Jan 22 - Day of Adventure

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KHOR VIRAP MONASTERY

This monastery is located in the Ararat plain, ie at the base of Mt. Ararat, which is reputably where the story of Noah's Ark took place. It is the largest flat part in the country, making it an agricultural center. We saw lots of sheep!

Pointing to Mt. Ararat

The monastery is prominent because it is where Gregory the Illuminator, who led the Armenian Christian movement, was believed to be imprisoned. We visited both of the dungeons underneath the church.



Inside the chapel, I noticed that the women covered their hair with shawls. This is not something I've seen done in Catholic / Protestant churches, but I believe it is also common in Orthodox churches. We came in as mass began. Someone rang the bells and several women began singing beautifully (basically like trained singers) as another played an electric organ (basically a keyboard). 

ARAT RESERVOIR

In the spring, this reservoir fills up from the rain, while in the winter, it fills up up with melted snow. However, the reservoir is particularly dry this year due to the unusually warm winter.

GARNI TEMPLE

The only pagan temple that was saved from destruction during the Armenian Christian movement. There was also a royal bath house with a mosaic from the 4th century. 

Along the way, we also saw gas pipes connected above the ground. They were constructed after the collapse of the USSR, when Armenians needed gas quickly and cheaply. It is also arguably easier to maintain.

LUNCH

For lunch, we had Caesar salad, beet salad, and barbecued chicken and pork. I tried some Armenian coffee, which is brewed on the stove. It was way less bitter than I'm used to and quite smooth, almost like cold brew?? And like Turkish coffee, there are grounds at the bottom. From what I've heard, everyone makes it slightly different, bringing it to a boil different times, starting from hot or cold water, proportion of coffee grounds, etc. I also really enjoyed some dried fruits (plums, apricots, peaches, Cornelian cherries) that seemed to be rehydrated in sugar syrup?? (they were quite plump). The flavor of these fruits was rather different from the standard (Californian) dried fruit I'm used to.

GHEGARD MONASTERY

This monastery is dug into the side of the mountain and there were so many cool places to explore. There was also a fountain with "healing water" inside the church.






Also, we tried two types of giant gata.

  • One had a dough that had a some tang to it, like sour dough, which worked well to balance the thin layer of sweet filling. The filling was more custardy than I've had before (in the past it was just another layer of dough).
  • The other was more like a flaky sweet bread and the filling was perfumed with cinnamon and vanilla.
BYBLOS
For dinner, we had Lebanese food in Yerevan. 
  • Hummus, mutabbal (eggplant, tahini), muhmmara (bell peppers, walnuts, pomegranate molasses) - creamy and good olive oil!
  • Cheese borek - also fried here! Also herbs with the cheese (scallion and parsley)
  • Arnabit salad - cauliflower, veg, yogurt, tahini, served with grilled lemon. relatively acidic but balanced with roasted flavors
  • Fatteh aubergine - fried eggplant, lettuce, yogurt, crispy chips
  • Knafeh - cheese had some mastic mixed in?? Not very stretchy. Semolina instead of kataifi dough. rosewater

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