“Armenia 🇦🇲 ~At The End of the Day”

• January 25, 2021
• By Pen
• 6 Comments

During this time for us of “pushing the pause button,” we are mostly enjoying some normalcy that one very seldom gets when on-the-go and living out of suitcase over a three years period!

We are so happy and comfortable and relaxed. We feel at home. The last time we felt this at home was lockdown on Santorini Island in Greece, back in March. We stayed in a wonderful villa for 2.5 months in 2020. Now, here we are, eight months later, feeling much the same, in Armenia, under, not, entirely different circumstances. True, we are not on lockdown being in Armenia, but it’s a form of lockdown, when we are not free to travel to any neighboring countries, since their borders are closed.

We look very forward, once again, being free to move about the world at our leisure, one day.

Being in one place, we took the opportunity to contact our rental car company and tell them we were not driving the rental again, till they fixed the worn-out brakes, or replace the car with another one. It was not safe. This was our second request, and they took me serious this time. The car only had 14,000 miles on it when we picked it up in December. We let it go the last time we took it back to them, because after driving it, they said it would be fine. But, it only got worse. Now, instead of us driving into Yerevan to them, they had to come to us.
The good news is, the problem is fixed and we have brand new brake pads. They also turned the calipers. We have confidence in the rental car again. It’s safe to drive! The rental car workers were shaking their heads though, because we told them we had metal on metal with the brakes, but in a brand new car, how could that be?

My daughter is going back to the Post Office where she sent my packages from. According to the Armenia post here, my packages never left the USA. That was back on December 28th. My tracking with USPS, indicates they left for Armenia on January 4th. All I know is I have not received my packages in the 7-10 day timeframe they said it would be from the USA. So Armenia Post claims my packages never left the USA, and the USA indicated my packages were in transit to Armenia on January 4th.

Daryl did manage to “jury-rig” my reading glasses, so they stay on my face. Yes, those are face mask strings! It’s not perfect, but it’s the best we could do, with no place to order new ones, while in Armenia.

I also must find a dermatologist or a skin doctor or a GP, in nearby Yerevan. I have a few “spots” that I am concerned about, and at the very least they need to burned off. Our host(s) are so kind, and he is giving me some emails and phone numbers to point me in the right direction. Hopefully, somebody will speak some English to make it go smoothly. I can only assume I will get in, in a short while, and not a long wait. No matter where you call home, life happens. We have to deal with the good the bad, and the not so good!

Our days are going by so fast! It’s hard to believe it sometimes. Obviously we are staying busy and entertained. Daryl and I are each other’s best company, so no complaints there. He’s been listening to audio books and I’m indulging on “Bridgerton” and “Lucifin” on Netflix, and staying in touch with what’s going on in our country at this time.

Tonight we got another special treat for our dinner. Aside from a hearty bowl of Harrisa (my favorite dish) we got my second favorite dish; Blini/Blinchik, which is a Russian Pancake.