Week 14: Commas and Decimals

Picture of Georgia's currency, the Lari

When someone says, 'Georgia', what comes to mind? Does the nation's name illicit mental images of an underdeveloped, post-Soviet country? Do you think of horses and plows with little contact to the global economy? In many instances, Georgia is very much still developing. Outside of the larger cities, people's livelihoods depend on agricultural means and unemployment is extremely high. However, one particular aspect of Georgian life demonstrating high-tech savviness is the financial sector.

One of the most fascinating aspects of living and working in Georgia has been the 'Bankomat'! A fascinating machine, the Bankomat is an ATM style kiosk where one can pay all of their bills - and I mean all of them - in a convenient location.

Picture of a bankomat!

You got bills you want to pay? Me too! With a touch of a button, you can pay for your utilities, insurance, phone, mortgage, etc. You can do all of this in either Georgian, English, or Russian!

To pay for your phone bill, you simply type your number, select, your plan, insert money or card, and Voila! Your bill is paid!

Looking to pay those pesky utilities without the hassle, look no further than your friendly bankomat! You can select your service, and your provider! With a few clicks, your utilities are taken care of!

A bit of a lead foot and have to pay a fine? Parked your car and the meter expired? Want to buy a bus or train ticket? You can do that here, too!

Last but not least, do you want to give to charity? Or maybe do a little online shopping? The bankomat is here for you!

As for the general Georgian economy, most of Georgia's wealth has come from being a transportation hub (think BTC pipeline), some natural resources (Chiatura, my home, is known for their Manganese deposits), foreign investment (a liberalized market and relative easy of doing business), and remittances (many women work abroad in elderly homes in countries like Italy and Greece). Although the country is still impoverished by Western standards, the Georgian government has focused on educating their populace in order to attract investors. As for other aspects of Georgia's economy, it is still very much cash-based in the local shops and bazaars. However, you can use a debit or credit card in most established businesses and chains. In recent news, the Lari (Georgian money) has been getting a lot of attention because the currency conversion rate from Lari's to USD has seen a relative increase (1 dollar equals 2.69 Lari as of today, 01/28/2017).

'Tetri' or Georgian cents

Armenia? ArMANIA!

Day 1: Arrival
   After missing the initial marshutka (mini bus) from Tbilisi to Yerevan, we pulled out our best bargaining skills and Georgian (shout out to Rebecca Milne for carrying the team) and haggled for a hired driver to Armenia. Little did we know, we'd have the ride of a life time! Although, at the border, I was given a stern look for my previous trip to Azerbaijan (Armenian and Azerbaijani relations are frozen due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict), we broke out the wine (maybe a little too soon at the border crossing), cha cha (Georgian cognac), and, of course, our cameras and took in the astonishing views. From the vantage points in the north, to Lake Sevan, and the snow-capped mountains in the snow, it was an excellent day for travel. When we finally arrived in Yerevan, the visibility was no more than 10 meters in front of us, and, for the most part, we toured the city for the remainder of our excursion as if we were in a cloud.

View.

Hanging with the gang!

Day 2: Yerevan and the Cascades
  After a refreshing breakfast, we cut through the mist and snow and headed straight for the Cascades, a former Soviet memorial currently being renovated. Although the Cascades are essentially glorified stair steps, the rooms within contained museum pieces and art collections! Next, we enjoyed a lovely lunch featuring 'Zhingyalov Hats' which were essentially spinach wraps! 10 out of 10 recommend! Lastly, we strolled along Yerevan's thoroughfares despite the temperature being 'playfully frostbitten'. We caught a glimpse of Republic Square and the National Opera house before visiting the National Museum where we received a smattering of information about Armenia's long and tumultuous history! After sliding across the ice (literally all of Yerevan's sidewalks were hockey rinks), we made it back to the warmth of our humble hostel.

