“Armenia 🇦🇲 ~The Seasonal White Stork and Living the Travelers Life”

• January 17, 2021
• By Pen
• 4 Comments

Imagine our surprise to see a few White Storks, yesterday, on our drive from Vagharshapat to Yerevan, and back. This is a highly unusual sight to see, this time of year!

White Storks fly south from their summer breeding grounds in Europe (yes, Armenia is considered geopolitical Europe, south Caucuses and Asia) in August and September, heading for Africa. There, they spend the winter in the savannah from Kenya and Uganda, and south to the Cape Province of South Africa.

We are quite familiar with this particular bird, because of their migrating habits. We have seen them in Europe, and Africa. These are very large birds, and have had to adapt to a more city environment, in Europe, due to their natural habitat being taken away. But, that being said, they do thrive!

We were pleased to learn, when we have traveled to these other continents, and admired Stork activities, protection programs are in place to support these birds. Armenia is no different and I read up on their particular program as well. More on that to follow, BUT…..

From late March to August every year, around 650 pairs of breeding White Storks descend into wetland-adjacent villages in Armenia, settling into numbered nests where they will hatch nestlings and teach the babies to feed. Armenia is a stopover point for breed, on their long journey South, from Western Europe to their winter grounds in Africa. their nests are reused every year, and the Storks tend to come back to the same ones, or ones very close to where they, themselves, were hatched.

Storks, common in worldwide folklore for bringing human babies to families, gained new traction during the 19th century, when the myth; using the Stork as a symbol of birth, was popularized by Hans Christian Andersen in his version of the fable, called “The Storks.” In this tale, these birds plucked dreaming babies from ponds and lakes, and delivered them to deserving families.

Armenia as a stopover point to breed, on their long journey South from Western Europe to their winter grounds in Africa.

At the same time, more than 1,000 families in those Armenian villages will take pen to paper and monitor the Storks’ progress as part of a program called Nest Neighbors. If you want to read more about this program, here is the link. Its quite interesting and similar to other programs in other lands: https://whitleyaward.org/winners/white-stork-armenia/

In addition, here is a lovely story from Serbia, and how their people care for the the Storks, too: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2015/06/04/serbia-storks-are-back

Moving on from the Stork sightings……

We had driven into the capital yesterday, in hopes of getting me some new reading glasses ordered. I only use glasses when on my computer, but as you may know I’m always on my computer working on photos, writing, and posting on our blog. My lenses ares till good but the frame broke. One stem is gone.

After two different stops at Optical places in Yerevan, we heard the same following story: Because of the kind of prescription for my glasses, they would need to send my lenses out of the country, to duplicate them, because Armenia can’t do the work. I can’t be without my glasses for that long, as my work never stops. The other option we looked into is just getting me some magnified glasses, but we have never seen an eye glass stand of such non-prescription eye glasses readers, here. When we try to ask where we can find non-prescription eye glasses, they do not understand. EVEN when using translator. So, while my lenses are fine, and I still have one operating stem, Daryl will need to figure out some kind of a rigged band for me to wear around my head, to keep my broken stem side on my face.

While also in the city, we went into a Post Office (they are called Hay Post, here) to see what we could learn about my two shipped packages, which had left America on December 28, and are to be delivered here in Armenia. One of three gals could speak a little English. I gave her my tracking numbers, and she got busy on her computer, with all the gals overing over her, waiting for an answer, as were we. In the end, she could not give us any answers as to where our packages are, but she did write down a phone number, where I can call to check on the tracking, here, in Armenia. That was on Saturday and it is now Sunday. I will call tomorrow, on Monday, and hope to get good news. We are committed to remain in Armenia till the packages come. We just happened to come to the B&B where the owners are so kind to allow a delivery for us, on the chance they arrived on time.

Backstory: If we could have gotten back into India, from Pakistan, we would not have needed these shipped parcels. We have plenty of supplies (including cold weather wear) in storage at a hotel in Mumbai. But, while we can manage without the clothing (easier to replace) I can not go with out other things; not available as easily; if at all. India has been in lockdown since March and has never opened.

Based on how these two packages, being shipped to us here goes, will determine if I have our daughter send another letter envelope to me at this same place with my renewal drivers license she finally got in the mail. WE haven’t always had the best of luck getting our goods, when my daughter has helped us out, so we keep fingers and toes crossed, always!

At this time, no neighboring countries Armenia are open to tourists, so I arranged for the rental car, till March 2nd. Daryl also learned, the only way we can get to Azerbaijan, is to fly, since Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at war since around 1988, and land crossings for tourists are not allowed. We already know, as a tourist, we can not drive over land borders from Armenia to Georgia, either, so we will not keep the rental car beyond our Armenia travels.

YES! WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SPRING, as most people are!

We have plenty left to see in Armenia, but given what is going on in our home county, this next week or so it seems and feels like uncertain times, we want to be on the safe side, and are taking a break from being out and about, till the end of the month, because if we can not access our online banking, or use our credit card from America, here in Armenia, we won’t get very far. We could not be in a better place; in a prepaid room and board situation, and such good internet!! Its very much a home-stay, which are our favorite kinds of places to stay. The food is amazing; healthy, home cooked and organic from their large garden they grow every year, and put up their harvest for the winter months in the root cellar. We have hot water in the shower and the sink, heat, a washing machine, a microwave, hot plate, fridge and the most comfortable bed we have had in over a month. We are the only guests, until the last few days of our stay, so yes, we are pretty spoiled. We are also expecting snow over the next few days again. It is nice taking some time away from driving, too. Winter time is a little tricky in that regards, to get around, easily. It can be stressful.

Well, that’s it for now.