I had the honor over the past two weeks to not only enjoy the warming weather, but to enjoy it with my Dad and my Uncle. My uncle, Joe, arrived on March 21st and my dad followed on March 23rd. Over the time they were here we went to more than half the regions of Armenia exploring, creating fun inside jokes, took a train to Tbilisi, and really got to know the culture, the food and the alcohol. So before discussing a few highlights (accompanied by a ton of photos that were taken by all three of us) let me introduce you to the cool characters I got to spend my time with this past week.
Joe Lauer This is my Uncle Joe. In Armenia I need to specify that he is my "moryuckbirah" or my "Mother's Brother" since Mother's brother and father's brother have two different names. He currently lives in Japan teaching English and is an RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer) from Morocco. I've talked about him quite a bit on my blog before. Both when I was getting ready to leave and when I went to Morocco, since I stayed with his Arabic tutor and saw his site. After I leave Armenia, I plan on going to visit him for 10 days or so in Japan. |
Don Berg
This is my Dad! By the end of the trip, he was able to introduce himself in Armenian after we learned that "papa" was just as easily understood as "hyier." He rarely needed an introduction though since, especially in Noyemberyan, people remarked at how much we look alike. My favorite comment was "You have similar teeth!"
He lives with the rest of my family in Wisconsin, USA. Since we don't live in the same state in the US and can usually only see each other a few times a year, it was a real joy to get some extended, quality time together.
This is my Dad! By the end of the trip, he was able to introduce himself in Armenian after we learned that "papa" was just as easily understood as "hyier." He rarely needed an introduction though since, especially in Noyemberyan, people remarked at how much we look alike. My favorite comment was "You have similar teeth!"
He lives with the rest of my family in Wisconsin, USA. Since we don't live in the same state in the US and can usually only see each other a few times a year, it was a real joy to get some extended, quality time together.
Yerevan
We were in Yerevan a lot! Since it is a centralized location (and where the airport is) we used Yerevan as a launchpad. While in Yerevan we got to meet some of my friends and my boss, Stepan. We did a tour at the Ararat Brandy Factory and got to know the city very well. We walked to the top of the Cascade, strolled down Northern Avenue and enjoyed delicious meals with a luxury you can only get in the capital.
Yerevan had many highlights, but I think the best was the very first day my Dad was here. It was truly the first day of spring and despite a rainy morning, the skies parted and we had perfectly blue skies. We walked all around the city and ended at Tsitakanabert, the genocide memorial, that provided a perfect view of Mt. Ararat. I had never seen such a clear view. It was really remarkable.
Visiting Churches
I won't go into too much detail about all the churches we visited, especially since I just did an entire post about all the churches in Armenia, but I will share a few of the photos. Visiting ancient churches and Armenian tourism are synonymous. We had an excellent time and even though it was my second or third time to go to a few of these sites, I still really enjoyed it. They helped me see new things I hadn't noticed before at these beautiful places.
I do have one awesome story though! My Dad had requested to go to Khor Virap, a beautiful church (that did not make my cut in the "Churched Out" blog post) in the shadow of Mt. Ararat. On a clear day the view you get is breathtaking, but unfortunately we picked one of the gloomiest days to go. Even though we were about as close as you can get without passing into Turkey, we could see almost nothing. This didn't stop us from having a really memorable moment.
As we pulled into the parking lot of the church, our tour guide pointed out a man selling doves. He said that for 2,000 dram, we could buy a dove and set it loose along with our prayers. While we originally scoffed at the idea as we sat there looking at the dove, they convinced Joe first, then my Dad and finally myself. We bought the bird and with it in my Dad's hands, walked up to Khor Virap and released "Stanley" along with our prayers.
As we pulled into the parking lot of the church, our tour guide pointed out a man selling doves. He said that for 2,000 dram, we could buy a dove and set it loose along with our prayers. While we originally scoffed at the idea as we sat there looking at the dove, they convinced Joe first, then my Dad and finally myself. We bought the bird and with it in my Dad's hands, walked up to Khor Virap and released "Stanley" along with our prayers.
Only after we had thoroughly explored Khor Virap did we realize the significance of what we had done. In the Bible, there is the story of Noah who survived the great flood by building an ark. Once the flood was over, he knew there was land because he had sent out a dove that returned with an olive branch. Many believe that Noah probably landed at Mt. Ararat. So there in the shadow of where Noah landed, we released our own dove.
Tbilisi
Tbilisi has been a frequent travel place for me during my time in Armenia. Just 1.5 hours from Noyemberyan, it's easier to get to than Yerevan! As such, I've been there four times now! My usual Tbilisi schedule is just walk around Old Town, and that is where we stayed this time too but this was the first time I really felt like I "knew Tbilisi." We took a walking tour and did some previous research showing us the history of the area. We found some of the best views in the city from both Narikala Fortress and Cafe Flowers (on two different sides of the river.) It was a very fun and relaxing place to be in for a break from normal vacations.
Noyemberyan
Coming to Noyemberyan for two days was probably my favorite thing that we did. After all, this has been my home for almost two years now and getting to share it was amazing! We stayed at my house, and used the time there to meet all the people I've spent my time with over the past two years. During our time in Noy, we visited my work and the kindergarten where we were serenaded with the alphabet song. We ate some delicious homemade Armenian food, played with the girls and got to enjoy the company of the entire family. We were invited into strangers homes as we walked around the neighborhood and got to spend some time in my balcony where I have my most tranquil moments. This was the most important few days for me to share and it was everything I had hoped it would be.
Before wrapping up, I wanted to say my personal favorite thing about this trip. On top of getting to know them both better and spending genuine quality time with both of them, they came at the perfect time in my service; just when I am getting nostalgic. With them here I was able to talk about my future while sharing my past and present. I felt real pride in my adopted country as we gasped at it's beauty, ate it's food and talked about obscure cultural quirks and aspirations for it's future. It felt amazing being able share this world with them.
Sure, I get to share a little bit on here each week, but there's nothing like the real thing.
Sure, I get to share a little bit on here each week, but there's nothing like the real thing.