September 1^st 2022

Shulaveri, Georgia – Haghpat, Armenia

Miles: 40 (70km)

Miles total: 12’320 (19’830km)

Off to the border, we know what's going on, 5 weeks ago we entered Armenia via the same border crossing. Leaving Georgia; 5 minutes. Now the entry. Maryse has to go through customs separately in the building and I drive across the border in the vehicle. Somehow it takes a little long to check my passport and vehicle document. A second customs officer comes, I have to drive back and park the vehicle. I hear the word "Straf", in Russian fine. Confused, I follow the customs officer. Now I understand what a "fine" it is. We drove into a radar during our last visit to Armenia. 73 km/h in a 60 zone! So first off to the bank. The fine is just under 8$, that's OK ;-). Back to the car with the bank slip and I'm allowed to go through. Now pay the vehicle registration of 25$ and we are back in Armenia!

How could it be otherwise in Armenia; first stop a monastery :-). Built in the 13th century, Akhtala Monastery is one of the few orthodox monasteries in Armenia with large frescoes (paintings). 

September 2^nd – 3^rd 2022

Haghpat, Armenia

The main reason for our visit to the campsite is our jam-packed laundry bags and the somewhat musty bedding! And they even have a really good new washing machine that's clean, doesn't stink, all programs work and is freely accessible! A dream for every long-term traveler ;-). But it's not just the washing machine that's great, the campsite is also in a very nice location with a great view of the wide Debed Canyon. The only thing that takes a bit of getting used to are the many mobile homes ;-). First a group of Dutch and the next day a group of Germans, Swiss and Austrians. Both are guided motorhome trips with around 10 vehicles each, which travel together for 2-3 months to Turkey, Georgia, Armenia and Iran. Of course, we also visit the well-known monastery located in the village of Haghpat, the first of three Unesco World Heritage listed Armenian monasteries. Incidentally, in most monastic complexes in Armenia only the church and a few side buildings are left; Monks no longer live there.

In the monastery complex of Haghpat there is a large church from the 10th century, a library, a wine cellar, a bell tower and some smaller chapels. Very characteristic of Armenian churches is the large porch (gavit), which is usually similar in size or even larger than the actual church and was used for general community meetings, teaching purposes, court hearings and as a burial place for princely families. Also, very typical are the stone crosses, engravings and ornaments carved into the outer and inner walls of the churches, as well as of course the conical "umbrella roofs". The monasteries were mostly built on high ground and surrounded by fortress walls to protect them from raiders and looters.

September 4^th 2022

Haghpat – Kuchak, Armenia

Miles: 90 (140km)

Miles total: 12’410 (19’970km)

It's morning and before we leave, we get a crash course in liquor distilling from the campsite owner and his father :-). Almost every family distils their liquor here from their own fruit (plums, mulberries and much more).

Factory ruins pass us once more. In no other country on our trip have we seen so many factory or other ruins (from Soviet times) as here in Armenia.

Armenia is dotted with medieval monasteries. So, we end up at the 1100-year-old Sanahin Monastery, which was considered a school for illumination and calligraphy.

Heading then south along the rocky but green Debed Canyon.

We settle down at the Azat reservoir just before dinner, not knowing that we have a busy evening ahead of us. Next to us there are some locals at the lake, for fishing or just to relax. One of the vehicles, a 4x4 city SUV, drives straight into the soft wet sand and gets stuck. The driver keeps accelerating, but the vehicle only goes in one direction, down. And so, it is that we offer our help. Because we are well equipped! Our Iveco effortlessly pulls the SUV easily out of the mud! It was fun and at least we didn't take our recover material with us in vain. The family from Yerevan is delighted, Instagram is exchanged and as a thank you, we get a box with food, lots of grilled meat and some bread. Not ideal for us nearly vegetarians, but of course we ate it and the chicken wings are still delicious :-).

And then comes the next disaster. A car is heading for the sand and we know it's going to get stuck. And so it is! Unpack rescue ropes and shackles again. We also pull this car out of the sand easily! The three youngsters are also enormously glad we helped. But now it's enough and we enjoy a quiet night at the lake.

September 5^th 2022

Kuchak – Azat Reservoir, Armenia

Miles: 60 (100km)

Miles total: 12’470 (20’070km)

A few days ago, we applied for our Iran visa through an agency. But since the decision can take up to two weeks (usually about four days), we don't feel like going to the capital Yerevan just to be able to pick it up there. So, we first move past Yerevan towards the east. On our way today, we visit again two monasteries. Maryse and I are always a little hesitant about visiting these monasteries. Reading the guide book, it seems like there is not much more to visit in Armenia than monasteries and we have already visited what feels like 10. Nevertheless, we think it's a pity to just rush by :-).

Both monasteries (Saghmosavank and Hovhannavank) are wonderfully situated at the Debed Canyon.

Today is Maryse's birthday, so in the evening we enjoy a beer with a wonderful view of the Azat reservoir.

September 6^th 2022

Azat Reservoir – Geghard Monastery, Armenia

Miles: 20 (30km)

Miles total: 12’490 (20’100km)

Itinerary today: Watch two top sights of Armenia.

