Starobylá Arménie aneb krásy Kavkazu / Ancient Armenia – The Beauty of the Caucasus
Author: Karel Jílek, Kateřina Mlázovská
Published: 1 November 2021
A land (un)known for its ancient history and its bloody past. A land of countless temples and monasteries that take one’s breath away. A land with no coastline, and yet a land where one finds a sea. A land of poverty and hospitality. A land of excellent food and superb wine. A land of contrasts, marvels, mysteries and horizons. This was the land that became the destination of our journey in June 2021.
Figure 1. The national flag of Armenia.
Preparations
Two months before our departure, we discussed the possibility of visiting Georgia and Azerbaijan in addition to Armenia. It was starting to look like at least a month-long expedition. We, however, had ten days — and it was clear that we wouldn’t be able to see much in such a short time. What’s more, the COVID-19 pandemic was still ongoing, and testing and quarantine measures would have made border crossings more complicated. In the end, we decided to focus “only” on Armenia.
It must be said that at this stage of planning, we weren’t even sure we would be going anywhere at all — or what might await us. Most members of the group didn’t know each other, having spent the past year in remote learning. But being true adventurers, we weren’t about to be discouraged by dark thoughts, and we booked our plane tickets together. After all, what better way is there to get to know new people than… by going to Armenia with them?
Figure 2. Group photo on arrival in Yerevan.