I had just packed up my laptop for a planned tour of coffee shops, when my Airbnb host casually pointed out that it would be 'watering day'. Uhm. What's 'watering day'? Turns out, Armenia has a holiday called 'Vardavar'. There's a story to it that dates back to pagan times and involves some old … [Read more...]
Yerevan
I arrived in Yerevan. Figuring that this will probably the most comfortable and amenity-filled place for me for a long time to come, I'm happy to linger a few more days than strictly necessary. It's a city with plenty coffee shops, parks, decent supermarkets and a boxing school with old pictures … [Read more...]
The Pankisi Gorge in Pictures
A picture says more than a thousand words. Still, I figured an extra one for each wouldn't hurt. … [Read more...]
Soundtrack of Georgia
While staying with a Chechen family in Pankisi, my tour guide put her mp3 player to work. I wish I could have asked the locals what they thought of my half Indonesian, half German guide blasting out the national anthem of the Chechen Republic Ichkeria. Unfortunately, that opportunity didn't arise. … [Read more...]
Hiking in Pankisi and Staying with the Chechen Kist People
The room is dark except for a fire in the oven and a single, shaky petroleum lamp that lends the air its smell. I sit on the makeshift bed, watching the burly grandmother of the house cook Turkish coffee above a wood-fired oven while the rest of the family is huddled up across the room. We just … [Read more...]