A trip to Areni and Gladzor, Armenia

At the break of dawn our hiking club set off on an adventure to the mountains in the far-flung corners of Armenia. The journey took as many as three hours, though we did not get much bored in our cheerful company. It was a convenient coach with enough room to accommodate in excess of twenty people (there were just eighteen of us). We busied ourselves by playing games, telling jokes, and poking fun at each other. We would stop here and there to take in some fresh air and jog our numb feet.  

No sooner had we got off the bus than we were stunned by the breathtaking view of the mountainous landscape that was spotted by patches of snow. The crystal clear air was mixed with subtle scents of the moist soil and lush vegetation that gripped us in its welcoming arms.  

After negotiating our further steps, we headed for the local winery that was a stone’s throw from where our bus had come to a halt. It was a picturesque building full of barrels of drinks and pans of prodigious amounts of grapes. We couldn’t help but taste some of the assortment of the spirits. The wines that we sampled there were miles apart from the conventional shop-bought products, and I must confess never before had I tasted wine so genuinely resembling the flavour of grapes. Soon a few mouthfuls of gulps coupled with the ubiquitously overwhelming scent of spirits went to our heads. Now we were in for a midday nap. Some of us made our way back to the bus to snooze while the others, me among them, continued exploring the surroundings.

Admittedly, the midday heat exacerbated the influence of the winery, and we barely trudged along the path leading to an ancient church that dominated the landscape.  By the time we were up close, our senses had become numb. Much worse were our bodies that refused to move an inch. However, the formidable look of the cathedral brought back our sobriety. The masonry that was worn off under the weight of centuries might have well fallen apart had there been a quake. As we drew near, we were astonished by the ancient murals that firmly preserved their existence to date.

Guess which one I am.😌

Curious enough, we entered the building, where we seemed to be the sole visitors. The dazzling smoke of incent and the gleaming ray of sunshine that beamed from the opening of the dome delivered an air of mysticism that mesmerized and gave us goosebumps. Instead of talking, unwittingly, we exchanged sporadic whispers for fear of breaking the eerie silence. We were moving along the walls gazing at the ancient fresco paintings of saints when one of us stumbled upon a hidden passage that presumably led to the basement. Although eager to satisfy our curiosity, we decided not to risk it and left the church altogether.

The other members joined us shortly and the rest of the day was filled with hiking off the beaten path, having picnics, and meeting with locals. Having recharged our batteries and filled with impressions, we loaded the bus and headed back to our humdrum routine in the bustling city of Yerevan.