“Armenia 🇦🇲 ~Khor Virab Monastery and Mount Ararat”
If we can’t get where we want to go, due to snowy road challenges, we will get to where we can! I would like to show you this photo, first up. I took it with my iPhone after we walked out of the dining room, after we ate dinner last night. This is a sunset photo, behind Mount Ararat.
So far, we woke up to snow, again, after it has been clear for our arrival, but the sky is turning blue, slowly. We shall see.
After we visited the Symphony of Stones, earlier in the day, we got under way again, after a failed road attempt for the third try, which has kept us from two stops we have tried very hard to get to, we finally had to admit defeat! In spite of the challenge, our day was a success. We got to see another ancient Monastery, which never disappoints this girl!
Khor Virab Monastery was a hit. It was by far the easiest drive to get to this location, than any other, so for. Also, a very exciting part about changing course and going more south, we are now in the Ararat Region. This fact, coupled with the clear weather we enjoyed, we had many opportunities to look at this most majestic mountain all afternoon, as we drove! Now that we have eyes on her, I’m more determined to get closer. This has been a source of wonder for us, about going to this mountain, because, though it feels like we can reach out and touch her, she is a nine and a half hour drive from where we are at this time! To go there, it appears to be pretty remote, so I need to do more research.
Biblical Mount Ararat
Mount Ararat is the symbol of the revival of mankind, and the pride of the Armenian nation.
Biblical Mount Ararat consists of two merged cones bases: the Western or the Big Ararat at 16,945.54 feet and the Eastern; or the Lesser at 12, 877.3 feet. Ararat has a circumference of about 81 miles and covers a total area of over 374 square miles.
The geological age of Big Ararat is about 3.5 million years, and Little Ararat is about 150 thousand years old. Both mountains are dormant volcanoes.
Armenians lovingly call these tops “two brothers” – Sis and Masis. Ararat is famous, not for its natural beauty slopes, but thanks to the biblical legends. Legend has it, that it was this mountain, where Noah landed his Ark, after the flood waters subsided
Great Ararat is covered with eternal snow, beneath which may hide the remains of Noah’s Ark. There on the biblical Mount and about 30 small glaciers, the largest; Glacier St. Jakob – Stretches well over a mile.
The magical powers of the mountain attracts millions of tourists from all over the world. We might be two more visitors! Im am super drawn!
We arrived at Khor Virab Monastery and saw more local people visiting this site, then any other site we have been to, in the last month of visiting Armenia. Aside from this Monastery being significant for being where Armenia Christianity was born, it is also a decent and non-snowy drive from the capital city. It is easier to get to, than other Monastery, so far.
The monument itself dates back to 642 AD.
This Monastery is one of the most visited sites in all of Armenia, due to its significance as a kind of birthplace of Armenian Christianity. From it you can see Mount Ararat with great clarity; another hugely important monument of Armenian nationality.
This near the village of Pokr Vedi, long ago it was the site where Artashat, the ancient Armenian capital, was located. This Monastery is very close to the border with Turkey, and the border can also be seen on a clear day.
Khor Virap is a Monastery in the province of Ararat. This is one of the most culturally and historically significant monuments in Armenia. Khor Virap in Armenian means “deep pit.” This is where Saint Gregory the Illuminator (“Surb Grigor Lusavorich” in Armenian) was imprisoned for 13 years living in this deep pit. Today, the pit is still open for people to climb down, though it’s a quite a steep descent down a ladder. In fact, the name Khor Virap means “deep pit,” named after the prison where St. Gregory the Illuminator was held. Neither one of us felt like venturing down the ladder. It is mostly an empty and very place.
The Legend as it is told
An important visit happened at Khor Virap, between Gregory; son of Parthian nobles, and King Trdat III, of Armenia. Parthia and Armenia had been fighting for generations, and Gregory and Trdat were finally meeting after their fathers had been involved in a deadly battle. Trdat wanted to lay flowers at the pagan temple, and Gregory was forced to confess that he was Christian. Trdat threw Gregory in a deep pit and kept him there for 13 years. As the years went on, Trdat started to feel ill. His wife, who had already converted to Christianity, told him that he would feel better after he released Gregory, and she turned out to be right. After being cured, Trdat converted to Christianity in 301, making Armenia the first official Christian country in the world. Gregory became St. Gregory the Illuminator, revered for converting Armenia to Christianity.
After our big day, we were on the hunt for a place to stay. We continue to NOT make reservations, ever since the first lockdown. It always works out, and we get to negotiate price most of the time. We got in our room, and ordered dinner. When we discovered we have good Wifi, which we have not had for about a week. We decided to spend the weekend. The staff only speak Russian, but we figure it out.
Monday starts Christmas week, so I’m not sure where we will end up for Christmas, but am looking for a white one. The snow has always found us, but not the other way around, but I’m sure it will work out!
More reading about what’s up, if you are interested.