Cascades

Zhingyalov Hats

Republic Square

National Museum in all of it's glory

Day 3: The Armenian Genocide Museum
  Certainly, the most harrowing day, the gang decided to devote a majority of the day to the Armenian Genocide Museum. For a little context, the Committee of Union and Progress, otherwise known as the 'Young Turk's', formed the Ottoman government as the empire went into decline. However, their nationalist intentions of creating a pan-Turkic state spawned massacres of Armenians in Eastern Turkey starting in 1915. The Armenian genocide remains controversial to this day; It is illegal to deny the genocide in France while, in Turkey, it's illegal to acknowledge this aspect of its history. The memorial, itself, was certainly a somber sight especially during the cold of winter. The memorial featured a giant spire and an eternal fire; with no one else present, it was extremely eerie. The museum was absolutely fascinating. The timeline style featured everything from the beginnings of the genocide to present-day politics. If you ever visit Armenia, you must go here. If you want to learn more, this article provides a very brief overview: http://www.nytimes.com/ref/timestopics/topics_armeniangenocide.html. I certainly encourage you to look into this more!

Armenian Genocide Memorial

Armenian Genocide Memorial

Day 4: Garni and Geghard
   We spent our final day in Yerevan exploring the sights and scenes outside of the city. Wanting to catch a glimpse of Mt. Ararat, we took a tour of Garni which was seemingly a Grecian Acropolis. Although the fog did not allow us to appreciate the view, we finally emerged above the 'fog line' to see Mt Ararat! It was absolutely spectacular! Finally, we arrived at Geghard Monastery, nestled in the mountains. We certainly got more than we bargained for! On top of the spectacular architecture, we happened to be there during the filming of an Italian movie! It was a sight to see.

Mt. Ararat (background) photobombing ever so eloquently

Mt. Ararat and the sea of fog known as Yerevan

Garni

Geghard Monastery

Geghard AKA next set of a Dan Brown novel

Geghard with dramatic shadows

Day 5: Return
   Making the most of our time in Armenia, we took a relaxing (and very scenic) return home! Following the rugged mountains north, we toured some of Armenia's most ancient monasteries! Enjoying the UNESCO heritage sites, Sanahin and Haghbat, we followed up our adventures with a lovely home-cooked meal at a locals home before setting off for the Akhtala fortress-monastery! Walking over thousands of years of history with friends was a treat! I would highly recommend the Envoy Hostel Tours! It was certainly worth the money and our guide was fantastic!

Sanahin

Sanahin continued

Dramatic canyonscape (is that even a word?)

Haghbat

Haghbat with all the drama

If only I was several hundred years old and looked that good . . .

Akhtala Fortress

Azerbaijan: The Land of Fire

Overnight train from Tbilisi to Baku

Day 1: Arrival
     After a rocky train ride in some cozy quarters, we arrived in beautiful Baku, the shimmering pearl on the Caspian otherwise known simply as Azerbaijan's capital. Although we flubbed our way to our hostel, we were instantly whisked away on a tour of a lifetime. After an hour drive south of Baku, we found ourselves at Qobustan, a UNESCO heritage site featuring pictographs from ancient peoples.

Qobustan Pictographs

Pictographs of hunters

 Afterwards, we hit the mud volcanoes which were a sight to see! These naturally occurring phenomena are fueled by rising methane and are flammable! Azerbaijan is not know as 'The Land of Fire' for nothing!

Active mud volcano

Creating our mocktails (mud + cocktails)

In the midday, we stopped by Bibi-Heybat Mosque which was absolutely breathtaking! Although it was a bit over-the-top, the mosque remains an important place of worship for Shiite Muslims despite Azerbaijan being seemingly agnostic.

Bibi Heybat Mosque

As the evening came to a close, we found ourselves at Ateshgah, a Zoroastrian fire temple! Due to Azerbaijan's massive oil reserves, natural gas simply seeps to the surface and, sometimes, ignites!

Ateshgah!

We discovered this later on at Yanar Dagi, a naturally burning mountain! We capped the night off with a scrumptious dinner of dolma, Ayran (sour cream/milk drink), pilav (rice w/raisins), and corba (soup)!

