Postcards from Armenia
Hey all, we have had an amazing week exploring Armenia from our base towns of Vanazdor in the north and Yeghegnadzor in the south. After taking an overnight train from Georgia (with a much more friendly border crossing) we made a brief stop in Yerevan and then headed up to Vanadzor a rather quaint little city overshadowed by a massive chemical plant which, now abandoned gives the place a rather rust(ic) feel. We stayed with a lovely family who again gave us very large breakfasts and then set out to explore the series of beautiful monasteries in and around the Debed canyon.
The first day we headed to Alaverdi, a lovely mountain town tucked away in a valley by a river...with a copper plant next to it. We caught an aging cable car used by the miners to the top of the valley (sorry mum) and then walked up to the Sanahin Monastery past staring locals, excited school children and a cow going through a bin...i lol'd. The monastery was lovely and in the cemetary i especially liked the practice of engraving the picture of the person who was burried there on the tomb stone.
the aforementioned cow
The Sanahin monastery and graveyard
Next we headed down the cable car and up the other side of the valley and away from the smokey reminder of the copper plant to Haghpat Monestery. This is another UNESCO listed monestery and the view from the top was breathtaking. We were greeted enthusiastically by the priest there who introduced himself as Father Azbek who not only spoke perfect english but had served in Australia and gave us a personal tour. I think he must have been getting a bit bored up there as once we had finished he invited us both back to the vicarage for coffee and chocolates....