According to the travel guide, these are the Garni Temple, which was dedicated to the sun god 2000 years ago, and the Geghard Monastery. For us, however, something else, completely incomprehensibly barely mentioned in the Lonely Planet, is the absolute spectacle. Just below the Garni Temple, nature goes haywire and created the "Symphony of Stones". A breathtaking rocky landscape like we've rarely seen before! These overhanging, hexagonal basalt rocks, which are up to 160 feet (50m) high, seem hand-made thanks to their incredible symmetry!

And then, further to the end of the valley to the monastery of Geghard. It is definitely one of the most worth seeing monasteries in Armenia, also because of its spectacular location. The oldest buildings are from the 12th century. Individual larger rooms have been completely carved into the solid rock, and it is simply unimaginable for us what kind of work this must have been hundreds of years ago!

We are rather tired from so much sightseeing and we don't feel like driving anymore and spend the night directly in the parking lot of the monastery.

September 7^th 2022

Geghard Monastery – Yerevan, Armenia (Organizing Iran Visa)

Miles: 40 (70km)

Miles total: 12’530 (20’170km)

Yesterday evening we received good news: our Iran visa is ready for collection! It's a relief for us because we submitted the applications at relatively short notice and we didn't know how long the processing time would be (we've heard different things from other travelers...). But after four days of waiting, our visas are ready and so our plan around Yerevan is not matching up too bad. The reason why we hired an agency is the required "approval" from the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is required for the visa application. Organizing this yourself or through the embassy can be tedious and time-consuming. We took the easy route and hired an agency to take care of the Iranian bureaucracy for $20 each. So far so good, we have to go to the embassy and so we set off early in the morning for Yerevan, a city of 1 million people. The traffic is not too bad and so we make good progress. In the car, we are still discussing whether I (Maryse) should wear a headscarf and a long-sleeved shirt... We both just decide to wear long trousers and are then relieved that we are not the only visitors who do not follow the Islamic dress code. The procedure in the embassy is basically known to us from various sources of information. However, before we pay the visa fees into the bank, we want to clarify whether everything really worked with the visa and make sure that we are paying the correct amount. Fortunately, the embassy is almost empty and it's our turn quickly. We hand in our passports; the man disappears briefly and then confirms that our visas are ready and only confirmation of payment of the fees of 50€ each is required. Paper visa application or hotel reservation is not necessary (as recommended by the agency). So off to the bank! After a 20-minute drive, we stand in the modern Iranian Mellat Bank and tell the friendly lady at the counter that we want to pay the fees for the Iranian visa. The lady knows exactly what to do, we hand in our passports and without any further information (e.g. account number) we can pay in the 100€ in cash. We hurry to get back to the embassy as it is only open until 1pm. Hand in passports and payment confirmation and five minutes later we hold our 45-day visa in our hands! Wow, that was really surprisingly uncomplicated and quick! What is new for us is, that the visa is not stuck into the passport, but you receive a separate A4 sheet of paper. This is probably because you are no longer welcome in all countries with an Iran visa in your passport or you have to answer many critical questions (this was the case on our last trip!). Happy, we start looking for a hotel, yes, you heard it right, a hotel ;-). 

September 8^th – 9^th 2022

Yerevan (Capital), Armenia

One of our lasting impressions of Yerevan: There must be money here! 200,000$ cars are not uncommon and there are chic and expensive cafes or restaurants in the city center like sand on the sea. Actually, there are almost only expensive restaurants in the center, and so it happens that we have never spent so much money on food since the beginning of the trip. Two cappuccinos: 10$! Outside the center is of course a different world. Also unusual are the many Russians who have settled here, presumably since the war.

One of the sights sticks in our memory, the Genocide Museum.

In addition to the usual sights such as Republic Square, the cascades with the "Cafesjian Center for the Arts" or the History Museum, there are also some bizarre buildings.

We didn't miss two of them, both from Soviet times. A somewhat dilapidated, 1600 feet (500m) long pedestrian tunnel to the center, as well as individual metro stations.

As always, we enjoy a huge range of different food in such places and we even enjoyed good live jazz music in a murky cellar bar :-).

September 10^th 2022

Yerevan – Lusarat, Armenia

Miles: 50 (80km)

Miles total: 12’580 (20’250km)

We've been having trouble with our transmission for almost six months and we can't always get the gears in easily. With a 23-year-old vehicle that will soon have 190’000 miles (300’000 km), a little trouble is normal :-).

For this reason, we want to replace the gear oil. We soon realize that our vehicle is really getting on in years because we can no longer get the prescribed oil! For the next best suitable oil, we check various shops and garages. Finally! We found something in the eighth store!

September 11^th 2022

Lusarat – Nor Ughi, Armenia

Miles: 10 (20km)

Miles total: 12’590 (20’270km)

Another exciting stage of our journey begins: the south of Armenia! Of course, there are also some historically valuable monasteries on this route, which we will still visit despite being slightly oversaturated. As already mentioned several times, the landscape around the monasteries is often very attractive, which also drives our motivation. This is also the case with the monastery of Khor Virap. Actually, the fantastic view from our sleeping place would have been enough for us! In front of us lies an extensive vineyard area, in the background the mighty mountain Ararat 16’854 feet (5137m) rises up from the plain, in between runs the border river Araks, which gives the adjacent fields a lush green, and last but not least, quite tranquilly situated on a hill, the glowing orange monastery of Khor Virap. But of course, we also take a closer look at the whole thing. There is a lot of activity in the monastery complex. The Sunday service is taking place in the main church, the chants of the pastor and his assistants echo through the incense-soaked air, the faithful come and go, light candles, in between curious tourists like us. 

