Last Saturday I drove down to Meghri with Sergey, which is only a few kilometers from the Iranian-Armenian border. Sergey had never been before so I volunteered to take him there. It was my first visit to Meghri since my previous excursion there four years ago.
Meghri is in a valley, with high, steep flanking slopes. A river runs through the center of town, creatively named the Meghri River. It is situated approximately 600 meters above sea level.
Nothing has changed much in the town, which I suppose is good in some ways since life hasn't been adulterated. There are some modest construction projects, but nothing out of the ordinary. People still earn a living by working their plots of land and selling the fruits from the trees that grow on them, namely pomegranates and persimmons. Current prices fetch around 800-1,500 dram ($2.10-$3.80) for a kilo of pomegranates and about 500 dram ($1.30) for persimmons. Figs are also in season fetching around 300-400 dram a kilo. But the juice-making factories are paying only 130 dram ($0.35) a kilo, so I don't know how most people are able to make out financially. Most certainly no one is paying a mortgage on the house, so at least that's not a burden to bear.
To make ends meet, some families rent out rooms in their homes. There are several Bed and Breakfast options available in Meghri, a couple of which I found on a Web site called B&B Armenia listing affordable accommodations throughout the country. We stayed with Misha Azatyan, who is the deputy director (demoted from the position of director with the change in administrations) of the music and cultural center there. Their home was more than I expected--extremely clean and very comfortable. We were served supper and breakfast, along with all the figs and grapes we could manage to cram down our throats and unlimited coffee/tea. They even gave us a few kilos of persimmons and figs to take back with us. In the morning I was able to take a great hot shower, something that is greatly appreciated in rural parts of the country. Misha and his family were extremely hospitable, and he was very responsive to the thousand questions we posed to him about the economics, politics, industry, agriculture and mindset of Meghri.
In the photo below Misha, on the right, is showing Sergey his potted lemon and grapefruit trees.
Despite the superb, homey accommodations, I couldn't manage to sleep very well. That's nothing out of the ordinary for me when I am out of town actually; it's always tough for me to sleep somewhere other than my own bed. And seeing as I didn't bring my laptop with me, I couldn't write either, at least nothing very important.
On Sunday we drove around a bit before heading back to Yerevan. Sergey wanted to see the Araks River, which serves as the line of demarcation between Armenia and Iran. The river, which is legendary in Armenian folklore, is rather narrow and milk-chocolate brown in color. It's nothing remarkable to gaze at and reflect upon.
We also visited Agarak, which is basically right on the border, in search of pomegranates but we were turned down by everyone we asked. The people there are not as friendly as those are in Meghri, that's for certain. It seemed too much of a bother for anyone there to make money from our lust for noor.
Meghri is where it's happening. It's a gorgeous, but sleepy town, very green obviously considering that it is the pomegranate center of the universe.
There are three churches in Meghri, the only one of them working being St. John The Baptist. The entire interior of this church, which was not built with the iconic Armenian architectural style in mind, is adorned with fresco paintings depicting various stories from the Bible. The ornamental motifs of the paintings are clearly influenced by Persian decorative designs, which was probably done intentionally to prevent vandalism. Even the depicted structures were drawn in such a way as to resemble mosques. A domed church just a stone's throw away from Misha's home is in severe disrepair and has apparently become a sort of garbage dumpster from what I was told. I didn't investigate for myself.
On the way back to Yerevan we decided to travel along an excellent new road connecting Meghri to the north end of Kapan that was just constructed--I think it was unveiled last year. Most of this road actually existed in another less-traveled form, as we determined from the ancient, abandoned villages as well as a church we came across. The part of the road from Meghri into the mountains located behind the left side of the town is about 20 or 30 kilometers long, perhaps more. That entire stretch was lined with craggy, crumbling cliffs and hills, with no vegetation of any kind. And there were no cars on the road at all, which was eerie. It seemed as if we weren't about to reach the top after a while, especially when the fog rolled in. After we crossed over the peak of the mountains we were caught up in thick fog, but it cleared up after about 20 minutes or so. As soon as it dissipated we were amazed by the forests of the Shikahogh Reserve we found ourselves in the midst of. Soon we reached civilization--a few small obscure villages with odd names that have probably been there for centuries, one of them called Tsav, which just happens to mean "pain" in Armenian. We stopped just outside of the village to pick rosehips and wild blackberries--fun to do but nevertheless a bit hazardous with the thorns prickling you every time you reach into the bramble.
