Yerevan Good City?

Sometimes the cure for the post-travel blues that hit you like a weighty sack of potatoes after, say, you spend 9 glorious days in Germany and have to come back to work and reality and life in, I don't know, the Republic of Georgia (mind you, I'm just throwing out hypotheticals here; any resemblance to factual situations is purely coincidental), is to take another trip.

So, Armenia it was.

There's much of Georgia left to be seen, and hopefully I will make good use of my remaining weeks here, but I also had a feeling that if I didn't take advantage of my proximity to all of the beautiful countries that surround Georgia--Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey--I would regret it.  Yerevan was a last-minute decision made with two other volunteers in my program, and absolutely a great one.

Between innocently crashing a private birthday party in the basement of an otherwise unremarkable coffee shop, eating dolma in the courtyard of the beautiful Cascade, and sampling good Armenian brandy with a side of dark chocolate, I managed to take a few (hundred) pictures:

Through the No Man's Land between Georgia and Armenia.  Avanti!  Unimaginable treasures lie beyond!

First stop: Akhtala Monastery.

Haghbat Monastery

This is where I feel truly closest to God: a bakery in Aparan, Armenia.  Never have my senses been so overwhelmed or overjoyed.

Our first ascent up the Cascade, lead by our fearless guide dog (I'm afraid I never got his name).

The Cascade at sunset, during our second attempt to see Mt. Ararat in the distance.

The Cascade from below.  No better way to work off all the pastries than to Stairmaster your way up that baby.

 When I tell Georgians how lovely Yerevan was, a common response has been a genuinely surprised "Really?"   

To which I respond, "Of course not, only joking.  Saguramo is far superior.  Watch out for that pile of burning trash."