Hello Armenia

So, you may be wondering, what did we do today? Well, we drove and we drove, and we waited in lines. But ultimately, here we are, in a new country, Armenia.

Partial view of the Soviet style town of Dilijan, Armenia

Upon leaving Sighnaghi we had to return to downtown Tbilisi to retrieve our car documents to enter Armenia. That cost us a considerable amount of time. Then, having reached the border, we had to put up with the expected bureaucracy, handing our passports to three different guards, each of whom checked the validity of all our documents, and ultimately standing in a long line to receive the blessings of the Customs office who cleared us for entry. But it wasn’t over. The next stop was at the local insurance coverage to purchase protection for the car, which is mandatory in Armenia, but not covered by the Georgian rental company.

Leaving Georgia

Entering Armenia

Having said this, we reached our home for the next couple of days, the Casanova Boutique Hotel in the town of Dilijan, by dinnertime. There are few pictures taken today, mostly at this hotel, which is set in lush and beautiful grounds, and some in town.

The views on the way were spectacular. This is mountain country, with many National Parks all around. Alas there was hardly any opportunity to take any pictures as the curvy roads allowed little in the way of chances to pull over.

So, since there are few pictures, I would like to offer my take on this area of the world, hoping it may be of interest to you.

Both Georgians and Armenians are extremely private people. At first, it is quite off-putting, as you are rarely greeted with a smile. Almost everyone seems to have a chip on their shoulder. If you ask someone a question, they will answer it as briefly as possible, then turn their glance elsewhere as if to say “OK, I’m done with you, now go”. 

Eclectic old yard in Dilijan

At first, I’d get really annoyed, but then I realized that such is their nature. They are not a people that partake in idle chat or niceties with a stranger. However, this is not indicative of whether they are nice or not. There has been more than one example of someone that was very detached when first approached, but seemed to be a totally different person, very much more pleasant, if we had a second or third encounter.

Of course, we’ve been in Armenia less than a full day, but Eric and I have already reached a few conclusions. Armenia is much more “Russian” than its northern neighbor. Here almost everyone speaks Russian, drives Soviet old Ladas, and lives in old Soviet style block housing. Along the road we saw hundreds of old factories of the Soviet era that are now closed down and are just lying there as a flaw in the otherwise majestic environment. On the other hand, Georgia seems to have all but closed with Russia and are looking to Europe as their ideal. European union flags fly all over Tbilisi but are a rare sight (we have yet to see one) in Armenia.

Then there is the issue of borders. Georgia has friendly relations with all of their neighbors, but Armenia has closed borders with two of their neighbors, Azerbaijan and Turkey. They are on friendly terms only with Georgia and Iran, which is about 40 miles away from where we are. They maintain a close relation with Russia, and much trade, but to reach Russia they have to cross Georgia, as there is no natural border. Most of the trucks standing in wait to cross the border, as I had mentioned in another post, are from Armenia. Eric and I have been wondering what would happen to the substantial Armenian Russian trade if Georgia ever decided to close its border with its northern neighbor. Their economy would probably collapse.

Political relations fascinate me, and this area offers so much intrigue for one to delve into. As I had said once before, travel is an open book, and I’m so glad to have had the opportunity to read so many of its pages. Enough for now. Good night my friends.