It's odd that Meghri is not frequented often by tourists, particularly Armenian ones, since it is such a lovely, laid back and picturesque town. Misha told us that this year his business has been especially slow. Finding accommodations in Meghri is certainly not a problem with a simple Google search. Strange that the Armenian tourism industry didn't exploit the pomegranate consumption craze in the US by luring people to go down there. Pomegranate and persimmon trees abound--every single home in Meghri has them growing in the yard, along with figs, grapes, even kiwis.
Ideally, autumn is the best time to go there--the weather is quite warm and humid as well. But plan on being in Meghri for at least two days to understand what paradise in a landlocked rocky country is really like.
Photos by Christian Garbis
Labels: Architecture, Armenian Churches, Nature, Personal Experiences, Photography, Travel
The Armenian Weekly just published an article that I wrote about the current political climate in Armenia, which I ordinarily do not discuss on this blog, and I mention what the Armenian opposition is doing (or rather not doing) about stopping the protocols.
I have been trying to refrain from focusing on political issues on this blog because I wanted to get away from politics here, redirecting readers to my other blog, Footprints, which is sponsored by Hetq Online. But I will just mention here briefly that I think the protocols are detrimental to Armenia's statehood and the future of the Armenian nation for several reasons.
In any case, if Armenian politics doesn't bore you, please read the article and check out Footprints. Feel free to write whatever is on your mind either for or against the protocols in the comments section below.
Labels: Politics, Social and Cultural
On Saturday I finally made the leap to invest in "fast" Internet access from home. As anyone who has worked in Yerevan knows, Internet can be painfully slow in Armenia and at times unreliable, although connectivity has become more stable of late. For years I was using a Beeline dial-up connection, which has become progressively worse especially in the last six months. Simply opening the Notes From Hairenik blog could take three minutes or more, depending on the connection speed and traffic congestion. I've also been able to use fast wireless connections off and on during the last five years by picking up WiFi signals in Yerevan. An office across the street had an open wireless network that wasn't password protected and Anush and I were able to tap in successfully by placing our laptops on the window sill--until it went offline about two months ago. Many Yerevan cafes and restaurants offer free WiFi service but I've never tried it since I prefer not to lug my laptop around when walking across town.
The problem with home ADSL or even cable connections in Armenia has always been price. Costs vary depending on connection speed naturally and even download limitations--many services cap out download data transfers at 1GB per month, and if you go over that limit the Internet service provider adds an extraordinarily high price tag per downloaded megabyte.
Beeline (formerly ArmenTel) offers Internet access starting at 8000 dram ($22) for a 128 kbps download speed (upload is 64 kbps, something to do with server overload issues--I heard that uploads are conducted via a pricey satellite link), which is considered a very good rate. Compared with rates in the US where you can get a line with a speed of 1 mbps for the same price, their cost of service seems absurd--then again, this is Armenia. But because their network is so jammed and their resources are tied up, Beeline will not service homes or offices in Yerevan that have six-digit phone numbers starting with "54," so we were out of luck.
Another Internet service provider in Armenia named iCON Communications just started offering wireless Internet access at virtually the same rates for residences and offices alike. The only difference is that iCON employs a new revolutionary wireless technology called WiMAX as a long-distance data stream medium rather than relying on conventional telephone landlines, as DSL employs. WiMAX allows for "broadband" Internet access remotely from various districts in Yerevan where transmitters are situated. They gave us a wireless desktop modem to use--other alternatives include a PCMCIA slot modem for laptops or even a USB stick modem, which means you can access the Web from anywhere in the city where a signal is detected. The modem they lent us with a required deposit fee works like a DSL modem in that you need an Ethernet cable to connect to your desktop computer or laptop--mine being a MacBook Pro and Anush's an Acer.
When powering up the modem for the first time it takes about 10 minutes or so for it to hone in on the signal. Once the green LEDs tell you that you have a full reception, you're pretty much set to go. We had to activate the service on our end using a username and password via a Web browser and that was it.
The next step is to buy a wireless router to set up a WiFi network in our apartment so we can get online from any room. As things stand now we're taking turns checking e-mail, connecting to the modem with a 5-meter long cord that I am bound to trip on, klutz that I am. But seeing as routers sell for around $70 and up for discontinued models in Yerevan computer stores, I'm most likely going to purchase a current model at half the price and bring it back with me on the next trip to the States.
