Travel: Summer sojourn in Armenia

Bijo Mathew Philip

A small country with a population of less than 40 lakh, Armenia has punched above its weight all through history. The Armenian nation traces its origins in Fertile Crescent, believed to be the very first region where settled farming and animal husbandry were experimented. The Armenian Orthodox Church, the state religion, is the oldest of Christian churches. The hilly country lies in the shadow of Mount Ararat, the biblical mountain of the Noachian flood story.

When another long weekend came by, Armenia looked to be an ideal place to visit. It is less than four hours by air from Abu Dhabi (there are limited direct flights from India). But at 40 degrees north, it is a world away in summer from the sweltering deserts of the Middle East. Armenia can be visited throughout the year.

The land-locked republic of Armenia of today was established in 1991 following the dissolution of USSR. Its history is enmeshed with the Turkish nation for over a millennium. The cataclysmic events that followed the fall of the Ottomans in the first two decades of the 20th century still sour bilateral relations.

Yerevan, the capital, is a town of modern boulevards on the hills. Founded by the state of Urartu by 7th century BC, it is one of the oldest continuously inhabited towns. The vestiges of its long history appear to be lost to Yerevan, yet it remains a charming city with the twin peaks of Mt Ararat towering over it from across the Turkish border.

On arrival, we spent the first day walking around the town’s neighbourhoods. The crest of Mt Ararat remained behind the clouds most of the time. Our car rental was only two blocks away. Next day, we left for the Lake Sevan resort, 100 km northeast, in a rented car. Driving was easy-paced on the fairly well-maintained two-lane highway, dotted with agricultural villages.

Sevan is a large, high-altitude freshwater lake situated within the Armenian borders. The resort from the Soviet era where we stayed was facing one of the beaches. We could see fishermen plying their trade in old metal boats from our room.

The border with Azerbaijan was around 30-km east from our hotel. Early morning, we went for a drive down the lake shores and took a detour towards the border. The road through the rolling hills, with blooming grassy dales, was mostly devoid of traffic.

The road narrowed as we passed a few roundabouts with what appeared to be military barracks. As we stopped for photos, a stern man in green fatigues gruffly said something that we could not understand. Assuming that he was trying to stop us from taking photographs, we drove on. The road narrowed as we reached the tiny border village of Vahan. We realised with some alarm that the man was following us in his car. It seemed prudent to turn back.

We were soon stopped by a small contingent of armed soldiers. They seized our camera and we were not allowed to leave. As the sun was setting, villagers heading back home from their fields squatted around our car, joking with the soldiers. Our alarm grew as night fell. Men spoke only in Armenian, or at most Russian as the second language. The police came after nightfall, and to our relief, they could speak English. They explained that we were held captive as we were taking photos in this area of conflict. They drove us to the police station, questioned us and inspected the photos. It was close to midnight when we were allowed to leave.

Tired and starved, we looked around for a place to eat as we drove back to the hotel. A kindly man who was closing shop took pity as we blabbered requesting to have some food. He served us kebabs and grilled ‘Sevan trout’ with wine and bread, one of the best meals we’ve ever had.

We drove the next day with a plan to explore the northern country around the town of Vanadzor before returning to Yerevan by late evening. Armenia is especially strong in heavy industry. Factories, new and derelict, could be seen around the countryside. Wheat fields flourished in the plains. We stopped at a lettuce and cabbage patch to take photos. Farmers, who were mostly women, were excited to receive us.

Mt Aragats, the highest mountain within the borders of Armenia, was visible at a distance as we turned southwards to Yerevan.

Our last day in Yerevan was spent in the company of David, a young man whom we met at the hotel and agreed to drive us around. He spoke English and introduced us to a variety of locally produced wine and brandy. He took us to Khor Virap, an ancient monastery in the valley of Mt Ararat. The cragged mountainside appeared to be at a touching distance from the Turkish border that Armenia is yet to recognise.

“Mount Ararat is an inseparable part of Armenian identity,” David said thoughtfully, as we went past a genocide memorial. Ruins of the pagan temple of Garni, the only standing Greco-Roman temple in Armenia, and Geghard, the monastery of Gregory the illuminator, are around 50 km northeast from Khor Virap. We were mostly silent as we drove. Our thoughts seemed weighed down by the spirits of millions who fell on the wayside, all around us.

Traveller Notes

• Indians require to apply for an Armenian tourist visa through an online portal or a travel agency. It can be easily obtained at around Rs 2,000, with 3-4 days’ processing.
• Emirates, Wizz Air and Qatar Airways operate economy flights from UAE and Qatar to Yerevan.
• Round trip from Mumbai should take 8 hours and cost around Rs 60,000 per person. Direct flight options from India are limited.
• Occasional escalation of the ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan in the Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh is confined to border regions and is unlikely to affect regular tourist traffic.
• 1 INR = 4.8 AMD (Armenian Dram)