As an intermission to Georgia, we met up (crashed the tail end of their honeymoon) with our friends Ryan & Mel in Armenia. Kyle, an avid reader of Paul Theroux's work, has been itching for long-distance train travel. So to get to Yerevan, we splurged a bit ($60 pp) for a first class private car on the overnight train from Tbilisi to Yerevan. It was quite the experience watching the tail end of the dusk as we departed, going through a midnight border crossing from the comfort of our train car, and awakening to sunrise on the outskirts of Yerevan. On arrival in Yerevan, a kind traveler directed us on how to get cheaper transportation into the city & recommended a couple of spots to check out.


Our friend Mel, who is Armenian & had previously spent time living in Yerevan, played the role of tour guide for us. Her language fluency was extremely helpful & a nice break from our body language/google translate combo that had been our only means through Georgia. We were also fortunate to meet Mel's host family. They were kind enough to drive us around to a good amount of the sights & even served us a homemade feast after one of our longer tour days.


We were immediately impressed by how modern the bars, cafes, and restaurants were. We had coffee at a coffee house that easily could have been in SF or Brooklyn. Amidst the modern flare, there was still a strong representation of the Armenian culture. We absolutely loved all the food & were thrilled to learn Kinkhali was also a staple food. During the five nights in Yerevan, we got Kinkhali for dinner twice. We were also fortunate to time our trip around the weekend, so we got to really experience the nightlife. Our favorite bar was in a mansion that had previously been owned by a Russian Oligarch (see the photo of us at the kitchen table). This spot also had a great rooftop with extremely kind staff. We had a couple of delicious cocktails & a huge fruit plate while we waited on the bar below to fill up a bit more. Later in the evening, we made it to a basement bar that was absolutely the vibe. There was everyone there from young to old, local to tourists. The bartenders were also DJing from Youtube & their selections were on point. At this bar, we learned about doo-doo shots: vodka, lemon juice, Tabasco, and an olive. While the olive posed a choking hazard, the shots were delicious (to Kelsey & Ryan, not Kyle).


Not everything was food & cocktail based; we also spent a good amount of time exploring the sites. We visited the Cascade Stairs which conveniently had escalators hidden inside with AC. We also did a few sightseeing day trips with Avo, the son of Mel's host mom. On the first day, we went out to Khor Virab circa 642 AD. This is where Gregory the Illuminator was imprisoned for 13 years before the king had a change of heart & released him. Upon release, he ultimately spread Christianity throughout Armenia around 300 AD. From the church, we could see Mt. Ararat which is considered the resting place for Noah's Ark. The mountain is so large that it can be seen even from Yerevan towering over the city. Next, we visited 13th-century Noravank, which is one of the most beautiful monasteries in Armenia. The surrounding landscape was a mirror of the Southwest US. We ended the tour with a visit to Avo's friend who lived on his family farm nearby. The family was so kind. They treated us to their homemade wine (so delicious!) & a lovely snack board; some of which one of the sons was sent to fetch fresh fruit from one of their many trees. Nothing compares to Armenian watermelon. Following the full day tour, we were treated to a massive feast at Mel's host mom's house. Needless to say after all the activity, food, & heat of the day, we went home & quickly passed out for an early night.


On our last day, we did a shorter tour out to Garni which is a Greco-Roman temple. It's the best known structure & symbol of pre-Christian Armenia which was built around the 1st century AD. There were also ruins of a complex, ancient winemaking facility which involved 3 rooms as well as old baths.


We absolutely loved spending time in Armenia. It's always a great time traveling with Mel & Boye, but we also enjoyed the cool mix of modern city life, strong culture (especially around food & wine), and ancient sites.


Reading

  • Kyle: Never Split the Difference by Christopher Voss
  • Kelsey: Binged Stranger Things...no reading, but I did hit my goal of reading 24 books this year with the last read!

Listening To