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

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!