So where was I ...
Oh Vienna... well so much for that. I have more exciting things to tell... ARMENIA!
WOW... Yerevan is just Gorgeous. Even the ugly things look good (this may dissapear with time!) Anyhow, I arrived with Austrian Airlines from Viena to Armenia. Again, on time and good service. Then again how would I know, I was knocked out in my seat. I didn't care about watching Stewart Little so ... ZZzzzz...
On the Plane I saw Ara H from DC. Nice guy. We promised to get together in Yerevan. Maybe tomorrow.
So the plane lands at about 4:50 a.m. and here I am thinking I will be the only one that needs to get a visa... WRONG! about 30 ppl lined up to get the visa... about 3-4 minutes each... long wait. Visa cost $30 US for 21 days and $20 US for a three day transit.
I had decided that I wouldn't ask ppl to pick me up with the arrival time being so early and all. I decided to take a taxi. I had trouble finding a cart. Some guy was holding on to one and offered it to me... nice eh? NO! as I returned with my luggage he started to follow me and asked for "pogh" (that word was used for Arsineh's sake).. needless to say I told him that this is airport property and that he wouldn't see any Dram from me. After al the cart belongs to me as much as it belongs to him, right?
Make it short... took a cab for 4000 Dr, (I could've gotten cheaper but he told me he'd been waiting at this early hour and all... So he drives me to my friends house. I remembered where he told me it was. I want to pay him, but I had not changed any Dollars... had a 10 I told him to keep it since he had started to say "aper jan ... mi kich this, mi kich that..." it was done! I took my luggage out on the corner of Abovian and Toumanian (one of the busiest "khachmerouk's" of Yerevan). The taxi left. I remembered that I hadn't written down the bldg # the floor or the apartment... not funny! So I roll my luggage down the empty streets of Yerevan at 6:15 a.m. Get to the Yerevan Hotel. very good service guys!
change some money - use the internet on the other side of the street - get the info from my hotmail account - back to Hotel to pick up my suitcases I had asked them to watch - drag them down the empty streets again - finally I reach the dark stairs and try to read the door numbers with the light of my watch. I am laughing all the way. I thought this could've been an ideal Sienfeld episode!
Today was relaxing and slow. woke up late. Made some calls and then just walked around had a Shawarma and a latte at Art Bridge. There is, as most of the Repats have written about, lots of construction happening. So many new stores ... and expensive too! The service has deffinitly inproved since 1999 when I was here with LCO (www.lcousa.org) Ppl are well dressed and better looking too!
I must admit though, I would've liked to be doing all of this with Lara. Yerevan is realy a romantic city. Walks down the streets and in the parks while holding hands with your favorite person is seen frequently here.
Is it me or do people seem happier? Maybe time will tell.
It still kills me how Yerevantsis like to stare and are not secretive about it. They used to stare when I had long hair and wore jeans in 1990. Then they stared when I wore open sandles (the ones with the velcro) and bermudas in 1999. And then they stared some more when I had Amassia in a carry on on my back and when I changed her diapers or fed her yoghort in 2001. Today, they were staring ... at what? my long curley hair? my bright (next to their black or grey) orange sweater? my goat pinch (you know, small beard on your chin with no mustach)? or my red shoes? ok ok, I admit, I asked for it this time!
Well, it's now 3 a.m. long day ahead. gotto sleep.
If any of you want me to look into something, just write and I'l try to find out!
bari gisher tsel bolorin and oh Arsineh, tsav't danem kurro jan!
sorry for typos and spelling, I'm not rereading... ZZZzz...zz...
Oh Vienna... well so much for that. I have more exciting things to tell... ARMENIA!
WOW... Yerevan is just Gorgeous. Even the ugly things look good (this may dissapear with time!) Anyhow, I arrived with Austrian Airlines from Viena to Armenia. Again, on time and good service. Then again how would I know, I was knocked out in my seat. I didn't care about watching Stewart Little so ... ZZzzzz...
On the Plane I saw Ara H from DC. Nice guy. We promised to get together in Yerevan. Maybe tomorrow.
So the plane lands at about 4:50 a.m. and here I am thinking I will be the only one that needs to get a visa... WRONG! about 30 ppl lined up to get the visa... about 3-4 minutes each... long wait. Visa cost $30 US for 21 days and $20 US for a three day transit.
I had decided that I wouldn't ask ppl to pick me up with the arrival time being so early and all. I decided to take a taxi. I had trouble finding a cart. Some guy was holding on to one and offered it to me... nice eh? NO! as I returned with my luggage he started to follow me and asked for "pogh" (that word was used for Arsineh's sake).. needless to say I told him that this is airport property and that he wouldn't see any Dram from me. After al the cart belongs to me as much as it belongs to him, right?
Make it short... took a cab for 4000 Dr, (I could've gotten cheaper but he told me he'd been waiting at this early hour and all... So he drives me to my friends house. I remembered where he told me it was. I want to pay him, but I had not changed any Dollars... had a 10 I told him to keep it since he had started to say "aper jan ... mi kich this, mi kich that..." it was done! I took my luggage out on the corner of Abovian and Toumanian (one of the busiest "khachmerouk's" of Yerevan). The taxi left. I remembered that I hadn't written down the bldg # the floor or the apartment... not funny! So I roll my luggage down the empty streets of Yerevan at 6:15 a.m. Get to the Yerevan Hotel. very good service guys!
change some money - use the internet on the other side of the street - get the info from my hotmail account - back to Hotel to pick up my suitcases I had asked them to watch - drag them down the empty streets again - finally I reach the dark stairs and try to read the door numbers with the light of my watch. I am laughing all the way. I thought this could've been an ideal Sienfeld episode!
Today was relaxing and slow. woke up late. Made some calls and then just walked around had a Shawarma and a latte at Art Bridge. There is, as most of the Repats have written about, lots of construction happening. So many new stores ... and expensive too! The service has deffinitly inproved since 1999 when I was here with LCO (www.lcousa.org) Ppl are well dressed and better looking too!
I must admit though, I would've liked to be doing all of this with Lara. Yerevan is realy a romantic city. Walks down the streets and in the parks while holding hands with your favorite person is seen frequently here.
Is it me or do people seem happier? Maybe time will tell.
It still kills me how Yerevantsis like to stare and are not secretive about it. They used to stare when I had long hair and wore jeans in 1990. Then they stared when I wore open sandles (the ones with the velcro) and bermudas in 1999. And then they stared some more when I had Amassia in a carry on on my back and when I changed her diapers or fed her yoghort in 2001. Today, they were staring ... at what? my long curley hair? my bright (next to their black or grey) orange sweater? my goat pinch (you know, small beard on your chin with no mustach)? or my red shoes? ok ok, I admit, I asked for it this time!
Well, it's now 3 a.m. long day ahead. gotto sleep.
If any of you want me to look into something, just write and I'l try to find out!
bari gisher tsel bolorin and oh Arsineh, tsav't danem kurro jan!
sorry for typos and spelling, I'm not rereading... ZZZzz...zz...
posted by Raffi N at 3:07 AM
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