adventure | On My Canvas

A Love Letter to Armenia

a lada car on the road in armenia seen while traveling in armenia

A Love Letter to Armenia

I want to write about Armenia right now. There is so much to say.

Did I see it enough? What did I feel? What colors do I remember?

I may have many notes from Armenia, but I have to speak from the heart. Sitting in this Sarajevo apartment, while the FIFA World Cup football matches play on the television that I have muted, with the cat having gone to her house, I mean I had to close the door and window on her, I am ready to write about Armenia.

Today was a lot of admin work: money transfer, phone factory reset, emails, and so many more things. I also went to the supermarket, but that was much later. First, I packed up from the first home, walked here, and checked in smoothly. I had thought I would meet a bulky or big guy, or someone my age with a family. Most probably an older, serious kind of person. Instead, I was shown the house by a young guy. Nihad is twenty-five. He is managing his father’s apartment, a father who is no more, sadly. He passed away last year from spine cancer. What a Siberian sniper’s bullet couldn’t do, cancer did. The cancer shifted from the spine to the brain, and after the surgery, when they thought he was getting better, the family lost him within two days.

By looking at the house, you can’t tell the religion of the family. Maybe someone more observant than me can. There are beautiful glass bowls and white lacy curtains, but they don’t tell that the owner is Muslim. Bosnian Muslims form the majority of the country’s population, and I am happy to have found a host amongst them.

hiking around lake sevan in armenia in picture sevan lake blue homes icy paths

Lake Sevan in Armenia: A Hike to Nothing to See, an Icy Path, and a Headache of a Hitchhike

On my second day in Sevan, I hiked a long way to see nothing. Ekaterina, my first host and self-appointed guide in Armenia, had suggested hiking to a place called Akhtamar. I hadn’t asked what was there to see.

In the morning, I made a cup of coffee and researched flights and visas for the Balkan countries. I had only twenty days in Armenia, and given my horrible experience at the Georgia immigration, I didn’t want to go back to Georgia. I had also seen the country enough and didn’t want to explore more. Armenia is land-blocked by Turkey and Azerbaijan. Iran was at war. So the idea was to go to the Balkans. As per my research, I could visit four countries without needing an additional visa. My US visa would work. (It did work. I flew to Sarajevo from Yerevan.)

I messaged Ekaterina. “Hey! One last question. Good morning. I woke up so late. Do you remember how long it takes to Akhtamar, the place you suggested? I will start probably at 12/1 the latest. Not sure if I will have enough time then!”

“I think it’s doable. But you can always go back down too. It’s 8 km up with an elevation gain of 600, so about 2.5-3 hours, plus 3 km of descent to the Akhtamar place, so maybe 1.5 hours there. And some additional time for hitchhiking back. Or you can just walk up until you find a place where you want to stop and turn around and walk back into the town.” Ekaterina was always direct about everything.

highway cars mountains sea izmir city used for feature image of bus from istanbul to izmir turkey article

I wrote most of this piece about taking a bus from Istanbul to Izmir City in Turkey as it all happened. Sharing it here as it is. I also added a part about the host in Izmir after I arrived in the city. Enjoy!

Leaving Istanbul, Taking a Bus From Istanbul to Izmir, and a Great Welcome Dinner in Izmir by a Couchsurfing Host

Today morning started at seven am. After the long laundry confusion (with a Couchsurfing host in Istanbul), I had gone to bed at almost 11:45 pm. A little more here and there and another toilet run, I put in my earplugs and tried to sleep. Earplugs because the dryer was still running. The host’s clothes, which he had asked me to wash in the machine, weren’t dry yet. I didn’t think they would dry at all with that pathetic dryer, which wasn’t working. The host had still not returned, so some lights were on too, but I couldn’t care too much. I covered myself with a blanket, and then you can hardly see any light. The couch was big and comfortable, and I was adamant about spending six to seven hours in bed (which was the couch). My bus in the morning was at 9:20 am. I had had a long cold and wet day out at the Basilica Cistern. Finding some vegetarian food and also the long way back had tired me out.

I looked at my clothes on the chairs. They were all wet, almost as wet as they had come out of the machine. My leggings and bag, which I had kept near the radiator, were dry. I should have put all the clothes next to the radiator. They would have looked too odd, though. All shirts, leggings, and undergarments wrapped around the radiator. No. No. We’ll see in the morning.

In the morning, I put a few more clothes on the radiator and removed the ones that had dried. Thankfully, I had clothes to wear. My leggings and jackets had dried. I went to the toilet and messaged this dryer story to my partner, Sagar. “I don’t know why he asked me to use the dryer when it doesn’t work. He knew I had to leave. Now I have to carry wet clothes. He asked me to wash his clothes, too. It was a huge pile.” Still grumpy, I boiled the kettle, started packing my clothes, and put my laptop on the charger. You need to be well planned for the day.