In a small church next door, there is a legendary fountain, which you can descend down a steep metal ladder. Legend has it that Gregory the Illuminator was imprisoned here for 12 years by a pagan king. The fountain is now a popular place of pilgrimage. Young and old alike climb down here, even one-handed with small children in their arms the vertical ladder can be seen. Hopefully the enlightener Gregor still has an eye on it ;-). Now a short word about Ararat: the national symbol of the Armenians, the mountain on which Noah's Ark is said to have stranded after the flood, is only about 13 miles (20km) away from the capital and is still inaccessible for the Armenians, since it lies in Turkish national territory. The common border has been closed for years due to poor relations between the two countries. Well, now we got hungry and look for a restaurant in the next village. Already during yesterday's journey as well as from our sleeping place, we noticed the beautiful pink-brown colored chain of hills further to the east. We look at the satellite image to see if there is a road there and find it. Let's go! First on paved roads through some villages, then we take a wrong turn and end up in a dead end in the middle of a cemetery, in a traffic chaos! We don't know exactly if today is a special day, but there are masses of people with their cars in the cemetery, laying flowers on the graves and lighting bowls of incense. Somehow, we manage to turn around on the narrow road. Shortly after the cemetery, the road runs over the local garbage dump; always a frightening picture and an incentive for us to produce as little waste as possible. We continue and soon we are driving uphill over a bumpy little road, into an idyllic landscape, the pink-brown hills now right in front of our noses! 

As hoped, the road leads to the top of the ridge, from where we enjoy a spectacular 360° view. On one side the Ararat, on the other the softly formed hills. Of course, we stay here for the night :-).

September 12^th 2022

Nor Ughi – Areni, Armenia

Miles: 60 (90km)

Miles total: 12’650 (20’360km)

As so often on this trip, we enjoy our breakfast with the most wonderful view, completely alone, in the middle of nature! We continue with our off-road drive through the beautiful hilly semi-desert. Up until now, the dirt roads in this hilly area are surprisingly in very good condition. However, it is not clear to us why there are paths at all and who uses them, there are no houses far and wide. Maybe built by the military? However, the Iveco easily gets us in reduction gears up the steep road to the next, even higher hill. Here, too, the view is phenomenal, actually even better than from our sleeping place and we are a bit annoyed that we didn't drive here yesterday. What serious problems we have ;-). During the descent, we cross a Polish tour group with about 15 SUVs, so we're not the only crazy ones after all ;-). 

We no longer continue over the hills, but between the hills, and the quality of the roads has also decreased. The narrow stony road meanders like a creek bed (which it might be) through the hills, from time to time we doubt our decision to drive through it... But fortunately, it's not too far, we get through safely, then it widens road a little until we finally reach a hill again. Lunch with another spectacular view of the extensive hills and rocky landscape. However, the last part of our off-road adventure still has it all. An extremely rocky passage through an old quarry. But our Iveco masters this without taking any damage (of course also thanks to Stefan's driving skills!). 

Then a short detour into a small canyon with impressive eroded rock walls. Since we are in good time, we decide to drive a little further towards our next destination, the Noravank Monastery. On the way, a short stop at Hells Canyon and on to the village of Areni. The landscape around is slowly getting really mountainous, we are getting closer to the southern mountains. Now for a unique and odd sight. Only by chance do we discover the bizarre constructing nearby. In the middle of nature, wedged between two rock faces, there is a huge concrete and steel construction, built with countless bone-shaped pieces of concrete. Like a tower of matches. 

The purpose of this strange structure is completely unclear to us, no information is available on site. The very sparse information on the Internet shows that it is a protective wall against floods, built in Soviet times. At the end of the day a heartbreaking experience. Shortly after start driving, Stefan discovers a cute young dog next to a garbage can, which is looking out of the tall grass innocently. Of course, we stop and feed the little one. Luckily he doesn't look ill or emaciated, but what he's doing here all by himself is a mystery to us. Of course, we would like to take him with us, but as so often, we have to let common sense prevail. Traveling with a dog is not easy in many countries and often not very pleasant for the dog either. There is no animal shelter where you could give him away. We really hope that his mom will come back and take care of him. 

We plan to check on him again the next day. High above the village we find a perfect place to sleep with, how could it be otherwise, a fantastic view :-).

September 13^th 2022

Areni – Noravank, Armenia

Miles: 10 (10km)

Miles Total: 12’660 (20’370km)

As almost every day, Stefan checks the news on the Internet in the morning: War in Armenia! In the night to today in southern Armenia various military bases were attacked by Azerbaijani forces! It is very unusual and worrying that the attacks were not carried out in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which has been contested for years, but on Armenian territory. One of these areas, Jermuk, would actually have been our next destination... We feel a bit awkward because we are not that far from these areas. And of course, our onward journey would also lead further south. Not necessarily through contested areas, but since the south is relatively narrow, the road sometimes runs quite close to the Azerbaijani border. Well, let's not panic and head to the next attraction. Let's see if we are the only tourists who are still here... Of course, we don't go there the "normal" way, but on a small unpaved road, which somehow looked better from a distance than it actually is ;-). The drive to the well-known Noravank Monastery is already an absolute highlight! We are enthusiastic about the reddish-colored semi-desert landscape, peppered with long rock bands and the high rock faces of the Amaghu Gorge. 

