, Marina. We look like a rock band, eh? Stepan offered to help me, but I was too embarrassed to accept. So instead, my good Armenian buddy says: In Ohanovank Ohanavank church is partially abandoned and a little bit ruined, but still very beautiful Getting directions. Saghmosavank monastery is just visible behind the old man's head Marianna and Manushak in the background, Marina in front Marianna, Marina, Manushak, Shau-Ma, Stepan, Saghmosavank monastery in the back. Khasak gorge, right below Saghmosavank monastery This little traveller found its way to our living room Reminds me of Poland... I was not allowed to take pictures in the museum, but I could not resist snapping a quick photo of this strange little pair from the bronze age. Outside the museum, we saw a family of Armenian phalluses crossing the road. Zvartnots cathedral was built in the seventh century AD. It was a fantastic structure, circular, three levels high. Unfortunately, it was destroyed in the 10th century, probably by an earthquake. The slope of Mt. Ararat can just barely be seen behind Mariam Mariam is holding two pieces of Looks a bit like a Hellenistic Stonehenge, does it not? Picnic in the countryside. From left to right: Nune, Mariam, Tsovinar, Toma, some dude, Marcos, Stepan, Julius, Lily, Shau-Ma Under the church The hole under Ohanavank church led to an exit at the top of a cave. Stepan found an easy way down, but I thought

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]]> Fri Jul 22 2005 Garni to Geghard http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c589474.html From a hike with Marcos, my Spanish-Swiss room-mate, and Stepan, our Armenian friend, on Sunday the 19th. Temples, monasteries, ruins, snakes, dung beetles, mafiozos, and a great big party at the end. Thursday 23 June 2005: From a hike with Marcos, my Spanish-Swiss room-mate, and Stepan, our Armenian friend, on Sunday the 19th. Temples, monasteries, ruins, snakes, dung beetles, mafiozos, and a great big party at the end.

More cliffs Mmm... Dung... The ball is about 2cm in diameter. The ruins of a monastery, halfway throuh our hike. The last 2kms were the hardest. We lost the trail, and had to make our way to the road through waist-high grass. Seeing a venomous snake did not do much to encourage us either. This is when the fun really started Inspired by the occasion and live music (and some percantages in his bloodstream), Julius joins the dance More dancing Toasts were made to Armenia, to friendship between nations, with Stepan's help I made a toast to the keepers of Armenian traditions. The canyon below Garni temple (taken a week earlier, when Stepan and I had to abort our hike due to heavy rain) When Christianity was introduced to the country early in the fourth century, most pagan temples were destroyed, and churches were built on the ruins. This one survived because the sister of the king liked it, and so he let her use it, and the bathouse that used to be next to it, as a summer house. The cliffs below Garni temple are very strange, the hexagonal pillars make them look man-made. A close-up of the cliffs Smoking a cigarette, taking a little break... We came upon a forest guard's shack, where he spent the days with his dog, horse, and very curious cat The forest guard with Stepan, and his horse, Buyan A minute after I took this picture, the Armenian minister of defence and an important Armenian These beautiful carvings are seemingly everywhere in Armenia More ruins. The peak of Mt. Ararat can be seen just to the left. Stepan is one tough hombre. He managed to avoid military service because of flat feet, but he led us on this hike (which was far from an easy one) wearing, you guessed it, army boots. A short break under a solitary tree at the top of the ridge About to go down into the heat of the valley. Our path is marked in purple (I think) A rare example of We met this woman working in her field We were invited to some sour milk, bread and cheese. The old woman at the back did not eat with us, in many of the more traditional parts of the country women still do not eat with men. Our final destination, the monastery is partially carved out of the cliff. This reminded me of an Indiana Jones adventure, waiting for the beam of light to point the way to the secret treasure. As we were starting to make our way back to the road to go home, a man asked me to take a picture of his family. He then invited us to a long table he had set up with other families, served us some vodka and lamb meat, and a wonderful demonstration of Armenian hospitality and (Everybody likes my hat) The old man pictured here teared up as he told us of the 20 years he spent in a Siberian gulag, and of how his ancestors lost so much in the genocide of 1915. But his love of people remains, he likes all nationalities and would invite them to his table,

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]]> Thu Jun 23 2005 Sanahin and Hagpat http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c578980.html On Sunday June 12th I went with a group to northern Armenia, to visit the Sanahin and Hagpat monasteries. Tuesday 14 June 2005: On Sunday June 12th I went with a group to northern Armenia, to visit the Sanahin and Hagpat monasteries.