Time passes slowly when you have nowhere to go, but quickly when you have to be somewhere. I packed all dry clothes in one pack and made one empty for the wet ones. I signed a copy of my book for my host and sipped hot coffee, thinking that if I had to go to the toilet, I’d better go now, and not when I am on the bus. Right after eight, I went to shower, carrying all the clothes that I had to wear. My host had woken up too, and I had to get ready in the bathroom. I didn’t finish my coffee. I had to get ready.

Slowing Down in the Forgotten Mining Town of Tkibuli, Georgia

I can’t pronounce Tkibuli. I have practiced the word with ten Georgians, but I still have not got it right. Now you say it, please!

Tkibuli was a small village with a river running through it, many abandoned homes, and a theatre which I couldn’t see. The theatre is said to be a beautiful structure, but it was always closed, probably temporarily. I tried going in three times.

I had hitchhiked to Tkibuli from Nikortsminda, a town about which I have written in the linked post (coming soon). I had been traveling with a Russian traveler, Rasha, whom I had met through Couchsurfing. She had put out a hitchhiking trip to Racha mountains, looking for travelers to join her. I did, and we had arrived in Tkibuli after visiting the mountains. Tkibuli lies in the Imereti region, right at the foot of the Racha mountains.

I was slow in Tkibuli. I walked around, stared at the Tkibula river, found the world’s friendliest and best-priced supermarket, rattled my brains over why there were so many forgotten homes with their doors and windows stolen, cooked, and read the book, The Portrait of a Turkish Family by Irfan Olga.

When I researched a bit about Tkibuli, I found that it was an old mining town from the Soviet era whose population has now moved on. That explains the abandoned homes.

beautiful brezza car parked in himachal mountains india feature image for buy a used car versus new car in bangalore karnataka (1)

Buying a New Car Vs Used Car in Bangalore (Karnataka), Deciding On a Car, and Booking a Car in Bangalore

I wrote this piece in January 2021, when I was looking for a car. Publishing it now with minor grammatical errors. I am sure many things such as prices and car models would have changed, but the basic ideas regarding new car versus used car, how to trust old car dealers, how to do proper due diligence, which car model to choose, how to book a car in Bangalore, what kind of discounts run, how to negotiate the prices of old cars, insurance and extended warranties, car delivery timelines, etc would be the same. Take what you need and leave the information that is not applicable to you or has changed.

Good luck and drive safe. Enjoy 🙂

Sevanavank monastery lake sevan near sevan writers house armenia

My almighty person in Armenia, Ekaterina, had helped me plan my Armenia itinerary. She had suggested visiting the Sevan peninsula and the popular Sevanavank monastery there.

“The monastery is popular so there are a lot of tourists, but it is nice.” Ekaterina had told me.

My post about hitchhiking to Sevan from Alaverdi narrates how I had reached my guesthouse. After a cup of tea, I was out to explore.

I put the peninsula on Google Maps and also read a bit about Lake Sevan. It is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Eurasia. For sure, the lake was big. Once the lake began, it never ended. I couldn’t see the other side of the lake. On Maps, it was huge too. It is about 5000 square km, covering one sixth of Armenia’s territory. Lake Sevan reminded me of Lake Titicaca in South America.

The ancient Sevanavank monastery was once on an island, but due to the overuse of the lake water for irrigation and power generation, it has now become a peninsula. Alright, I would see this peninsula and monastery.

the beautiful sevan lake sevan city armenia hitchhiking from alaverdi to sevan (1)

I hitchhiked to Sevan City, the biggest town on the banks of the giant freshwater Sevan Lake in the middle of Armenia, from Alaverdi in the North. The distance was 120km, and I was going down, towards the south of Armenia. First, I got a ride from the upper Alaverdi that dropped me near the bridge in lower Alaverdi. You can read about the fascinating town in the link I shared above (coming soon).

I walked in the direction of Sevan, both my bags strapped onto me. On the highway, I was picked up by two men in a small truck-van sort of thing. The guy sitting between me and the driver flirted with me all the way. He wanted me to stay back with him in Vanadzor so that he could show me the beach and take me out for a drink. I told him I had friends coming to Sevan from Yerevan and I couldn’t hang out with him. The insistence and rejection went back and forth for seventy-five percent of the ride, after which the lover gave up, the driver increased the volume of the music, and we drove on.

marina beach dubai marina walk the uae (1)

When I Took The Tram to the Marina Beach Dubai, Walked the Dubai Marina Walk, Indulged in a Water Taxi and Falafel, Strolled in the Air Above the BlueWaters Island, and Finished the Day By Taking The Wrong Metro

The morning had started slowly. I had been sleeping on the couch at a friend’s home in South Dubai. They had been accommodating another family who had taken shelter in their home because they were too scared to stay in their own high-floor apartment in a downtown skyscraper. I woke up groggy, not having slept so well. While having tea at nine am, we heard loud interceptions.

The interceptions and the bangs had been dying down, though. My friends, Haninder and Aina, both agreed that it would be okay to go explore a bit of Dubai.

