After the experience of seeing live music at the �blues bar�, drinking Armenian Brandy with tea chasers, seeing Aram Hajian sing �Twist and Shout� as a follow up to last weeks �We Will Rock You�, I was ready to visit a church on Sunday.
Although I am not religious, I still have a healthy respect for the institution of the Armenian Church as well as Armenian architecture. Of course, you can�t really sightsee in Armenia without visiting churches, so why not a Sunday with a few friends. We decided to make the one-hour hike to Aghjots Vank from Garni Gorge. For a detailed description of the church and how to get there, please refer to page 36 of Kiesling and Kojian�s �Rediscovering Armenia�. The hike we took was moderately challenging, however the payoff was well worth it. Rather than talk about the beauty of the church, I would rather comment on the fact that accessing wonderful hikes that actually have a remarkable architectural (or spiritual, depending on your point of view) payoff is one of the surprises I encountered in Armenia. Less than an hour ride from Yerevan and there we were, the Garni Gorge.
After our hike, Raffi K. alerted us to a few other sites in the area. The 11c. medieval bridge and columnar basalt cliffs were quite a site. Unfortunately, we were not able to fully enjoy the cliffs because of a money shakedown from a 70+-year-old man. As Ashod�s Niva, Khachig, drove down the road toward the cliffs, an elderly gentleman stopped us and tried to issue us tickets that cost about 1000 dram each. For what? He claimed that his son now owned the land that the cliffs were on and that we would have to buy tickets to enter. We protested and said we would just proceed a few meters to make a u-turn. However, as we came closer to the cliffs, sure enough, there was a younger looking man in army fatigues that was collecting the tickets. With a few groans from the car directed at the man in fatigues, we turned around and headed back to town, wondering if the ticketing scheme was legit.
It was my impression and the opinion of others that have been in Armenia for a while, that you pick and choose when to pay petty extortion. It really depends on your mood, the way that you are approached and the circumstances. Given the terrible economic conditions for most of the people in Armenia, giving someone a buck or two for a great tour is cool in my book. However, most people with self-respect will not accept the money and feel insulted. So, giving money can be an emotionally loaded act. My advice is to have a general mantra of how and when to give money and stick to it.
Back in Yerevan, the mood of the city continued to be upbeat and calm. One of the aspects of Yerevan that I really liked this time around was the wide variety of eateries available. You really can find almost anything you want as far as variety. Mr. Pig is a great place to get Western style subs including a killer tuna salad sandwich. Middle Eastern Cuisine with their Falafel Friday�s is also a great place to grab some eats for about $2 a plate. Other places have also turned up like the inevitable Bourj Hammoud. I�m sure all of the Beirutsi�s are going nuts over this. There is also a great Shawerma place near the Opera House you can get a great sandwich for under a buck. The service is also getting much better. On that particular Sunday, Aram brought me over to a friend�s house that made the best Khorovads I have ever eaten. Screw the eateries; the best food in Yerevan will always be at a private residence. There is nothing like eating Khorovads, drinking homemade Grapefruit Oghi and listening to jazz on a Sunday night. Is there?
-Raffi Meneshian
Although I am not religious, I still have a healthy respect for the institution of the Armenian Church as well as Armenian architecture. Of course, you can�t really sightsee in Armenia without visiting churches, so why not a Sunday with a few friends. We decided to make the one-hour hike to Aghjots Vank from Garni Gorge. For a detailed description of the church and how to get there, please refer to page 36 of Kiesling and Kojian�s �Rediscovering Armenia�. The hike we took was moderately challenging, however the payoff was well worth it. Rather than talk about the beauty of the church, I would rather comment on the fact that accessing wonderful hikes that actually have a remarkable architectural (or spiritual, depending on your point of view) payoff is one of the surprises I encountered in Armenia. Less than an hour ride from Yerevan and there we were, the Garni Gorge.
After our hike, Raffi K. alerted us to a few other sites in the area. The 11c. medieval bridge and columnar basalt cliffs were quite a site. Unfortunately, we were not able to fully enjoy the cliffs because of a money shakedown from a 70+-year-old man. As Ashod�s Niva, Khachig, drove down the road toward the cliffs, an elderly gentleman stopped us and tried to issue us tickets that cost about 1000 dram each. For what? He claimed that his son now owned the land that the cliffs were on and that we would have to buy tickets to enter. We protested and said we would just proceed a few meters to make a u-turn. However, as we came closer to the cliffs, sure enough, there was a younger looking man in army fatigues that was collecting the tickets. With a few groans from the car directed at the man in fatigues, we turned around and headed back to town, wondering if the ticketing scheme was legit.
It was my impression and the opinion of others that have been in Armenia for a while, that you pick and choose when to pay petty extortion. It really depends on your mood, the way that you are approached and the circumstances. Given the terrible economic conditions for most of the people in Armenia, giving someone a buck or two for a great tour is cool in my book. However, most people with self-respect will not accept the money and feel insulted. So, giving money can be an emotionally loaded act. My advice is to have a general mantra of how and when to give money and stick to it.
Back in Yerevan, the mood of the city continued to be upbeat and calm. One of the aspects of Yerevan that I really liked this time around was the wide variety of eateries available. You really can find almost anything you want as far as variety. Mr. Pig is a great place to get Western style subs including a killer tuna salad sandwich. Middle Eastern Cuisine with their Falafel Friday�s is also a great place to grab some eats for about $2 a plate. Other places have also turned up like the inevitable Bourj Hammoud. I�m sure all of the Beirutsi�s are going nuts over this. There is also a great Shawerma place near the Opera House you can get a great sandwich for under a buck. The service is also getting much better. On that particular Sunday, Aram brought me over to a friend�s house that made the best Khorovads I have ever eaten. Screw the eateries; the best food in Yerevan will always be at a private residence. There is nothing like eating Khorovads, drinking homemade Grapefruit Oghi and listening to jazz on a Sunday night. Is there?
-Raffi Meneshian
posted by ArmeniaLog at 10:22 PM
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