ARMENIA – A JOURNEY INTO THE PAST (CHAPTER 1)
Peter A. Distefano, Editor In Chief
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There is so much to tell our readers about this hidden jewel, Armenia, that
it will have to be done in Chapters.
Chapter one will be an overview of our trip and what we felt. Future chapters
will delve in detail about various aspects of Armenia, the wonderful
Armenian people, places we visited, and things we experienced.
When I arrived at the airport in Armenia it was just as I had expected – left
over from the Soviet era. It was cold, bare, drab and very unfriendly looking.
I'll state right here though – DO NOT judge Armenia by its airport!
As I finished getting my visa which took only 5 minutes (you can even
get your visa online now), and then waited in line for a few minutes at passport
control I was cleared to enter the country.
I was met by an angel named Angela along with a driver who escorted me into Yerevan
to the Congress Hotel (http://www.spyur.am/congress.htm) where I would stay for the first three days.
The Congress is a very nice business traveler's hotel owned by an Italian Company.
The rooms were very clean and relatively new and the buffet breakfast in the mornings
was tasty and certainly ample enough.
The in-room internet service was virtually non-existent since if 2 people in the hotel
were on it you could not log on. The internet service in their business center
was barely adequate and quite expensive – like most of the hotels. Internet clubs were all
over Yerevan and very inexpensive and all with high-speed internet access and highly
recommended for use.
The day I arrived we were taken on a sightseeing trip around Yerevan's major
avenues and squares where the most notable and significant public buildings were
located.
We saw the National Art Gallery, Opera House, Presidential Palace, National
Academy of Sciences, Parliament Buildings and Matenadaran Manuscript Museum,
and after lunch we visited the Parajanov Museum and shopped at the Diamond and
Gold Market.
Day two started with an introduction to Armenia at the Information Visitors Center.
We then embarked on an exciting visit to the Armen Carpet Factory run by Megerian
Rug Company (http://www.megerianrugs.com) which has its headquarters in the United States.
It was fascinating to see how handmade carpets are made and why they are so
beautiful which I will spend more time on in future chapters.
We then departed for Echmiadzin, the seat of the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of
all Armenians. We visited the Cathedral of St. Ecmiadzin –the first official Christina
Church which was built in 301-30AD.
We ended the trip with a visit to the Sadarapat Battle Memorial Complex and the
Armenia Ethonography Museum.
Day three we departed for Southern Armenia where we visited the Khor Virap
Monastery (4-17th centuries) which is located in the Vayots Dzor region.
We also visited the Monastery at Noravank (13-14th century), and then on to the
Getnatun Winery in the village of Yeghegnadzor for a tour of their facilities as well as
a tour of their bread (Lavash) making factory.
We then returned to Yerevan for a tour of the Famous Brandy factory.
Day four we packed our bags to move to a new hotel after we returned from a 2 day
trip we left on that morning.
Our trip was to the wonderful towns of Dilijan and Ijevan. This trip took us past
beautiful Lake Sevan and over the mountain passes (where it was snowing and there
was very deep snow on the roads).
We stopped for tea at a very nice restaurant/motel in Dilijan called Getap, and
ventured up the mountain to try to visit the Makaravank Monastery (11-13th century)
to no avail due to the snow depth and lack of road.
Back to Getap for a fantastic lunch where I learned and participated in an ancient
Armenian custom which I will detail in the future chapters.
Then on to Ijevan for a visit with the Mayor (and more customs). We spent the night in
Ijevan in a Bed & Breakfast guest-home with a wonderful family.
We dined that evening in a very nice restaurant joined by the Vice-Mayor,
and that secret ancient custom I mentioned earlier, continued – many times!
Day five while still in Ijevan we visited the Sculpture Park, craft center and many
institutions where these crafts are taught.
We drove on to the village of Gosh to visit the ancient (9-13th century) monastery of
Goshavank, and then shared lunch with a wonderful family in that village.
On the trip back to Yerevan we stopped at Lake Sevan (awesomely beautiful) – visited
another monastery (Sevanavank) and had a brief tour of a fantastic hotel (Harsnaqar
Hotel) on the lake complete with a water-world for the kids.
We arrived back in Yerevan and checked in our new hotel – the Hotel Armenia /
Ararat Wing (http://www.hotelarmenia.com) . This is a stunning property where all the rooms
are suites and are beautifully appointed.
Day Six we met with the participating Armenian tour operators and were then free to roam the city.
Day Seven we took off to visit Garni Temple (a pagan temple circa 1st century BC) and
wondrous Geghard Monastery (12-13 century). Another great family had us for lunch at
their village home and we got to see first hand how Lavash bread is made and barbeque is done in the
homes.
This was the final day of the familiarization trip which ended in a press conference at
the Armenia Information visitor's center where I, and one of the other two members of
the familiarization trip were interviewed by the press.
I was lucky enough to have two more additional free days before I was to leave for Germany,
and was pleased to be able to roam the city on my own and speak directly to the people I met.
As you can see there is so much to tell that I have to detail each of these in separate
chapters, but in summary….
Armenia is a hidden jewel in Eastern Europe. Its people are friendly, courteous and
extremely gracious. The sights are wonderful to behold and the food is an epicurean's
delight to the senses. With their economy still coming out of the post Soviet Era values abound.
What can I say except get there now before the rush!
The guides and members of the Armenia Tourism Bureau (http://www.armeniainfo.com)
(Angela & Syuzanna) along with Gayane from the IESC (http://www.iesc.org) that were with us
during the entire familiarization trip were marvelous and they certainly made sure we
were well taken care of and given the information we needed to learn as much about Armenia as possible.
There were many tour operators, hotels, and restaurants that helped sponsor our trip and I will discuss
them
in detail in future chapters. For now suffice it to say that without their help the trip would not have been as
successful or as nice as it was.
Everyone deserves a big thank you.
ARMENIA - TO BE CONTINUED