Day 34: 25th June, 2012- Yerevan, Armenia

Today’s breakfast was of boiled beans, bread, cheese, boiled rice, tomatoes, butter and coffee. Boiled Beans were tasty.  I came out of the house at 10 a.m. I am having very relaxed time here. Taking more than enough sleep. Water was lukewarm for bath but it was refreshing.

Birth place of Armenian Christian

Hamo came 5 minutes afterwards. He is tall and having athlete’s body. He is a good walker. We greeted and shook hands.  We went to the main road by another side road.  It was near. We took a Microbus 258 to the almost outside the Yerevan and then changed another  Bus for Etchmidzin. It was 250 dram each. This holy place is about 20 kms away from Yerevan passing through  many villages. Hamo is a good guide. He was practicing his English with me. We walked to the main church of which he told me the history. This was the first church in Christianity. Armenia  was the first area where Christianity was born and spread all over the world from here. Then walked to the home of the Chief of the Church who is also a powerful person in Armenian Church. This is like the Vatican of Armenia. There is a museum of Treasury. Today being  Monday, it was closed.  Now we walked to another church of Gyana who was a woman. There is a large school for priests. One could see them in black robes. All churches and buildings were in red stone. There are orchards around the church and a tap for drinking water.  Hamo kept on telling me to drink water as it was hot. My brown cap was left in the first Mini bus today. I have another in the room. Then we walked back almost 2 kms to two more churches. One was a small church and the other Hripseme is a UNESCO heritage. I was not feeling tired after walking so much. We went to the nearby bus stand where only public  Bus (big bus) stops. It was 1 p.m. when we returned to the Yerevan. It was good to take Hamo with me. Without him, I would not have understood anything of these important churches.

Armenian Church

At the Bus stop we ate one potato filled patty and a bottle of curd milk (lassi). Then we took another bus to near our place.  I thought of going to Indian Embassy instead of last day so earlier planned. Hamo talked to a few persons and so one knew the Dzorpi Street where Indian Embassy was located. I asked to the taxi whose driver can take us there. It was quite far from the place where we were thinking (near Hausmalir) and costed 800 dram. At the Embassy, we waited for sometime when someone from visa section came down. He thought that I have come with some problem. I gave him a bit of my mind that not everyone comes to Embassy for some problem only. He apologized and then took my card to the acting Ambassador or CDA Charge-de-Affairs, one Pankaj Saxena. He immediately called me. I left Hamo at the reception and went up to the Ambassor’s room. He greeted me and then we talked. He had also done trekking to Hemkund and valley of flowers in 1984 with YHAI. He asked me for coffee. I told him that my friend Hamo is also stilling at the reception. He also called him for coffee. I had Armenian coffee which is like Turkish Coffee in small cup.  

Pankaj Saxena is staying near to Bar House Street. He knew the area very well. I came to know from him that this is posh area of Yerevan. U.S. and Romania Embassy are here. Then he invited me to home for dinner with him tomorrow evening. His children are studying in Canada and will be coming Yerevan in holidays. He will come at 6.30 p.m. to the Boris House and also phone me. I thanked him and we then came out of the Embassy. Hamo was quite happy to meet the Acting Ambassador.  Now we walked to our place. It was drizzling when Hamo left me at my place.

We decided to meet at 8.40 a.m. and then go to Lake Seran and come back in the evening.

I rested in my room. Then Sudhanshu and Shashi called. We talked for long. I took the packet of noodles and gave to the Juneja for boiling. She offered me dinner of boiled potatoes with chicken and tomato cucumber salad with bread. It was tasty and I enjoyed eating instead of going to the restaurant or eating boiled noodles.  Then I worked on the internet for sometime.  One more diary I sent. But still 3-4 days is left. I will complete it today.

Yes, while waiting for the Bus, for Yerevan after seeing all the churches, one young person who was also sitting gave us one apricot each.  I told Hamo, this is our Prasad of being in the churches.