The monastery blends in beautifully with the tones of this landscape. And luckily, we are not the only tourists, so no need to panic ;-). The monastery complex is not only worth a visit because of its extremely picturesque location, the churches themselves are also very impressive with their many stone crosses, inscriptions, relief sculptures and the special facade of the main church. 

Because of the uncertain situation in the south, we decide to spend the night near the monastery and to think about the further travel plan.

September 14^th 2022

Noravank – Selim Pass, Armenia

Miles: 30 (60km)

Miles Total: 12’690 (20’430km)

We decide to change our route because of the border clashes. We're going north instead of south. Our goal, the 7’910 feet (2410m) high Selim Pass.

We climb higher and higher. Colored rocks accompany us all the way up to the Selim Pass, awesome! Shortly before the pass we take a break at the Selim Caravanserai. Dating back to the 14th century, this place offered shelter for the many animals and humans who traveled the Silk Road.

An elderly couple, standing in front of the beautiful caravanserai with their old Lada, are selling souvenirs and goodies. Of course, we allow ourselves to be persuaded, have a chat with them and buy a few things to eat. In addition to homemade jams, there is also the traditional "Tklapi", a kind of sweet dried fruit leaves rolled up with nuts.

For the night, we set up about 1km off the pass road and once again enjoy the fantastic view to the south into the valley.

September 15^th 2022

Selim Pass, Armenia

For the time being we remain on the 7’910 feet (2410m) high pass and undertake a short hike. Without a plan, we hike further away from the pass road up the slope. In the beautiful but barren, steppe-like hilly landscape, after about an hour and a half we pass a "village" that is only inhabited by a few people and their cattle for three months in summer. A few men look at us in surprise and of course want to know what we are doing here and who we are. After a few words, vodka is offered, but we politely decline and move on :-). A few hundred yards (meters) from the village we discover a small "church" consisting only of a small rock, a cross on top and a small wall behind which hide some sacred images and some burned out candles.

Back at the small remote "village" we meet Zuchik, an elderly woman, who invites us into her kitchen. We are immediately invited to coffee and fruit. Once again, we are impressed by the hospitality, the people have almost nothing and still give what they have! The lovely woman is very happy about the visit and stuffs six delicious pears into our backpack. It is also a beautiful and long-lasting encounter for us!

September 16^th 2022

Selim Pass – Getap, Armenia

Miles: 20 (30km)

Miles Total: 12’710 (20’460km)

Today it's the same route down from the pass as the day before yesterday and we end up. Heading down in the valley to one of the few campsites in the country. The reason for the campsite is to do laundry, find out any news about the border conflict and, above all, having a classy restaurant nearby. 

So, in the evening we walk to this winery restaurant where we really ended up in a gourmet temple! Delicious cheese (best in the Caucasus), great bread, a fine drop from their winery and perfectly cooked fish! What a dinner! Cost 60$, extremely expensive in this country, but in Switzerland we would easily have paid three times as much for the same thing!

September 17^th 2022

Getap – Goghtanik, Armenia

Miles: 30 (50km)

Miles Total: 12’740 (20’510km)

We really couldn't find out much at the campsite about the border conflict. We read in the media that the agreed ceasefire is being observed and Iranian camping guests confirm that the road south to the Iranian border is passable without restrictions. Nevertheless, we decide not to go directly to the south, but to do another small 2-day tour here in the region. We first visit an animal viewing platform, from where you might see Bezoar goats (a type of ibex) and with luck even bears in the opposite rocks. However, at this time of day (afternoon) no animals can be seen and so we content ourselves with the beautiful view of the small gorge and its partly specially formed basalt rocks. Access to the platform is through a private apple orchard, the trees are jam-packed with red apples. We ask the owner if we can take an apple with us and we get five on top of that :-). Our next stop is a Jewish cemetery rediscovered in 1996. We park on the side of the road near a residential building and ask a man coming along if we can park here. He says yes and gives us a bunch of grapes that he is holding in his hand! On the footpath to the cemetery, we meet a young, lonely puppy dog that first barks at us like a big one, but then joins us and accompanies us throughout the cemetery. Of course, he will be rewarded with generous petting :-). The cemetery houses around 40 cylindrical tombstones from the 13th and 14th centuries, some with inscriptions in Hebrew script and they are important and rare witnesses of the Jewish population in Armenia. 

We drive deeper into the narrow valley, the asphalt is replaced by a gravel road, and countless hairpin bends lead us further up to 8200 feet (2500m). We settle in for the night at the top of the pass with a beautiful view. In the distance, we hear the loud calls of a shepherd. Soon the large herd of white goats appears behind a hill and rolls towards us like an avalanche, the animals whirl up the dust of the dry ground and march towards us like a small hurricane :-). 

However, the goats and shepherd dogs pass us without interest. Not so the shepherd himself, who of course wants to know something about us, gives us two handfuls of rose hips and finally wants to invite us to his home. The day is full of encounters with warm and generous people as well as great landscapes!