Web services are expensive in Armenia because Internet access is for the most part still a monopoly controlled by Arminco/Beeline. But Vivacell offers 3G Internet connectivity for compatible wireless devices, and it's just a matter of time before the French telecommunications company Orange starts to offer services in Armenia with its own 3G network. So Internet prices are bound to fall, but the question is how low.
Labels: IT in Armenia
My plan was to write a short message in celebration of Armenian independence day accompanied by a photo of flying tri-color national flags or kids waving them in hand, but I couldn’t find any, save for some small faded striped squares hanging from wires supporting the electric trolley lines on the main avenues in downtown Yerevan. I find it bizarre that there are virtually no visible signs that Armenia is celebrating its 18th year of independence in the capital. There will be some sort of musical event this evening it appears on Republic Square judging from the stage being erected, and there’s bound to be a fireworks show, which I suppose is fine for young and old alike. But to see no flags flying anywhere is quite strange, especially at main intersections where traffic is notably high.
In any case…
May the Republic of Armenia prosper, self reliant and financially sound, with secured borders on all fronts. May its territorial integrity never be compromised, with stable, controlled access to points east and west under its own sovereignty. Here’s hoping for a steadfast, illustrious future for its citizens with the integrity of their statehood intact, their heads held high and proud that they as a nation are in control of their own destiny and prosperity. Let Armenians earn the justice they rightfully deserve, refusing to succumb to pretensions that they can only survive while reliant on the disingenuous overtures of its immediate mendacious neighbors.
Let Armenia be.
In any case…
May the Republic of Armenia prosper, self reliant and financially sound, with secured borders on all fronts. May its territorial integrity never be compromised, with stable, controlled access to points east and west under its own sovereignty. Here’s hoping for a steadfast, illustrious future for its citizens with the integrity of their statehood intact, their heads held high and proud that they as a nation are in control of their own destiny and prosperity. Let Armenians earn the justice they rightfully deserve, refusing to succumb to pretensions that they can only survive while reliant on the disingenuous overtures of its immediate mendacious neighbors.
Let Armenia be.
Labels: Politics, Thoughts and Musings
As a follow-up to a previous post on my blog about the Armenian mafia culture and the "Mafia Complex" that I noted back in March, I can say that despite the economic downturn that has hit most of the world during the last 12 months, the supposed "financial crisis" that Armenia has been suffering from is not apparent, namely in central Yerevan. Construction is continuing despite a reported downturn. The number of luxury SUVs and brand new Japanese passenger cars that are sold in dealerships established here is ever increasing. And the emergence of young whippersnappers (aka, the Apero) acting tough and racing their cars dangerously, especially in the evening when traffic is light, is more prevalent than ever before. Meanwhile upscale clothing stores, gift shops and trendy posh restaurants keep opening. All this while the socioeconomic conditions in the regions is ever stagnating.
So what is being reported by the Central Bank of Armenia at least once a month doesn't correspond with reality. Due to the generosity of Russia and the World Bank close to $1 billion in foreign aid has already entered the country, so you can just imagine where some of that cash is going. And people love the mafia shows (namely "Vorogayit" and "Gyanki Kinuh," or the "The Price of Life")--they're even shown in some cafés.
So this is the reality here, and if you live in the midst Armenian society you just have to become accustomed to it by not letting it get to you. There's really nothing that can be done about the transformation of society and the uppity, haughty attitudes that some people have towards others nowadays. This wasn't the case just a few years ago, but now that people have more money to spend and are able to do "European remodeling" in their homes, they are forgetting their roots. Some are unfortunately not as down to earth as they once were.
Obviously you can't simply stay indoors to avoid mingling with these types. If you enjoy socializing and dining out, I recommend going to laid-back places like Pub Che, which can't be rivaled in terms of informality, The Club, Gusto, Café Central and Karma, a pretty good Indian restaurant. If you are looking for more lively atmospheres you can't go wrong with Stop Club, where you can hear great jazz, blues or rock on a nightly basis, and Red Bull pub, both of which are on the intersection of Moscovyan and Tumanyan Streets. All of these establishments are not frequented by people suffering from the Mafia Complex because they can't relate with the vibe and the more cultured clientele. Stop and Red Bull also practice face control. At another bar called Texas, the management keeps the door continuously locked and you have to ring a buzzer for them to let you in. It's bizarre, but it works for them and their customers.
