My Gyumri friends Helena and Shant told me about their hike from Amasia to Ashotsk over dinner last night. I was looking for something close by, and this 17 km easy-to -moderate trail was perfect.
I had to skip my delicious hotel breakfast to be timely for the first mashrutka of my trip. A mashrutka is an inter-city van/bus that is incredibly inexpensive, but the schedule is not completely reliable, and you may not get a seat! Of course, I had to try it!
I did indeed make it onto the bus. I was surprised at how many stops the driver made en route. The passengers must be regulars: the driver’s informal, accommodating approach is typical in Armenia, where people help each other out everywhere.
I arrived at Amasia and made my way to the gorge. En route, I stopped at a convenience store for some gata, a peach, a breakfast bun, and a bottle of tan. (I already had 4 bottles of water in my backpack.) Somehow, I missed the big yellow trailhead sign; perhaps there is more than one way down from the town. Regardless, the river served as my signpost, and I had a GPS map as backup.
This is the kind of hike that helps me to slow down, even while I discover new things around every corner. The day reminded me of my Camino hikes, walking past hills, fields and rivers, and discovering villages each with distinct personalities. I was the only hiker I met all day!
Absorbing Armenia’s landscape on foot is one way I hope to understand and appreciate my homeland. What does it feel like to be in the mountains, the valleys, the gorges? I am here in early fall. How would my experience differ in other seasons? Vegetation and colours change throughout the year and vary from north to south. I am struck by the importance of specificity when thinking about what national landscape art truly represents. I take photos: birds, plants, bugs, scenery.
As I re-enter civilization near Ashotsk, I walk by farmers’ fields, spot shepherds with their sheep on hills further away, and note how modest the homes in these areas are. Many buildings destroyed during the earthquake of 1988 are abandoned and neglected due to lack of resources. Stone monuments to heroes past are at the same time pointers to the issues facing Armenia today.
I walk towards the Bistro at the top of the road on the M1 highway. I ask the owner to call a taxi for me, as I don’t want to get the location confused on my app. Then, as I think about what I should order to thank him, he brings me a coffee and torte on the house, refusing payment. Armenian hospitality, everywhere!
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