September 18^th 2022

Goghtanik – Getap, Armenia

Miles: 30 (50km)

Miles Total: 12’770 (20’560km)

Even today we can see the large herd of goats heading towards us from afar. Probably the same shepherd we met yesterday. Two motorcyclists with luggage also pass us, further up a hill nearby. In the meantime, the shepherd from yesterday has also arrived and is a bit upset about the motorcyclists. He says that maybe they are spies from Azerbaijan as they are driving in that direction. When they come back, the shepherd stops them, but of course they are not spies, just two Germans on rented motorbikes. After a little chat, everyone moves on, and we pack our things and move on. We enjoy the beautiful landscape that moves towards us and see something unusual for us at different stables.

Finally, we have tarmac under our wheels again and we head down towards the main road. And then this: a mechanical bang, out of nowhere! Not a good sign at all! We drive a few meters and another knock! Our first thought: broken gearbox! We've also had problems with the gears and shifting for a long time. We shift down a gear and try to drive, but here comes the mechanical banging too! We're already imagining the worst: waiting for months for a new gearbox, towing the car, etc. etc... But for now, we'll take the gear out so that we can roll right down to the main road, right into a restaurant parking lot! So far lucky! Let's go eat and think about what we want to do!

Our plan to head south falls through and we plan to head for the same campsite we were two days ago. And so, we try very hesitantly to drive on and realize that we only have problems when driving down, when the engine and gears have to brake. On the flat or uphill, it drives normal, fortunately :-)!

September 19^th 2022

Getap – Azat Reservoir, Armenia

Miles: 100 (160km)

Miles Total: 12’870 (20’720km)

We take off with our damaged Iveco, back towards the capital Yerevan. Still very cautious as we are still not sure what is actually broken! There are 85 miles (140km) ahead of us! We also get to see the political border tensions on this route. Military trucks with some Russian flags (Russia is the protecting power of Armenia), "Red Cross" vehicles and even UN vehicles come towards us. We trust our vehicle more and more. Even roads or uphill it drives normally, after all! However, we can only drive down the slope without a gear in the transmission! Yet, it is quite hilly in this area and soon a big sign will say "use engine brake" on top of one of the hills! And that's exactly what we can’t do anymore! We are very aware of the danger of overheating the brakes and therefore only drive at 6mph (10km/h) (constantly on the brakes as there is no gear in) down, and down, and down! We take several breaks to let the brakes cool down. During one of these breaks I call my mechanic in Switzerland and he also says it's probably the clutch! Towards the end of the descent, however, the time has come and the brake pedal almost doesn't work and we can practically no longer brake!! So, move aside and stop immediately! One brake is already smoking! Opposite is a melon seller to whom we give some of our grapes. Despite hard resistance, he gives us one of his melons and we wait 45 minutes until the brakes are colder again. South of Yerevan we look for the official Iveco shop, which we only found thanks to luck, because the wrong location was given on the internet! Luckily the boss can speak English very well! We immediately go on a 30-minute test drive with the mechanic (not a word of English) and show him the mechanical noises and problems. The case seems clear, we must have a new clutch! Iveco Armenia and Iveco Georgia have nothing in stock and rumor has it that delivery times are long! But they find what we are looking for in another shop! One week delivery time! That's absolutely fine. 

September 20^th 2022

Azat Reservoir, Armenia

What has been worrying us for a while is Stefan's father's poor health condition. Today's phone call with him gives us a lot to think about and we don't rule out interrupting our trip anymore. We spend the day here at the reservoir, discuss how to proceed and write outstanding travel reports. We decide to drive to the nearby 3G campsite tomorrow and spend the next few days there. In an emergency, we could spontaneously leave our Iveco there and fly back to Switzerland.

September 21^st 2022

Azat Reservoir – Goght, Armenia

Miles: 20 (30km)

Miles Total: 12’890 (20’750km)

The Dutch-run 3G campsite is a famous meeting point for travelers from all over the world. We also meet our well-known friend here: Frank from Germany, who is on his way to Hiroshima, Japan on his bicycle and whom we have already met twice in Turkey. What a happy reunion! Of course, we also get to know the many other globetrotters, most of them travel with their own vehicles (campers, motorbikes or bicycles).

September 22^nd – 23^rd 2022

Goght, Armenia

The campsite car park is gradually filling up and, to be honest, the parking space for the vehicles is anything but nice... In fact, it is a parking lot without any view and the vehicles are close together. However, you are compensated for with a spacious outdoor area with a pool, three fully equipped and clean kitchens, three terraces with a great view and an excellent sanitary area with a washing machine.

A really nice place to rest for a few days, indulge in Western amenities and most importantly, socialize with other travelers. We spend three pleasant days here and enjoy the happy and interesting evenings with our new friends from all over the world!

September 24^th 2022

Goght, Armenia – Switzerland

A day that ended differently than expected. At 9 o'clock in the morning we call my (Stefan's) father's doctor, who explains to us that the condition has continued to get worse. So, we decide to return home in the coming days. Booking a flight comes first. Most flights leave Armenia at bad times, such as 3AM! Finally, we find a direct flight at 9PM to Vienna. Unfortunately, the cheapest offer is tonight! This also means that our appointment at the Iveco shop for the new clutch is lost and we have to postpone this! So, let's go! We feel a bit taken by surprise, we are absolutely unaware that we will interrupt our great journey and soon immerse ourselves in a different reality. We book the hotel in Vienna and the train to Switzerland now. Done! We spend the rest of the day tidying up, emptying and cleaning the water tank, packing, emptying the fridge, moving the camper, disconnecting the batteries and solar panels, etc. etc... And of course, we need time to say goodbye to our new camping friends. And off we go, with a taxi to the airport in an hour. Unfortunately, our flight is more than two hours late and we are not at the hotel in Vienna at midnight as planned, but finally at 2:15 AM in the night.

