Yeghegnadzor

Armenia

October 19, 2012 

Dear Friends and Neighbors around the World, 

In southern Armenia, I am determined to get a glimpse of Lake Sevan.   And maybe have a coffee on the shores.   I accomplish both goals, but in a surprising manner. 

I drive north from Yeghegnadzor, through the Yeghegis Valley and then through the Selim Mountains, over the Selim Pass (2410m – 7907 ft).  As I descend from the pass I have my first sighting of Lake Sevan.   In the distance the water seems an unusual shade of light blue.

Lake Sevan is the largest lake in Armenia and the Caucasus region.  It is one of the largest fresh-water high-altitude lakes in the world (1900m - 6234 ft above sea level).  The lake itself is 940 km² – 363 sq mi and the volume is 34.0 billion cubic meters.  This is a very big lake, and one of the three so-call “great lakes” of the old Armenian Kingdom.  Lake Van is now in eastern Turkey and Lake Urmia is in northwestern Iran.They are referred to as the seas of Armenia in ancient Assyrian sources.

The town of Martuni sits astride Lake Sevan but the shore is not visible from town.  I pull into the town square, unfold my map to ask directions.  Mind you, I don’t speak a word of Armenian, but I hope that the map and my gestures will overcome any difficulty. 

A middle-aged man approaches my car and I “explain" the problem.  He points me in the proper direction.  I thought that he indicated that down the road I would find a traffic circle or an intersection at which point I would turn right towards the lake. 

(I exaggerate a bit regarding my non-existent language skills.   I do know six words in Russian including how to say “right” and “left” and everyone in the Caucasus speaks some Russian.)

I drive down the road, and down the road, and down the road.  When I get to the next town I figure I missed my turn.   Just as I am about to make a U-turn, I spot flashing lights in the rear view mirror.   The lights are insistent.  There are no police markings or any official designations on the car behind me so I am hesitant to stop.   Some bystanders on the street also signal me to pull over, so I do.

Who approachs my car?  To my surprise, the man from the town square!  

Apparently he watched my progress when I left him and saw that I missed the turn, or else he just followed me.  He indicated, with a big smile, that I should turn around and follow him to the lake.    

My guide stays with me at the lake while I take my photos.  I think that I should compensate him in some way for his help.  But he is driving a late model Volvo, not a taxi, and he is quite well dressed.  I decide that I will insult him if I offer him money.   So instead, I suggest we go back to town and have a coffee or a drink.   He absolutely refuses! 

In a firm but friendly tone I understand him to ask me to follow him again.  At the very end of his explanation he uses a word "dom" that I deduced might mean “home.”  So I follow him through town to the entrance of his home.  

My new friend must have phoned his wife en route because she greets me at the door, leads me into a spacious sitting room, and offers Armenian coffee and a platter of fresh fruit!  

So, let me introduce my new friends, Ashot and Rima Hakobyan.   They live here in Martuni and have one son and two daughters.  They are proud to announce that their elder daughter is married and living with her husband and young son in Madrid. 

We have a delightful time together, especially when we determin that Rima and I know a little German.  When she serves a plate of a multi-layered pastry, I ask, “Selbstgemacht?”  Home made?  She explains that her neighbor had baked the cake. 

For about an hour we discuss family, professions, travels, age!, and a variety of personal statistics.  It was clear that Rima and Ashot are pleased to entertain me, even excited to have me as their guest.

Then comes another surprise.  Rima goes to her computer and using Skype she starts a video chat with her daughter Angelica in Spain.  Rima insists I also speak with her.   So I did, in Spanish!  We discuss family and travels.  Angelica mentions she thought my Spanish was excellent.  

As I am leaving, reluctantly for all of us, Rima asks if I have a Facebook account.  I gave her the details. 

 Ashot points me to the route out of town and this time I succeed.   I drive up the mountains and through the Selim Pass once again.  And just as I clear the pass, I find another symbol of hospitality, but this one is centuries old:  the Selim Caravanserai built in 1332. 

In the Middle Ages, the caravanserai were placed along the overland trade routes.  They provided room and board for the merchants and their beasts of burden.  They are spaced about 40k – 25 mi apart or about a day’s journey.  (Think Holiday Inns today on an Interstate highway.) 

The Selim Caravanserai displays lovely exterior sculptures and inscriptions attesting to the contributions of the local rulers and builders. (Sculptires include a Chimera and an Ancient or Mythological Bull. * The chamber has a central trough for water and “beds” carved from the stone for the animals, large and small. 

The Caravanserai or Orbelian’s Caravanserai, at Vayots Dzor has a spectacular view of the mountain valley below.  Travelers surely appreciated and welcomed the hospitality of this formidable rest stop.  

I also welcome the sight of my Guest House when I return to Yeghegnadzor.  My hosts are generous and the dinner they prepare for me is the perfect ending after a long day’s drive.

After dinner I turn on my computer to check my mail.  The final surprise of the day?  Angelina in Madrid wants to be my “friend” on Facebook! 

Staying connected,

Jan

PS I learned later that  Ashot and Rima decided to spend part of their time with their family in Madrid.  We all continue to send messages.  In Spanish!

* Traditionally, the chimera is considered evil because of her destructive powers and her origin from a lineage of monsters. This representation echoes the ancient Greeks' fear of the unknown and the unnatural.

The "ancient bull" can refer to several significant bulls in mythology and ancient cultures.