Monday, May 14, 2012

On the way to Evelyn's village Vardenis, there's a gas station that consists of 4 cans of gas on the side of the road.

Yerevan city transport is a small bus called a marshutni. You can stand in line for a mini bus, small bus, large city type bus, van size, rattle trappy, and also used from China bus. No telling what will pull up with your route number on it.

Some cars have gas tanks (think propane type) in the trunks. At a gas station, the attendant fills it from a special pump. You must be out of the car. When done, everyone opens windows to air out the fumes.

Our taxi being re-fueled.

Some of the city buses have gas tanks on the roof.

Brian, you'll be getting some of these coffee beans.
They cost 2000 dram for a 2# bag.


We saw a vendor hauling his wares in a wagon made out of a folded up buggy. 
Another man was pulling a homemade horse watering trough with wheels attached.

There are 96 peace corps volunteers (PCVs) in Armenia right now.
The next group comes in a week for 2 years. The current 2 year group goes home in July and August.
Evelyn's Peace Corps office where her bosses work in downtown Yerevan.

Soccer is big in Armenia. There's a huge stadium in Yerevan. 
In Evelyn's first village, kids were playing soccer in a playground with no grass at all.

Seems to be a shortage of deodorant here. Smell was strong at first in the taxi. 
Then we must have gotten used to it.

Visited Freedom Square in Yerevan. Consists of government buildings and a Marriott Hotel. 
Every night there's a fountain light show for 2 hours with music played over a loud speaker and water "dances" in time to the music with lots of color.

Fountain Light Music Show

There's a lot of garbage in the gorges, rivers with lots of dirt, rock and cement in the poorer sections. 

We toured the first christian church in Echmiadzin, built in 301. There's a seminary there where men come from all over the world to learn. It is said that Thaddeus and Bartholomew came here to spread the gospel.

My friend David. 
He started telling me something about Obama and my guide told me he didn't like him. 
I told him I didn't like him either, and he became my friend.

Echmiadzin Church


 Potty stop anyone? At least you didn't have to pay 100 dram to use it like most places. 
At one stop, the girl even doled out the tp. She expected a tip, but we were just finlanders. 
How were we supposed to know?

New testament written and illustrated by hand who wrote until she lost her eyesight. 
The book pages are about 8.5x11 each. This was in the museum at this church and is unfinished.

Also here was a relic (something of religious importance) from Noah's ark. Also: a relic (piece of clothing) from a religious person from china who spread christianity, and relics (metal hand with arm bones inside) showing religious gesture from other important religious people.