Yaaawn, snore, ..., alarm clock! It's 4:50AM, we get up, get ready, walk 5 minutes to the main train station and catch the 5:30AM train. Our saver ticket is the reason for the early departure. For only 120$ / person we travel home in 10 hours in 1st class! Everything still seems very unreal to us! Just a moment ago in Armenia vanlife-ing and now we're looking out the window of the train. Everything is perfectly tidy, all the houses and vehicles seem to be in perfect condition, roads and bridges give the impression that everything is new and last but not least we already miss the stray dogs. All in all, a totally different world for us!

September 25^th – November 4^th 2022

6 weeks at home in Switzerland

November 5^th & 6^th 2022

Switzerland – Goght, Armenia

It's Saturday, we say goodbye to the family and it's almost harder for us than a year and a half ago, even though we'll only be away for half a year now. Despite my father's (Stefan) poor condition, we decided to return to Armenia. The reason for this is, on the one hand, that we want to travel on to Iran over the high mountain passes before the heavy winter. It is also important for us to definitely be at home in spring 2023. The train takes us to Vienna in 10 hours, where we have a hotel room right at the airport. And so, the next day rolls on. The alarm clock goes off at 3:40 AM and we are on the plane before 6 AM with a three-hour time difference, we land in Yerevan at around 1 PM and are finally at our Iveco at 3 PM!

What an enjoyment :-). We bring it back to life by reconnecting the two batteries and the solar panels. Everything seems fine. It's nice to be back and we look forward to continuing our journey.

November 7^th 2022

Goght, Armenia

Do the laundry and get everything ready for departure the next day.

November 8^th – 9^th 2022

Goght – Jerewan – Lusarat, Armenia (New clutch)

Miles: 50 (80km)

Miles total: 12’940 (20’830km)

We tackle the 2000 feet (600m) down towards Yerevan. As you known, we cannot have a gear in the gearbox for braking, otherwise we will have mechanical beating noises!

After 10AM we arrive at the Iveco shop. Soon we are invited to coffee in the in-house staff kitchen. It doesn't take long before we also have a vodka (Stefan) and a cup of red wine (Maryse) in front of us. The mechanics also take their mid-morning snack, consisting of 3 vodkas. Well, it will work definitely better now :-).

We will be picked up again the next morning. Back in the Iveco shop, the new clutch is already there and people are busy working on it. Waiting and waiting again is our job of today. At around 3:30PM the time has come. Supposedly done. I, Stefan, go on a test drive. Unfortunately, the gears are even harder to engage than before and the reverse gear still scratches! At least for the moment the hitting when going down seems to be less. But less and not gone (more on that in tomorrow's report)! One mechanic wrongly says the gears are OK. Then it gets even worse and the absolutely incompetent workshop manager (allegedly a friend of the director) is driving and I am in the passenger seat. He slams in the gears in a way that makes the ears, of anyone with even a shred of mechanical understanding, ache! Then he drives the Iveco into the workshop and almost maneuvers our poor guy into the pit! Now the young mechanic takes care of it and finally adjusts the clutch well and the gear shift feels normal again for a long time! 

We drive off and after 20 miles (30km) arrive at a sleeping place that we already know. 

November 10^th 2022

Lusarat – Shaki, Armenia

Miles: 120 (200km)

Miles total: 13’060 (21’030km)

The first morning "on the road", after a six-week travel break! The otherwise tried and tested morning routine is still a bit bumpy. Who is doing what and what is where? A spooky fog lies over the Ararat plain, autumn has also arrived in Armenia and our heating is once again providing valuable services! Now we're picking up speed, off we go to southern Armenia and Iran. We already know the first 60 miles (100km) of today's route, because six weeks ago we had to drive this road back to Yerevan because of the noise of the car banging. Now comes the real test when driving downhill. Is the beating sound still there? After just a few seconds, the sobering answer: It hasn't gotten any better! Exactly the same as before the repair! We get angry and our mood drops to a low point for a moment! Was all the effort for nothing? No, not quite, the gears can definitely be engaged more smoothly again and we can now at least rule out that the knocking noise has anything to do with the clutch. We definitely have no desire to return to Yerevan and it probably wouldn't do any good either. So, we drive carefully down the pass again without engine brake... We pass the wonderful mountain landscape around Areni and after 60 miles (100km) we finally enter new territory. We reach the 7693 feet (2345m) high Vorotan Pass. Now it's leisurely downhill over a barren and harsh plateau. After so much driving, it's time to stretch our legs a bit. 

We leave the main road and visit the beautiful Shaki Waterfall, where we are greeted by five stray dogs. Oh, how we missed these dogs in Switzerland ;-). We have to hurry, because at 6PM the waterfall will be shut off, i.e. the water will be diverted to a hydroelectric power station! After the short walk to the waterfall, we treat ourselves to an Armenian coffee at the small shack in the parking lot. Incidentally, this is prepared in exactly the same way as Turkish coffee: Boil water and very finely ground coffee in a small pot and then serve in small espresso cups. After a few sips, you already come across the thick coffee grounds on the floor. We also buy a bag of sticky (possibly in syrup) pickled apricots at this shack. Very close by we find a great place to stay by the creek.

