I had an exciting day of firsts. I finally learned to spell my name using the Armenian alphabet at Ashtarak, the burial grounds of the famous Mesrob, who wrote the Armenian alphabet. I even climbed the castle Amberd! The rocky roads and motion sickness were worth the sites.
We made our way to Gyumri today and I had the chance to ride a horse with a real Armenian cowboy, watched a fish gutting, and saw my food and bread cooked in open stoves in front of me. This city has a lot of character and you don’t have to search far for citizens of Gyumri who truly love their city and its traditions. These are the people who stuck through the 1988 earthquake to keep the culture. We passed street fairs and original fish farms, dating back to Gyumri’s role as capital of Armenia.
From foreign cowboys, to one thousand year-old castles, I’m honored to have this opportunity to visit my homeland with my FAR friends.
Ts’tesutyun for now!