UAE flag loating above the palm trees blue sky UAE visa on arrival for indians article feature image

UAE Visa on Arrival For Indians: Eligibility, Requirements, and Immigration

As I have a US visa, I didn’t take a visa for UAE. I decided to visit UAE on a whim. In early February, I was looking for flights to Turkey. As days passed and flights got expensive while I decided on the date, I do what travelers do. I put in my destination in SkyScanner, a website I have been using for years. I also put in my source destination and looked for flights around the world for the entire month.

Dubai had been on my mind since I had traveled to Chile in 2016 and had an all-night layover on the Dubai airport. I knew it is a major airport and connecting hub. There were many flights from Calcutta to Dubai and from Dubai to Istanbul. The combined fair of the two flights would be slightly more than the single flight from Calcutta to Istanbul. The prices looked great, and so a plan formed in my head.

I searched for visas to Dubai for Indians. I had a hunch that I could fly to the UAE on a valid US visa. My search confirmed my intuition. For Turkey, I could get an e-visa, given my US travel visa (a travel friend and a dear reader had confirmed).

a monastery of armenia used as feature image for armenia visa for indians (1)

Armenia Visa for Indians: My Experience

Indian citizens who hold a valid visa or residence permit from the US, EU/Schengen, UK, or GCC countries can receive a visa on arrival for Armenia.

I showed my US visa at the land border between Georgia and Armenia. The officers didn’t ask me anything. I had to fill a form with information about where I would stay during my visit, my passport details, place of birth, countries visited in the past five years, was it my first time in Armenia, my profession etc. The visa fee was about 3000 Armenian drams or 9 USD (which I paid with my Wise VISA travel card). The visa was printed instantly, and the officer stuck it to an empty page on my passport. It was valid for twenty one days.

The officers were friendly. The one who was processing my visa exclaimed at reading writer as my profession, and I showed him my book. Then I passed through the biometric counter where my picture was taken.

the grand souk sharjah best places to visit in sharjah for free

A Day in The Dusty Emirate of Sharjah, The UAE: Exploring on Foot, Seeing Some of The Best Places to Visit in Sharjah

Sharjah is another emirate in the UAE. While flights have been rescheduled, as I mentioned in this subtly titled piece, I had more time on my hands. Of course, I wanted to see another one of the seven Emirates of the UAE, after visiting Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Several ways were on my mind. Either I could go to Sharjah by bus for a day trip or stay overnight. I had booked one night in a hotel in Sharjah, thinking that I shouldn’t spend all my days in Dubai. That was a fully refundable booking as I was unsure of my plans. Then, while walking around the Old Dubai creek, I saw a board of the Sharjah tourism map, and next to it were mentioned ferries or water taxis to Sharjah.

That sounded too good! The Dubai Creek was fringed with boat stations and marine stations. These marine stations had the water taxi and ferry schedules. The particular boat station Al Gouibiba, which was near the Bur Dubai Marine station, had Sharjah on display. The first time I asked the counter, I only enquired about ferry times, not duration or price. Weekdays had a ferry starting from morning, 7:30 or so, and on weekends, the ferries only ran in the evening. I thought to go on the four pm ferry and return by the eight pm ferry. Or if I was going to stay in Sharjah, then take a one-way ferry.

Visiting Qaṣr Al Waṭan, The Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi (The UAE)

I wasn’t excited to visit Dubai. A Hungarian traveler I had met in Abu Dhabi had told me that a twelve-lane road runs through the center of Dubai. It is busy. Lots of people. Taxis are expensive. He said Abu Dhabi is much quieter.

Now I am all in for new experiences, but who wants to go to a busy city after a quiet one? I had no choice. I couldn’t stay in Abu Dhabi forever. My host had been kind and hosted me for two days. Now, as promised to him, it was time to leave.

I got up at 8:30 and immediately messaged a friend. He is from my college, and we have been in touch. I had messaged him when I had booked a ticket to Dubai, and he was excited to meet. Finally, about to start my journey to Dubai, I wrote to him that I would be traveling to Dubai during the day. To my surprise, and good luck, he replied he was in Abu Dhabi for a meeting, and we could go together if our times synced. He also suggested me to stay with him and his family so we could chill at home.

I said I already have a booking for three days. He replied, “You can crash at our place for the entire duration.” I realized I couldn’t bother them for the five days I would be in Dubai. I didn’t know what was about to happen, though. We are always so clueless.

I overthought our conversation and whether I should accept his invitation while he told me he would message me later in the day. He had meetings to attend.

Meanwhile, I formed a plan.

I would visit the Presidential Palace. I had just searched for things to do in Abu Dhabi, and the palace was at the top of the list. I thought that visiting a palace would give me an insight into the royal life of the UAE. How does the king live? How do they build their palaces? Would there be chandeliers and big halls? The ticket would cost at least seventy dirhams, and on every travel forum, people suggested buying the ticket online to avoid the line at the ticket counter.