November 11^th 2022

Shaki – Goris, Armenia

Miles: 40 (70km)

Miles total: 13’100 (21’100km)

After a short drive, we reach the next sight: the archaeological site Karahunj, consisting of a burial ground, an ancient settlement and about 200 mysterious upright boulders (megaliths). The latter have earned the place the promising title of "Stonehenge of Armenia" and are the real attraction of the site. And for the archaeologically inexperienced eye, it is ultimately the only one that is really visible on the site :-). 

Scientists have long puzzled over the age and function of these boulders. The arrangement of the stones, and especially the holes present in some stones, have led to speculation and controversy. One hypothesis is that the holes were used to transport and erect the basalt stones. However, it remains unclear why only some of the stones have holes. From the 1980s, the site was studied by various astrophysicists who came to the conclusion that it was a prehistoric observatory (like Stonehenge). This not entirely controversial theory is marketed to this day. However, for us it was an interesting detour and something we've never seen before. 

The nasty weather soon pushes us further and we drive towards our today's destination, the city of Goris. 

November 12^th 2022

Goris, Armenia

Miles: 30 (40km)

Miles total: 13’130 (21’140km)

At seven in the morning, perfect weather and not too far away the mountains are snow-capped.

After 10:00AM (calculated correctly, we need about 2 hours for breakfast, washing up and getting ready :-)) we drive a few miles to the ghost-cave-town of Khndzoresk (no spelling mistake!). This cave town, set in volcanic sandstone area, dates back to the 13th century back and was in the late 19th century even the largest city in eastern Armenia. In 1931, it was partially destroyed by the great earthquake and was then uninhabited. 

On the several-hour hike in the huge area, we not only discovered old caves or churches from the 17th century, but also fantastic rock formations that remind us of Cappadocia. We go back to the camper, over the 530 feet (160m) long suspension bridge that leads over the deep gorge and drive back to the same sleeping place as yesterday.

November 13^th 2022

Goris – Halidzor, Armenia

Miles: 20 (30km)

Miles total: 13’150 (21’170km)

On the way down to the town of Goris, we discover a fantastic work of art from nature. In the middle of a mountainside, a deep rift full of strange rocky peaks has formed. Adjacent to the town of Goris is "Old Goris", a medieval cave town that was partially inhabited until the 20th century. We park the Iveco in the city and walk to the starting point of our hike, the large city cemetery, which lies directly below the old cave city. 

Again, we are amazed how much space an Armenian cemetery takes up. The graves are relatively large. Many are probably used as family graves, but the dimensions are still very generous. However, there are no flowers or other plantings, the grass areas are grazed by the cows grazing through the cemetery. The portraits or full-length pictures of the deceased engraved on the tombstones are also noticeable. We wonder how these images are engraved on the stones. In any case, the scenery around the cemetery is very impressive, bizarre rocks protrude from the ground and hundreds of man-made caves adorn the rocks. This clearly reminds us of Turkish Cappadocia. Here, too, wind and weather have played their part and created fantastic shapes from the rocks. 

We climb up through the rocks to the vantage point and enjoy the panorama over the city, the rock forest and the surrounding mountain landscape. Unfortunately, the view on the other side of the hill is less beautiful. 

On the way back, a friendly shepherd leads us through his sheep and goat enclosure, which he has set up in a large cave consisting of several rooms. A new fence has just been put up in front of the cave, so to speak, the free-range stall for the animals :-). After lunch, we take a short walk through the city. A special feature of the city are the 19th-century stone houses with wooden balconies, a precious rarity in a country dominated by Soviet structures. Unfortunately, the very poor condition of the streets in the city is also unusual. Possibly these could still be consequences of the Karabakh war, from which the city suffered massively. 

November 14^th 2022

Halidzor – Verin Khotanan, Armenia

Miles: 20 (40km)

Miles total: 13’170 (21’210km)

We both didn't sleep that well. The strong wind shook us back and forth. But nevertheless, we rise positively into this day. By the way, it's also my (Stefan) birthday :-). As soon as we set off, we go steeply downhill into the Worotan Canyon. Our brakes are not pleased at all and really heat up. We are aware of the danger of overheated brakes and of course adapt our driving style to the damaged Iveco. In addition, we are traveling without insurance at the moment. Not to save money, but because we overlooked to extend it in Yerevan. It expired during our stay in Switzerland and we just didn't think about it anymore! Finally arrived deep down in the valley and the brakes are really hot. More downhill would not have been possible without a break! Before it goes up again on the other side of the canyon, we make a short hike at the so-called "Devil's Bridge". 

The pools along our path, filled with natural lukewarm water, are currently not inviting for a swim with all the leaves and dust. Continue to the small gorge, where the water squeezes through and creates wonderful stone shapes over millions of years. Now we have to feed skinny stray dogs once again before we tackle the hairpin turns to get out of the gorge. Incidentally, countless trucks are currently driving over this narrow road, since the actual main road is closed due to the ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. Arriving at the top of the high plateau, we find a great restaurant with an exceptionally fine menu with many vegetarian dishes and delicious cakes for dessert. Exactly right for my birthday. Right next door we visit the famous Tatev Monastery which, like many monasteries in Armenia, boasts spectacular surroundings! 

