MIR Corporation's Travel Blog:
Treasures of the Trans-Caucasus
Follow along with MIR Corporation Tour Manager Devin Connolly as she accompanies MIR clients on MIR's Treasures of the Trans-Caucasus small group tour.
View what other past MIR travelers have had to say about Georgia.
Days 11-13: Yerevan, Echmiadzin
October 9-11, 2008
The first Armenian province we entered was called Tavush. After about 30 minutes of driving, we crossed over into Lori Province, my favorite part of Armenia. Most of the road through Lori follows the Debed River Canyon along high, rocky hills dotted with green shrubs and trees. But in the midst of all this natural beauty, we pass the occasional abandoned Soviet factory, reminding us of Armenia's recent past. We made several stops on the way to Yerevan, the most noteworthy of which was at the 10th century Haghpat Monastery. The drive from the border to Yerevan is a long one, and we reached the capital just in time for dinner. Checking in at the last hotel on our itinerary, there was a sense in the group of the trip winding down. That may have been true, but we still had plenty of adventures in store for us.
Our travels throughout Armenia over the next few days were a series of day trips radiating out in spokes from the capital. On our first full day in the country, we visited Echmiadzin, the seat of the Armenian Apistolic Church. As we drove westward toward Armenia's Vatican City, all of Mt. Ararat was visible in the distance - a rare occurrence!
Photos from this leg of the tour (click to enlarge):
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