We woke up with the excitement of the amusement park last night, packed our bags and headed back to Yerevan. Today we would be going to Datev monastery and tramway, and Jermuk.
On the ride to Datev, we saw the town of Karin Dag, the valley where the Armenian freedom fighters climbed up the steep mountain to liberate Shushi. It was a beautiful sight with all the trees and nature.
When we got to Datev to experience the longest reversible tramway in the world, we were a little late for our ride… but we made it. We got on the little cable car and started off into the valleys and hills. It was a beautiful site to see. The scenery was spread out all around us. We saw three waterfalls sprouting out of the mountainside. We arrived at the other end of the cable and got off the car.
We had to walk up a bumpy set of steps to get to the base of the monastery. First, we went into the stone building where they made vegetable oil. They used to crush the seeds of the vegetables (especially sunflower seeds) with a big circular rock.
We got out of the small building and entered the large walls of the monastery. We went into the church first, that had undergone slight renovation. The church was called St. Boghos Bedros. The whole monastery was named after the saint Krikor Datevatzi. He was a teacher and preacher at the monastery. His grave was in a little room off to the side of the church. We said a prayer near his gravestone.
Outside, there was a big tower about 20 feet high. It was supposed to shake with hinges when a earthquake was coming. Now, it is immobile.
We also met some backpackers that were on a trip for college. They were from a farming and agriculture college in North Carolina. One of them was originally from Boston. We took some pictures with them and left the monastery with the tramway. We went to lunch at a restaurant on the Datev grounds. I had chicken soup and french fries. We got back on the bus to go to Jermuk, an unscheduled stop.
Jermuk is a city filled with hot springs, waterfalls, and streams. First, we went to the small hot springs in front of a big building with columns. Each fountain was flowing with mineral water at a different temperature. It started with 30 degrees Celsius and ended at 53. It felt so good to wash your face with the warm water of Jermuk. We also walked down a trail that led to a small pool of hot water. We all put our feet into it and enjoyed the warmth. After that, we walked down another trail that was showing off a number of statues of the faces of freedom fighters like Kevork Chavush amongst others. I also saw a crocodile in one of the ponds (not a real one).
We went back to where the bus was parked but we were stopped by the parents. They said that we were going in Jeeps to the big waterfall on the more mountainous side of the town. When we got there, we started to walk on the trail that led to the waterfall and that was along the banks of the rapids.
We saw a number of large snails sliding around slowly on the cliffs and walkway. We got to the waterfall and took so many pictures. It was such an awesome view. The rapids were so strong and fast. They sprayed mist over everyone.
We got back into the Jeeps after more pictures and drove back to our bus so we could start our journey back to the Yerevan Marriott.
Nathan Kefeyan