In the monastery (built in the 9th century) lived up to 600 monks at times, who probably also enjoyed the beautiful view regularly :-).

November 15^th 2022

Verin Khotanan – Kapan, Armenia

Miles: 30 (40km)

Miles total: 13’200 (21’250km)

Today the first thing to do is go downhill again, with many breaks because of the brakes. Arriving at the valley ground, the road leads directly to Kapan, the largest city in southern Armenia. The area around Kapan is rich in mineral resources, and the city's economy is shaped by mining. Gold, silver, zinc and copper in particular are mined in the large mines in the area. The first thing that catches our eye about this city is the large number of laundries that are blown high up in the air and hung up to dry on long pulleys.

The ropes are either stretched from block to block or there is a high bar in the middle of the blocks to which the pulleys are attached. We think the cloth-lines are wonderful, it brings some color to the dreary cityscape and almost looks like a decoration! Would it be the same in our cities if only a few could afford a dryer? Another typical example from our travel life: We buy bread in a small bakery. As is almost always the case, we take one of our used plastic bags with us and try to make the seller understand that she shouldn’t pack the bread in a new bag but in ours. She casts a suspicious glance at the bag, then an incredulous facial expression, shaking her head, a questioning hand gesture and a question in Armenian. We'll try the simplest answer, "too much plastic." She only understands plastic, shakes her head again and reluctantly puts the bread in our little bag... We don't judge these people, but we don't understand that actions that are absolutely logical for us, such as simply reusing plastic bags, for many people, it is something incomprehensible to many countries. It's a shame there isn't more educational work done! And we're annoyed that we can't better explain our motivations to people because of the language barrier. 

November 16^th 2022

Kapan – Vardanidzor, Armenia

Miles: 40 (60km)

Miles total: 13’240 (21’310km)

Another hard night! The three dogs woke us up several times with their barking right outside our door. Well, that happens every now and then! A morning-walk after breakfast through the woods at the camper wakes us up a bit.

And off we go, further towards Iran. From 3300 feet (1000m) above sea level it goes up to 5900 feet (1800m) to the town of Qajaran. To our astonishment, despite the many blocks of flats and people, we don't find a single restaurant and finally end up in a tiny bistro with a table and three chairs, where we get a Shaurma (Caucasian wrap) with chicken. As is so often the case, the lady-owner and the other guests are very curious about who we are and what we are doing here. Only tourists who are on their way to Iran get lost in this region of Armenia. The reason for the many apartment blocks and residents is the huge copper and molybdenum mine right next door.

The journey continues uphill to the 8317 feet (2535m) high Meghri Pass. With the knowledge that our destination, the village of Meghri, is only at a height of 2000 feet (600m), we get a bit of a stomach ache. Down 6500 feet (2000m) in altitude without a gear in the gearbox! In Tabriz, we not only have to have the banging noise checked, but also get new brakes.

With breaks and careful driving we make it down to 3600 feet (1100m). Now comes the search for a place to sleep. Of course, we have become a bit demanding with all the wonderful previous places :-). Not too close to the road, away from civilisation, nice view etc. etc. The search is a bit tedious and we crawl back up to 4600 feet (1400m) via a gold mine access road. We ignore the rusty signs "no access" and "nature reserve". If there are trucks from the gold mine driving back and forth, we can probably look for a place as well. 150 feet (50m) next to the road we find a place where there are new concrete foundations for a new huge power line pole. There is hardly any traffic on the road, but still a car is heading towards us. We explain to them that we are tourists and want to sleep here. They smile, and drive off again. So, we have an overnight stay permission :-).

November 17^th 2022

Vardanidzor, Armenia

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November 18^th 2022

Vardanidzor – Agarak, Armenia

Miles: 20 (30km)

Miles total: 13’260 (21’340km)

What a day! In the morning, it snapped away a fresh water hose in the storage room and a few liters of water poured into the camper. So, we lose an hour taking out the boxes, collecting up water, putting the boxes in etc.

When parking, a frightening moment comes! In reverse gear, there is a loud bang, probably from the transfer case! Is it now happening and we're completely stuck? We drive forward and are able to park. What now?? Let's go eat something and prepare for the "worst case"! What is better? Go to Iran or stay here? 150 miles (250km) to Tabriz, Iran or much further back to Yerevan? Can we even go another mile? Questions over questions and no answers! We call Sam from the Iveco garage in Yerevan, where we got the new clutch. He checks, without success, whether there is a transfer case in Armenia. He advises us to go to Iran because there are better chances of being able to repair our transmission. So, we drive off with the thought that the transfer case will blow up in pieces at any moment! But we can drive more or less normally again and head for the nearby border village of Agarak. The road runs right along the border and we feel a bit odd. It is packed with observation posts, cameras, Russian and Armenian military and high barbed wire fences along the river. Despite the absolutely spectacular mountain landscape, we better not take any pictures :-). Arrived in Agarak, we go to refuel. LPG for cooking and heating and some diesel. It's actually stupid when you know that a gallon of diesel across the border costs a few cents. More on why we did refuel, when we are in Iran.

We park at Samuel's hostel for 10$ and are immediately invited to coffee, lots of pomegranates and dried persimmons. 

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