So my advice to repats and expats wondering what the hell is going on in Armenian public life is to simply ignore what they see or hear. Go out and have fun, and don't let anyone spoil your mood.
Labels: Personal Experiences
Former Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian has written an excellent article, which eloquently summarizes the perils of the protocols slated to be signed by Armenia and Turkey in about five weeks. It appeared on the Web site of The Civilitas Foundation, which he founded. I have always respected Mr. Oskanian for his tireless efforts in determining the best solutions for regional stability that would be in Armenia's favor, not against its interests. He is certainly light years ahead of his successor, Edvart Nalbandian, who every day is incrementally demonstrating his incompetency and reckless nature.
Here's some snippets:
Even when signed, these protocols merely tell us Turkey’s willingness to enter into diplomatic relations and to open the border. The open border will become reality only after eventual parliament ratification.But whether ratified or not, Turkey will still have received what it wanted. When signed, this protocol gives Turkey the opportunity to tell the world that Armenians have in fact conceptually relinquished territorial claims and are also ready to offer the genocide for bilateral study, therefore no third-party involvement, recognition or condemnation is in order.***However, an equal risk in this document is the unwritten one. The link to Nagorno Karabakh. Unwritten perhaps, but clearly spoken at every turn are the repeated, continuing, unabated, undiminished affirmations of the highest Turkish and Azerbaijani officials who insist that Turkey will continue to defend the interests of Azerbaijan and nothing will be done, no border will open, until the Nagorno Karabakh settlement process begins to move in a direction that suits Azerbaijan.
You can read the entire article here.
Labels: Politics
On Footprints, a blog about Armenian news and issues sponsored by Hetq Online, I’ve published my thoughts and opinions about the protocols that are anticipated to be signed by Armenia and Turkey in about five weeks. Regular followers of Notes From Hairenik can already guess that I am not happy with the provisions of the protocols and the negative implications they will undoubtedly have for Armenia if they are ratified. You can read my critique of the first protocol here and the second protocol here.
Labels: Politics
I just came back from a intimate meeting of bloggers hosted by the British Council at its offices here in Yerevan. They invited me and about 10 other Armenian bloggers to chat with author Iain Dale of Iain Dale's Diary.
Iain's blog mostly presents his opinions and insight on British political news items, so I am unfamilar with most of the topics that are covered there unfortuately. It was a pleasure hearing what he had to share with us about his own experiences with blogging since 2002, and it was great to be part of an exchange between fellow Armenian bloggers for sure. There hasn't been many opportunities for me to actually see other bloggers based in Armenia mainly due to lack of time so it was well worth going there to meet everyone.
If you happen to be fascinated by political events, rumors and gossip in the UK, you should definitely check out Iain's site if you haven't already--it can be found here.
Labels: Personal Experiences
Last Saturday I traveled to Jermuk with my friend Karen and his father, also my proxy dad, Sergey Minasian. Karen's cousin on his mother's side, who's named Sako (a substantial young man), also came along to lead the way to his brother's camp high in the mountains above the resort town of Jermuk, located in the Vayots Dzor region in southern Armenia.
The winding dirt road starts from downtown, near the "Mayr Kordzaran" mineral water bottling factory. It leads to the largely symbolic metal statue of a deer (since they've all but disappeared from the area, most likely at the hands of poachers) that overlooks the town, then continues onward. The farther you go up, the more precarious the road becomes. This is strictly a 4 x4 road, as you need a substantially large, powerful vehicle to trek up the mountain. No ordinary Lada can manage. My Niva was adequate, but a Vilis is the most suited vehicle for these types of roads where asphalt was never laid. At certain points it was necessary to take detours since the surface was less perilous, but only slightly. Many spots of the road were mired with thick, deep mud pools in which some rather large rocks were completely hidden. I managed to land the bottom of my Niva on one hard despite driving at a turtle's pace. During the journey we crossed three mountain spring brooks and struggled through several fields of rocks. It was an amazing, thrilling experience. I don't remember ever breaking into a sweat while driving anywhere before that day.
We finally made it to the camp about 40 minutes later from the foot of the mountain--a gruelling 8 kilometer ride. The moment we arrived we all realized that the struggle was worth it, as you can imagine from the photos.