Something else that is keeping me quite busy these days; related to the fact we were unable to get back to Mumbai, India, while in nearby Pakistan, to retrieve our much needed suitcases we had stored at a hotel there. India has been closed since March, and has yet to reopen. Aside from not being able to get our proper winter wardrobe, I also take many Young Living supplements and use oils to manage my chronic pain. I have plenty of my stock in Mumbai, but it is doing little good for me know. I was in the same spot I am now, when we got locked down in Greece, on Santorini, back in March. Actually, it was worse, because I had run out of my supplements, and when this happens, I feel like the tin-man from the Wizard of Oz, without any oil. My whole body seizes up. I am unable to function without great pain, 24/7.
My daughter, who is absolutely my (our) lifeline for us, while she remains in the states and we are out flitting around the world, has saved the day for both of us, many times. She put together a box and sent it to Santorini, just in time for us to leave. It took over a month to get it, back then. Whew! After a week of reintroducing my supplements to my body, I was in good shape again. (never pain free, but the pain is managed very well). So, here we are again, while we travel during these Covid19 times, I’m running low on my supplements, again. We stayed at a nice B&B on the outskirts of Yerevan. I made arrangements with the family owned business, for my daughter to send me a package to their house from the states. The family is most kind to help us out. In addition to my supplements, I get toothpaste, my chosen hair color, AND Young Living bar soap, and moisturiser I’ve used for 15 years! Ive sent my order to my daughter, and she has shopped for the other items. Next week, even though its Christmas week and she is a busy mama of three young children, she will go to the post office and get my items sent. Each country has their own restrictions for what can be mailed. I learned the hard way when my daughter sent a package from the states to Borneo, Malaysia. Customs seized the natural products, and did not let me know I needed to come in and pay a fee for the items. Had I been told, I would have been happy to. When I received the box that started out weighing 15 pounds when it left America, it weighed only four pounds with some miscellaneous items scattered a out…none of which were the most important items I had to have! I lost over a thousand dollars worth of products, and Malaysia could have cared less. My daughter insured that package for over $1000, but when I got the box, and my items were gone and it had been roughly taped up again, I only assumed my items had been stolen. With no communication from customs, what else was I to think? There is a time-frame to collect from customs, and by the time they did contact me, and ignored all my queries to them, we were gone from Malaysia. AND they said I did not report the missing items in time, to get my insurance to cover, ERRRR.
Greece was much more successful for shipping a box to, though on the USA side, we were given a date of delivery, that in no way matched the postal clerks vies on Santorini. The day we arrived on the island, by ferry; on the last ferry, was also the day the last mail plane came in that brought mail for anybody. Even so, since I did get my package unscathed, eventually, my confidence is up. Armenia has low restrictions for items not allowed to be shipped through customs; none of which are natural supplements, but they do limit the amount I can insure, to only $300. I will take what we can get. God Bless my child. I do not know what I (we) would do without her.
Something else that I have been dealing with for two month of frustration was me renewing my drivers license online, since it expires next month. I made this application and paid my $38 in advance on October 6th. I got a response that my fee was paid, my order was recieved and I was assigned an order number with the date I applied. I have heard nothing since! I’ve tried calling, but the wait is 45 minutes to an hour! The plan was to get my new drivers license in the hands of my daughter, so she could add it to the package, BUT, it is not looking good for that. BUT, my daughter will be happy to send a letter package, separate, when it does come. At this point its most likely lost, because I have checked with our tenants, who are very good people. They have not seen DMV mail, but are watching. On the application, there is a place to add a mailing address, as well as permanent address. So, Im not sure what the problem is.
Anywho, just pointing out what a wonderful thing it is to have a loving child who loves her mama! We could not do what we are doing out in the world without her help in so many ways! By the time we move on to South America next year (provided we get back to SE Asia one more time to finish three visits there, AND can get our suitcases in India), we’ve already extended an invitation to our daughter to come visit us in South America, where one of her suitcases will once again be full of our replacement items. She then will take back every item we no longer need, or can live without. she came to visit us in Sri Lanka last year and we had so much fun. Win win for everybody. Im pretty sure her husband and baby-daddy will step in, take vacation and care for the littles, a second time, because he is very awesome, Also!
Yes, the nomadic lifestyle has its sets of challenges. during a pandemic, even more! That life! We continue to be healthy and grateful we can still stay out in the world like we do.
Join the Conversation
Leave a Reply to Laurie Cancel reply
Archive Blog Posts of Our Country Visits
About Us
About Us
Hello and Welcome to our Travel Blog Website, We enjoy writing about our experiences and taking photos of our adventuring along the way. Our names are: Daryl and Pen, but Daryl calls me “Bunny.” We met, quite randomly, whilst both… Read More
So much to love in this post but hard to remember everything I wanted to comment on. Love the mountain, candle, doors and windows!! Yay for Chelsie and the supplements saving the day. Wishing you both (all) a blessed, safe, and Merry Christmas!! ❤️
Thank you, Laurie. I did get kind of chatty and wrote a long blog. Just feeling it, you know! Though Armenia was not the place we wanted to spend so much time in, till borders open, we continue to be pleasantly surprised as we go along. Every site we do manage to get to is amazing, AND there is such a spiritual aura about this country. I don’t feel that everywhere we go. It fill me up! Merry Christmas to you and yours, too!