On the way to Gyumri and the alphabet park, we saw Ararat, Aragats and Ara Ler very clearly. They were so beautiful it looked like they were fake. We also saw a cross made out of 1700 tiny crosses to commemorate the 1700th anniversary of our christianity. We also saw many sheep and one donkey blocking the road. It was crazy! They were forcing us to go around them into the opposite lane. We saw the trees that the graduating class 2 years ago planted for ATP. When we got to the alphabet park, all of us took pictures near our letters.
With 1 1/2 hours still remaining, we stopped at Abaran. We went to the bathrooms and bought refreshments from the restaurant next to it. They were making fresh bread when we walked in. It was so good. Everyone LOVED it. Then we walked back into the bus and got ready to continue the journey.
We passed General Tro’s grave in the Pash-Abaran fight memorial. Pash-Abaran was one of the three fights to make Armenia an independent country. In addition to that we saw the Yezidi cemetery of the 10 to 13 century.
Yerevan is known as the “մայրաքաղաք”, mother city, of Armenia, and Gyumri is known as the “հայրաքաղաք”, father city. The only reason that Gyumri was not chosen as the capital city is that it is too close to the border with Turkey and that Ararat is not visible from there. As the country’s second largest city, Gyumri is Armenia’s cultural center and was heavily damaged in the 1988 earthquake.
Upon arrival, we went to the church nicknamed “7 wounds of Jesus” because their was a picture of him and his 7 wounds in the church. We lighted candles and prayed for our family and friends. Then we took pictures at Vartan Mamigonian’s statue outside.
After that, we went to Hovhannes Shiraz’s home museum. This is what we learned:
Hovhannes Shiraz was born in 1915. He was a famous Armenian writer. His mother put him in an orphanage because she couldn’t take care of him. Later, when he found out that he was being sent to America, he ran away with some other boys. During 1 1/2 years, they survived by stealing food from pedestrians and slept on the streets. Then one day, when it was Shiraz’s turn to steal, he grabbed a lady’s loaf of bread. Suddenly, the woman turned around. Instead of scolding him for trying to steal her bread, she took him in his arms and cried. It was Shiraz’s mother! He finally had a home again!
It was Hovhannes Shiraz’s dream to see Ararat in independent Armenia again. That was why it was his wish for his heart to be buried on top of Mount Ararat. And that is exactly what happened. Following his death in 1984, Armenian climbers buried Shiraz’s heart an the top of Mont Ararat heart in the snow. As for his body, it was buried in the Komitas Cemetery in Yerevan.
Shiraz always said:
—Մարդ ինչքան լեզու իմանայ, այնքան մեծ մարդ կ՚ըլլայ։ Բայց եթէ մարդ իրա մայրենի լեզուն չիմանայ, ճիշտ կարծես դաւաճան ըլլայ իր երկրին։
—The more languages one knows, the better person he is. But if one does not know his native language, he’s like a betrayer to his country.
After that we stopped for lunch at Cherkezi Dzor. The fish was really good. In fact, they raised the fish themselves! The smell even attracted a cat! After lunch, we started the 2 1/2 hour drive back to Yerevan and our hotel.
Tonight the dinner was at Al Mayass. We went to sleep early because tomorrow we need to wake up at 6. We can’t wait for the trip to Khor Virap and Artsakh.
-Vartan and Zulal