Khor Virap monastery and Mount Ararat behind it. The Turkish border has been closed some 20 years and so the mountain can be seen, but cannot be reached from here. However, the Turkish and Armenian governments are talking about re-opening it soon, just as we are visiting! Click for an even larger image.
Khor Virap monastery, a vineyard (Armenians make excellent wine) and Mount Ararat behind it. Click for an even larger image.
Noravank monastery, has two new churches from the 12th century and a lot of ruins from the 9th and 10th centuries. Click for an even larger image.
Jenny is reading us the history of the Noravank monastery, at the end of a deep valley. Click for an even larger image.
Noravank has a splendid restaurant, with excellent food and superb views. Click for a larger image.
Arriving at Noravank, the monastery sits high up on a cliff. Click for a larger image.
Noravank is spectacular. Here we are with one of the famous Armenian "khachkars". Click for an even larger image.
Noravank has rapidly changing weather. Click for a larger image.
Jenny taking photos of us. Click for a larger image.
Noravank is surrounded by steep cliffs. Click for a larger image.
On the way south, we ran into an obstacle on the road. Click for a larger image.
Armenia's "Stonehenge", Karahundj, is extraordinary. It is either an astronomical observatory from 2,000 B.C. or maybe something else. Click for an even larger image.
It has 204 stones in a couple of patterns.
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Karahundj, amazing.
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The larger stones weigh 10 tonnes and almost all have holes drilled through, near the top. Click for a larger image.
Jenny is yet again reading us a guide book story, about Karahundj. Click for a larger image.
On the Armenia - Iran border, Russian and Armenian soldiers stopped us and told us to stop taking photos. Click for an even larger image.
The Armenia - Iran border is just beyond the truck. Although we could not take any more photos than this, we had a nice lunch in the town of Meghris on the border. Click for an even larger image.
On the trip, we kept running into borders. The border to Iran is well guarded, but it is open. This one is closed, with Azerbaijan. Click for an even larger image.
Jenny liked the soldiers. The soldiers told us we should not tell anyone about visiting ... so, please don't tell anyone. Going out into Azerbaijan, on the right, a long line of power towers, but the wires have been taken down, same as the train line to Azerbaijan on the other side of Armenia. Click for an even larger image.
Another border, with Mt. Ararat visible in the clouds. Turkish fence and watchtower. Click for a larger image.
At the Khor Virap monastery, the border fence runs just behind us.
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On the way south to the Iranian border, we had to cross several mountain passes. In September, some mountains had snow. Click for a larger image.
At the 2,535 meter Meghri Pass, we are coming back to civilization from the border trip. Click for a larger image.
Coming back from the south ... a stunning view of Ararat. Noah's Ark landed on top of it. Click for an even larger image.
Ararat from Yerevan. This was the start of another trip, to the North of Armenia. See photos from that trip. Click for an even larger image.
Click here to see photos from London, Germany, from Istanbul, from Yerevan and the North of Armenia, a trip around Turkey and from Efes/Ephesos, or go back to Barbara's narrative of the trip.