Khatchkars close-up. The oldest ones are 1700 years old, these ones are probably from the 12th century. Behind us are three khatchkars. The stone crosses are one of Armenia's symbols, they can be found in all of its churches and throughout the countryside. Each one is unique and very intricate. Inside a hall in Sanahin The domes in the monastery each had a hole in the top, which let in a fantastic beam of light. The halls of the monastery were actually a bit darker than it appears here, I used a long exposure time on the camera. Note the beautiful Armenian churches were often used to hide books and other treasures. Also, to discourage inevitable invaders from destroying them, the insides of Armenian churches were often decorated with symbols and patterns of it neighbours: Persians, Turks, Assyrians, etc. Established in 966, Sanahin was a place of prayer and learning, comprising of several chapels, churches, a study hall and a library. Close-up of the bell tower Note the cows grazing by ancient ruins in the distance I wish I had a little more time to explore it The word The monastery was surrounded by walls, and an secret tunnel let its residents escape or bring in supplies One of the churches of the Hagpat complex Hagpat is on the other side of the valley from Sanahin. Its location is truly spectacular, overlooking valleys, mountains, villages. This nook probably housed a small chapel or altar Kristina and more khatchkars Note the relief sculpture of the two kings Not the best cut and paste job, sorry

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]]> Tue Jun 14 2005 More random pictures http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c577805.html Interestings scenes from here and there in Yerevan Monday 13 June 2005: Interestings scenes from here and there in Yerevan

For brief moments the clouds parted and we saw Jupiter with some of its moons and its bands of clouds clearly visible. Anna and Raphael, my Brazilian flatmate Astghik's mother occasionaly works in this observatory in the city. Years ago it was used to keep track of US satelites. So I was playing poker with these two lounge lizards, and as the pot grew to 100,000 Drams I called and showed four Jacks, but one of the reptiles had four Kings. It's then that I noticed the ace of spades sticking out from under one of the cold-blooded bastard's scales. Walking around the walls of the fortress from left to right: Hasmik, Artur (who's in the army now), Zorik, and Astghik Astghik descending the stairs of another reconstructed part of the fortress. This fresco is probably a reproduction The fortress was built in 782 BC by the Urartu king Arghisti I On a particularly clear morning. From the cascade Watching the pretty girls' parade below my balcony. Waiting for someone?

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]]> Mon Jun 13 2005 Dance around Aragats http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c559289.html A collection of pictures from May 28th, when over 150,000 Armenians joined hands around the biggest mountain in the country and danced. First we went to the town of Ashtarak, where we were met by Tsovinar and her dad, who gave us a tour of the town sites. Then in the afternoon, we headed out to our spot in the ring around the mountain and danced. Monday 30 May 2005: A collection of pictures from May 28th, when over 150,000 Armenians joined hands around the biggest mountain in the country and danced. First we went to the town of Ashtarak, where we were met by Tsovinar and her dad, who gave us a tour of the town sites. Then in the afternoon, we headed out to our spot in the ring around the mountain and danced.

From the left: Tsovinar's dad, yours truly, Hasmik, Mariam, a semi-famous Armenian writer, Astghik, Zorik (Toma's brother), and some dude whose name escapes me, sorry man. Someone told me that Armenian churches are designed in such a way that when you enter you automatically go to the centre, and look up. Saying a short prayer while lighting a candle is customary. Money from the sales of candles goes to maintaining the church. A seventh century church in Ashtarak. Very representative of Armenian churches: small, shaped like a cross, simple, friendly and cosy inside. Tsovinar giving us a tour of her town Sourb Sargis church in the background I belive this is the church of the Armenian patron saint of lovers. Legend has it that if you perform a little ritual on his day, the face of the person you will marry will come to you in your dreams. The town of Ashtarak. Bottom right is an old mill, in the middle is a 17th century bridge over the river Kasagh Hasmik standing below the old bridge in Ashtarak. There is a legend about this bridge, something about it collapsing repeatedly while it was getting built, until the townspeople enlisted a group of virgins to help them out. I forgot the exact details, sorry Hasmik The old wheel inside Ashtarak's mill Hasmik is collecting another legend from Tsovinar's father. A pittoresque little spot An old Armenian tradition has people tying ribbons on trees (or in this case on a shrub) outside of churches to make their wishes come true. Flying over the dancers Astghik and Hasmik facing the camera. The hats were worn by all participants, different sections had different colours for the three colours of the Armenian flag The mountain over Mariam's right shoulder is named after a famously handsome Armenian king. The Persian queen Semiramis (the same one who founded Babylon and created its hanging gardens) fell in love with king Ara, but when he refused her advances she began a war with Armenia. In the ensuing battle he was slain, despite the queen's orders to capture him alive. A desperate queen Semiramis called for the gods to bring him back to her, and they did, in the form of the mountain: from the left you can see the slope of his forehead, his brow, his nose... From left to right: Mariam, Hasmik, Julius Six apparently. Plus two guys in the front passenger seat. We then went on the highway and raced the family of eight in the five-seat Volga, as well as all the men from a nearby village who piled into the back of one truck. Entertaining the troupe after a hard day of dancing.

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]]> Mon May 30 2005 A few random pictures from the first three weeks http://rmenia.fotopic.net/c536789.html A few random pictures from the first three weeks Thursday 12 May 2005: A few random pictures from the first three weeks

Nice for a Soviet monument. Mt Ararat in the background. It pains all Armenians to see their national symbol 40km inside the Turkish border The needle-like part symbolizes the twin peaks of Mt. Ararat, and the 12 angled slabs represent the 12 provinces that Armenia lost to Turkey The Vatican of the Armenian church Katya and Toma In the museum of contemporary art The artist is 10 years old. One of the many drawings at a children's art exposition dedicated to the Armenian genocide and the more recent war in Karabagh. Italian gift to the city The president likes to hang out at the cafe behind that pond Outside of Yerevan not the Brazilian or the Spanish-Swiss, or the Taiwanese one In front of the museum of experimental art Going down to the metro station by the main square

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