Taking in the Scenery in Vayots Dzor

A fall day in Yeghegnadzor, Armenia

As I started packing for my two plus years in Armenia, I looked down at the mess on the floor and wondered how I was going to carry enough for my stay.  Something had to go.  Many things had to go.  The mammoth Minolta camera I bought more than twenty years ago and its accompanying lenses were primed for the list of things to leave behind.  But how could I go to Armenia for 2 years without a camera?  Just as the decision making process was beginning to seem overwhelming, a friend stopped by and placed in my hand a small digital camera.  I was so glad to have it, but I doubted that I would be able to produce photographs of anywhere near the same quality as I would have with my ancient film camera.  Well, I was wrong.

Encouraged by my friends at home and inspired by the amazing Armenian landscape and seemingly never-ending light show, I have taken hundreds of photos.  I must admit that many of my best pictures were taken from my balcony or kitchen window.  Sometimes, I am almost embarrassed that the pictures that I share with my friends and family were taken when I happened to wander out on my balcony.  But in the end, why should I be?  These views from my little studio apartment have made my stay here unforgettable.  The Armenian landscape never disappoints, no matter what the season or time of day.  I hope you will forgive my amateur enthusiasm and enjoy these photos as much as I enjoyed watching them unfold.

The following pictures were taken from my balcony which faces north east:

I happened on this double rainbow quite by accident. I got up to go into the kitchen and was dazzled by the extremely bright light coming in through the balcony door. When I stepped outside to investigate, I saw in front of me a complete double rainbow, surrounded by dark clouds on either side and an intensely bright light in the center. It lasted just a few minutes, but it was enough time for me to get camera.

 The unusually snowy winter kept me indoors much of the time, but it gave me plenty of opportunities to conduct a seasonal study of the view from balcony.

After weeks of snow, this was my first sunrise. It was worth the wait.

   The following pictures were taken from my kitchen window which faces south east.

   This is my mountain, I have taken too many pictures of it to share. These are a few of my favorites. 

   This one was taken at sunrise.

    This picture was taken during a wicked storm. I've always loved storms, but the play of light is unlike 

    anything I've seen anywhere else.

   There is pleasure in ordinary things too. On a sunny morning, the neighbors 

hung out their laundry to dry. The clothes promptly froze solid.

Rebecca is an American Peace Corps volunteer who lives and works in Vayots Dzor marz. The views and opinions expressed are hers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Peace Corps. 

Read more posts from Rebecca:

A Day in Armenia's Wine Country

Along The Old Silk Road in Vayots Dzor

Ghosts Of The Past In Vayots Dzor

Rediscovering a Lost Community in Vayots dzor

Bagratashen

The village of Bagratashen is located on the Armenian-Georgian border. The Dbet river separates the two countries, with the border crossing just outside the village. Bagratashen was well-known by locals for the bustling foreign market which shut down 2 years ago, and its sunflower industry which still thrives. In summer months, fields of sunflowers decorate roads and pathways which provide for scenic flat-land hiking.

At one of the lowest altitudes in Armenia, Bagratashen is usually remarkably warmer than surrounding towns and villages. The border crossing has a hotel, ATM, cafe, and duty-free shop. Shops in the village have Ritz-like crackers which cannot be found anywhere but in larger cities in Armenia. During certain times of the year, you can buy an entire roasted sunflower head to eat. Traveling towards Vanadzor from Bagratashen, produce from a Kurdish village is sold along the road and you will see reconstruction from a devastating landslide that took place in 2011. In my 2 years of living in Armenia, I have never witnessed more beautiful landscape and rock formations than when travelling towards Vanadzor from Bagratashen.

Though not an obvious destination for travelers, Bagratashen has certain charms and would benefit greatly from increased tourism. A taxi from Bagratashen to Noyemberyan is usually 3,000 dram, a bus or "marshutni" to Vanadzor is 1,000 dram and Yerevan is 2,200 dram. If you are traveling through to Tbilisi- you can usually walk through the customs house, then haggle your way onto a marshutni at a discounted ticket price on the Georgian side. The UNESCO World Heritage Sites Haghpat and Sanahin are also easily reachable by a 30 minute taxi ride towards Alaverdi.





Danelle is an American Peace Corps volunteer who lives and works in Tavush marz.