Sako's brother, Valodya, has been tending sheep for about 10 years, mostly in the Jermuk mountains. He tends to 600 sheep with some hired hands to assist him. Six dogs, all Kampers, are always on watch for intruders, and at night they keep the wolves at bay. He has four donkeys, one of them only a few months old, to haul equipment and supplies and at least two horses for nimble transportation. He's only 31 years old, very enthusiastic and optimistic. He loves what he does and can't imagine doing anything else. Home is a gigantic canvas tent, in which they all eat, rest and sleep. A woman looks after them and makes sure they're well fed. There's a gas stove for cooking and a wood-burning stove for keeping warm and heating water in a tank that holds about 40 liters. In another month they will start making their way to the Ararat valley on foot with the sheep to keep them in a shed. The sheep will start mating soon, and lambs will be born at the beginning of the year.
Just before we arrived with kilos of eggplants, peppers, tomatoes and watermelon along with six bottles of vodka, some beer and Fanta, they had already slaughtered a young sheep for us, half of which was barbecued in our presence while the other half was stewed for several hours. Nearby is a spring where all the washing is done and drinking water is fetched. The water was pristine and very cold, enough to cool down the watermelon and beverages just fine. Naturally we ate very well. Sergey and I were very moved not only by their hospitality but with the fervor and persistence they worked in tough conditions. They are real, hard-working men dedicated to the land.
When it was already time to head down the mountain Sergey pleaded with me that Sako take the wheel, since he supposedly had a better command of the roads and is an "expert Niva driver," whatever that means. We were on our way to a outdoor hot springs bath, hidden in a gorge between two high, craggy forested hills. The road is indeed rough going, but Sako decided to drive as slow as a snail. Painfully slow. There wasn't a need since the Niva easily cruised over many the rocks at 5-10 km an hour when I was driving up, but for him, the slower, the better.
Before we left Sergey asked about 10 times exactly how far the hot springs were, and he was always told that it was "right there" as they pointed far into the distance. We found out nearly an hour later that "right there" meant about 10 km over rocks, rivers and mud. Valod and three of his sheepherder neighbors led the way on horseback while we crawled along behind them. As we made our descent into the forested gorge we found it was nearly impossible to go. At one point the rocky road was intercepted by tiny streams of water. Then we came upon two rivers, one of which we managed to make it through, while the second one was way too deep, with a depth of several feet so we parked the Niva and continued on foot. (I tested the depth by simply wading in the water and immediately ruled that it was impassable.) To cross that river it was necessary to step over a series of stones at a narrow part that I found several feet to the left behind some trees. At the one that followed I simply walked across, although my jeans were soaking just below the knee. The others naturally made it across on horseback without difficulty, taking Sergey and Sako along with them. I've never ridden on a horse in my life and was not about to learn that day.
The treacherous trek turned out to be worth it. Just last night while reminiscing with Sergey he concluded that the water must have been at body temperature, because we didn't feel hot nor cold while in the water. It made sense, because the temperature was indeed perfect. There is a natural shallow tub formed over the course of possibly hundreds of years from mineral deposits that can comfortably accommodate four people. Into the tub flows a steady stream of mineral water bubbling from a hole beneath the rock formation there. Every six minutes or so water under high pressure gushes upward, with a jacuzzi-like effect. The water was a bit salty and metallic tasting, very similar if not identical to the water you can drink at the public fountains in the center of town. There were tiny chunks of mineral deposits floating in the water, and when I emerged I realized that I was lightly covered with them. We realized just how cold it was out there while we were struggling to put on our clothes as quickly as possible.
On our way back I managed to slip on a stone in the middle of a shallow river and fell on my left side. Luckily I wasn't injured except for a minor scrape on my ankle, but half of me was completely soaked. Then I noticed that my trusty Austrian walking shoes that I had purchased 10 years ago from the Tannery in Harvard Square were disintegrating (a master shoe repairman in Yerevan subsequently managed to bring them back to life). I shrugged it off and kept walking because I didn't care. We all wanted to be there, but we also had to make it back to the city.
I began to panic that we had already burned most of the gasoline in the tank and the sun had already gone down. But later when we reached level ground I realized when looking at the gauge that we had at least 15 liters left in the tank, more than enough for a 100 km long ride. Sako got us out of there and then down to the Jermuk reservoir. We said our goodbyes and gave thanks to our hosts before we descended. It was a remarkable, emotional and adventurous day that will always remain with me.
Photos by Christian Garbis
Labels: Architecture, Armenian Churches, Nature, Personal Experiences, Photography, Travel
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