This seems like so long ago, this will be a short article. I finally did get to Sisian about a week ago if I remember correctly. It was a long ride in a marshrutka (mini-van) and I didn't know if we'd have any stops so I didn't drink any water for hours before the trip. Luckily, we did stop at a little oasis with a restaurant. AAAHHHH!!!!
A sweet grandmotherly lady (of course she was probably my age) invited me to have some lavash, cucumber, an herb I don't know the name of yet and chicken. How sweet of her. She said, "Nestek, nestek, ker (sit, sit, eat). I shared my olives and chocolate with her and some of the others.
The minivan didn't actually stop in Sisian but went on to Goris. When I realized what was happening, I sent a message up to the driver. It was a project taken on by all 15 people in the van. The driver dropped me off at the next exit and we all waved good-bye. The very first vehicle to come by stopped for me. It was a big blue truck driven by a very polite young man named Lenik. He was so polite, he would even stop the truck so I could get a drink of water. He drove me to the Hotel Dinah where I was staying and even grabbed my backpack and carried it.
I went to Zorats Karer that evening. This is the stonehenge that is older than England's and dates to the bronze age. My pictures aren't great, but it was stunning there. Many of the rocks have holes bored in them to observe events in the sky.
The next day, I hired a driver who took me to Tatev, an incredible fortress-monastery perched on the edge of a nearly vertical gorge of the Voratan River. Again, my pictures won't do it justice. It takes a helicopter or airplane.
I did take a fantastic hike down to a ruined fortress-monastery called Andapad. It was about an hour to hike in and there was absolutely no one there but the cows and I. I played my duduk in the church. The monks cells are about 6 feet wide by 12 feet long with a little place to build a fire with a stone chimney. It must have been incredibly cold in the witner.
I left Sisian the next day. I was the only tourist in town and was actually getting a little tired of being stared at. It's just natural I know, but I was getting tired of being on the road so left for Yerevan the next day. Of course, after getting to Yerevan and being there for a day and a half, I was ready to hit the road again. See my next article about Dilijan and Sisian.
Love to all of you,
Hajortsyun,
Bob
