Yerevan, The Third

Friday morning (21.12.2018) begins with the usual racket in Karapetyan's snowy garden. Meanwhile, I receive sad news, my grandfather passed away at the age of almost 99 on the same morning. The possibility of visiting the homeland again is quickly considered. So, while having coffee with my hosts, mentally I am already somewhere else. After Sasun convinced me to have lunch together, I set off to Sewan with Rango. Halfway there, I am picked up by Harut and his father and driven to the bus stop in the small town in their Lada. At around half past four, the welcome at JR's in Yerevan is very warm and I am immediately updated with the latest gossip. Zina invites me for Pelmeni for dinner, then I spend the rest of the day with Nare and a few friends in the hostel basement. It already feels a bit like coming home.

The last days of the year fly by. Besides smaller trips in Yerevan, on the 24th and 25th of December, I prepare a Christmas dinner, almost like I know it from home. On Christmas Eve, there are lentils with sausages or boiled potatoes with sauerkraut. I can get the sausages from a company founded by a German settler in Yerevan. On the first holiday, I had planned green dumplings with red cabbage and goose. Unfortunately, they tricked me into buying a turkey at the store. It's not quite the same, but no one seems to know the difference except for me. So, I am quite satisfied with the outcome of two days in the kitchen.

On December 29, 2018, together with Nare, who acts as my interpreter, we descend into Levon's cave. In the village of Arinj, Lyova Arakelyan has dug over 20 meters deep into the ground with simple means over a period of 22 years. According to the widow Tosya, it all started with a simple hole in the ground to store potatoes and then, let's say, it got a bit out of hand. In total, well over 3,500 cubic meters of soil have been moved. INSANE!

For New Year's Eve, I am invited to Nare's house. I have already heard that there will be plenty of food on this occasion. So, I decide to only have breakfast on the 31st in order to be able to try as many different delicacies as possible. Accordingly, I arrive at Vardanyans' on New Year's Eve hungry. Mother and grandmother are still cooking, and as it turns out, all the delicious food will only be served after midnight. Luckily, Nare's grandmother regularly provides me with small samples. After receiving a short instruction in Armenian dance, I am allowed to make myself comfortable on the living room couch for the night. It was a bit naive to think that I could spend the night in the same room as Nare. Things are a bit more conservative here, let's say...

In the new year, a wave of colds sweeps through the dormitory in the hostel and catches me too. So, the next few days pass even more relaxed than before. Sleeping, eating, racket with Rango, reading, short nap, learning Russian, short nap, racket with Rango, coffee,... and so on and so forth.

During my nightly walk, on January 5th, 2018, I notice some passers-by with lights. January 6th is the Orthodox Christmas. As it turns out, Armenians go to their churches on the eve and bring a burning candle home from there. This is supposed to bring blessings to the residents. For Sunday, Nare filled a pumpkin with rice and dried fruits and had it cooked in the hostel kitchen. Smells wonderful and tastes so too. Otherwise, the Christmas celebration is rather unspectacular. So, there is plenty of time to recover from my cold and hopefully catch the bus to Batumi soon. I have chosen the Turkish Black Sea coast for the return journey. I am expected to have enough time for that until the beginning of February. Let's see...