Yanar Dagi featuring Firebender and noted Canadian, Danielle LaBrash 

Dolma

Day 2: Iceri Sehir
   Having a rejuvenating sleep and deeply-missed menemen (scrambled egg dish), we headed out to see the city, itself. After strolling along cobblestone streets parallel to the Old City walls, we came across the Palace of the Shirvanshahs!

Old City Walls

A small complex with several chambers, the palace was rather simple with ornate artifacts on display. One particularly interesting exhibit highlighted Sabayil Castle, a fortress that emerged when the waters of the Caspian Sea receded in the 1920s!

Ornate artifacts with posing and imposing guards (Left: Me, Right: Adam LaBrash)

Someone had to provide a decent back drop...

'Mustache Keeper' and 'Mustache Trainer' for your everyday mustache needs

We continued following the Old City Walls when we happened upon 'Maiden's Tower', a gloomy-looking building with a fascinating history. Apparently, to this day, the purpose of the tower remains unknown. The tower constructed with a hollow cylinder and a single rooftop lookout lending to the theories that it was either a granary or some sort of defensive mechanism. Regardless, the sunset over the cityscape illuminated my best side haha!

Maiden's Tower

Sunset

Baku

We continued perusing the seaside which features an incredibly entertaining 'Bulvar' or park. Bulvar is a several kilometer green space featuring merry-go rounds, decadent statues, and manicured flora and fauna. It was both ridiculous (featuring the appalling oil rig that looks like it was imported from a '70s casino in Vegas) and enchanting (peek the view). Baku has an incredible knack of being flashy, but not tacky. One of the most interesting features of the night skyline are the famed Flame Towers. Built fairly recently, the massive structures situated on the hill overlooking the city have a reoccurring electronic display. It was a sight to behold! Afterwards, we strolled down the side streets where it was obvious that capitalism reigned supreme! On some streets, the city seemed more like an outdoor mall than a population center!

Fountain from the future

Appalling Oil Rig stolen from the 70s

Flame Towers' light show

Decadence

Capitalism with little shame

Day 3: Departure
   Taking advantage of the excellent weather (there was never a dreary day in Baku), we headed north along the Bulvar, We considered taking the funicular to the top of the hill, but, sadly, it was closed. However, being the young whippersnappers we are, we knew the kilometer of stairs was the only option. Despite 'Eye of the Tiger' not playing dramatically in the background, the view from the top of certainly worth the effort! We saw the *2nd* tallest flag mast in the world and the Caspian Sea which never seemed to end. What seemed particularly pointed was the amount of smog hanging on the horizon despite there not being a cloud in the sky!

Only part of the kilometer of stairs

2nd largest flag mast (I'd hate to see the 1st largest flag mast)

I'm sure the Eternal Flame (literally, a giant bonfire encapsulated by an equally giant structure) contributed to half this pollution. We continued down 'Martyr's Lane' which was a street eerily lined with tombs. The cemeteries and other monuments nearby seemed to represent those who died in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and in the World Wars; although, little information was provided.

Eternal flame

Martyr's Lane

We trekked back to the Old City where we enjoyed a very Russian lunch, Nutelland  (the only one in the Caucuses) and, finally, some light souvenir shopping. Before hopping back on the overnight train to Tbilisi, we concluded the evening with my friend Orxan--an exchange student who went to my high school--with whom we enjoyed food from his hometown, Sheki! It was awesome to reconnect with a friendly face after so many years! The soup, pomegranate juice, and appetizers were as delectable as the company!

Baku City Park or the set of the 'Princess Diaries'?

Dinner with Orxan! Left: Adam, Orxan, Me, Danielle

Overall, I absolutely loved Azerbaijan and Baku. Knowing Turkish was helpful even though it was difficult to understand Azeris (Azeri and Turkish are mutually intelligible) and, often, it was difficult for them to understand me! However, I would go back in a heartbeat and I certainly hope to!