May 23, 2011
We drove for hours to get to Karabagh. To spend time we, sang, told jokes, and our tour guide told us informational facts. We also saw at least eighteen to twenty one stray dogs.
Our first stop was to go to “Komidas’s Ayki” for ten minutes. There we saw, many graves of famous writers, poets, composers, and singers such as, Komidas Varatabed, Silva Gabodigian, William Saroyan, Aram khachadourian, Vahan Derian and Ohan Tourian and many others. We prayed for Silva Gabodigian as well as Ohan Tourian. We sang for Komidas Vartabed. We had lots of fun seeing all the sights we learned about.
Our second stop was Khor Virab. We took lots of pictures, and went down steep steps into a dungeon where Krikor Lousavorich was kept as a prisoner for thirteen years. It was very scary going up and down the steps. Going back up was worse. When we got down into the dungeon we were all fine and took pictures. Then we went back up the steep steps.
After going down to the dungeon, we went to go take more pictures. As a special treat, Rubina’s dad got an Armenian Soldier to take a picture with us. It was a very cool experience.
When we were going back to the bus, a couple of students bought birds and let them free. It was so cool! There were fully white birds, and black birds. Some of the white birds had a pink tail or a yellow tail and some didn’t.
After Khorvirab we arrived at the Noravank monastery which was built within the thirteenth and fourteenth century. Noravank was really cool. There were steps with no railing. I was so much fun. Eventually, all the kids climbed the stairs. The stairs led up to a church. Upstairs, it was white. It was very beautiful. I couldn’t believe how pretty it looked!
When we were done looking in the upper part of Noravank, we went down the stairs very carefully and went down in the lower part of Noravank. There, our tour guide told us about the graves and we looked at all the beautiful candles that were lit. There were thin orange and red candles and thick white candles.
Then we went to a church that had a picture of a Mongolian person on the front of it. Digin Ardemis and our tour guide explained there was a picture of a Mongolian person because, if the Mongolian’s decided to attack the church and saw the Mongolian eyes the Mongolian’s would not destroy the church.
We ate dinner at an Armenia restaurant and went back on the bus. We continued our trip to Karabagh. We then checked into the new hotel we were staying in and had a meeting about what we learned and saw today. It was a very adventurous day!
By Daniela Rizza