Day 33: 24th June, 2012- Yerevan, Armenia

Opera House in Yerevan, Armenia

2.30 p.m. : I will leave for opera house and Keltron (City Centre) at 3.00 p.m. This morning I used my electric kettle for a hot cup of tea in the morning. At 9.00 a.m. all went down to 1st Floor for breakfast. It was very elaborate. Meat Cutlets, boiled lentils in one plate, Butter cheese, bread and chappatis (rumali type), tomatos, apricots, capsicum and cucumber all raw, cornflakes and Musali Milk and Coffee. I could eat a little only. There is no rice dish like Pilao in Georgia and Armania.
The Grandmother was sitting sometimes in front of me urging to eat a little more. Her husband’s photo is hung on the mantle. When I asked about Sr. Boris, who was a Prof. of Maths and this woman’s husband her eyes brimmed with tears. I came up and since then sleeping, going to sit on the internet probably.

Open Art Exhibition in Yerevan

Boris has come now. He was sleeping and I don’t think he is a very responsible person. It must be his grandfather who made reputation for this home. I gave 2100 dram to him for my three days stay. I went out at 3.00 p.m. I boarded bus No.46 for opera which was 15-20 minutes drive.  Driver told me to get down at opera. I started walking and found a park, a building and lots of paintings with artist sitting or display in open on the pathways. There was a statue of a famous artists of Russia from Armania, Syraan. I admired paintings which were really nice. I also complimented an artist who got really happy and shook hands with me. In sometime it started to drizzle and all of them started packing. I took a picture of a painting of Mt. Ararat and small Ararat. 

It was not possible to see these mountains today as the day was not clear. Then I crossed the road and opera house which is the landmark of Yerevan was there. It is a circular building, quite large. There were benches on one side to sit. In fact benches are everywhere in Tbilisi and here. There were many pubs and coffee houses.They’re small but expensive. 3000 dram for a cup of coffee. I walked and found a couple of phone shops. One was Beehive. Before leaving today, I charged my phone and camera. I went to Beehive shop. The sim card was for 400 dram and I put extra money of 600 dram.  Total I paid 1000 dram. Of course, passport was shown and recorded. Then I walked to what is called the downtown and returned to the Bus Stand where I calculated the Bus for my stop will come. Mini Bus or Muskoota No.46 came and I sat in it. I came in from my stand. Now it went off to some other place and stopped. It was its last stop. Now the real exploration started. I knew that is Olympic Stadium next to my stand of Supermarket or Zargo Restaurant. No one knew the Stadium.  This was a wholesale plastic market. Someone directed me to a nearby Stadium but it was different. Then I came across a person and showed him the photograph of the stadium which I took last evening. It is Hausmalir, he exclaimed. He directed me to go to the Bus Stop again. I tried to recall Hausmalir. Then Bus No.88 came and I asked Hausmalir. Driver nodded and I got in. Got down after crossing the bridge where there was the stadium. After sometimes I slowly walked back to the home.  The old woman (Juneja) made a tea for me in a kettleI. I enjoyed the tea with biscuits. She kept on talking with few words of English and Russian. I came up to the Room and rested. Then sent a mail to everyone giving my phone number. 

Then went down to the backyard open area and sat on a revolving chair. I phoned Hamo who came with me yesterday from Tbilisi. He had given his phone number to me. He was in the Stadium and will reach home in half an hour. Boris came and said hello.  Then his friends came. I came up to the room and phoned Hamo to come. He came in about 10 minutes and we sat on the ground floor area. After some chat he asked me how he can help in Yerevan. I asked him to accompany me tomorrow and day after. I will pay his expenses also which will not be much. He was happy with the proposal and readily agreed. He will come tomorrow at 10 a.m. Then he went away. I came up and gave a packet of noodles bought in Tbilisi to the old woman. She boiled it and brought butter with the noodles. I ate noodles, tomatoes, bread with butter and a small piece of green chilli which is very hot. Today the weather is warmer as compared to yesterday. I surfed the internet and now watching England-Italy Football Euro 2012 match. It is 11.50 p.m now.