In the Kudablin project, we send completely different people on traveling at our expense! Irina Fairy visited Armenia: she tried to bake Lavash in Tonira, admired the views of the majestic mountains and ended up at the center of historical events. Read more – in her report!
When we began to agree with Onetwotrip on the Kudablin project, they naturally asked me what countries I would like to. As a traveler with experience, I just listed all the countries of Europe and the neighboring abroad, where I have not yet been.
After all, I would like to go around and see the whole world, and here is such a great opportunity.
But I did not expect at all that the majority of the votes of my subscribers would be for Yerevan and everyone would ignore other European countries. And you know, I am very glad that everything happened like that, otherwise it is not clear when I would fall into this beautiful country – Armenia, which I never really examined when planning travel.
We flew to the Zvartnots Airport, very beautiful, modern and thought out. And they went to the nearest stop, hoping to go by explosion bus to the center. I don’t really react to taxi drivers who are the same in all countries, who said that buses will not go to the center today, we waited for about twenty minutes and the airport employee suggested that nothing was going on, as the strikes began and the entire center was blocked. Then I still did not know that we were in the country at a historical moment.
But so we learned that Yandex is working in Armenia. Taxi at the same level as we have, only the prices here are ten times lower.
As a result, we reached our hotel for 150 rubles. And then only a taxi was always used, because it comes out cheaper than to move by bus in Moscow.
Our hotel was in the very center on Avobyan Street, which leads directly to the square of the republic, because when we went out to take a walk to the heart of the city, we walked with a chanting crowd, not really understanding what was happening.
But everything looked cute and not scary, the crowd consisted of a large number of students and even schoolchildren. The blocked streets were actually only caught shops with youth sitting on them. From the balcony of our number, we observed how more and more people became more, and the slogans were heard louder.
We did not expect to be in the center of political events, because it was really problematic to walk, we even stumbled upon a police that did not let us further, had to return and make circles.
It’s good that my task from OneTwotrip was not strictly attached to the city and I went to perform it in the village of Garni nearby. And the task was that I was supposed to bake a real Armenian lavash.
By the way, I didn’t eat such a delicious lavash anywhere else. Here it is completely different-always very fresh, soft, fragrant and thin, thin, like a napkin.
I was always interested in how it was possible to bake such, even technically I did not particularly imagine how it was done.
It is not for nothing that the Armenians with such reverence relate to national bread born in Tonir – a pit up to 1.5 meters depth, where firewood is placed, and later on the coals, bread is baked or barbecue is prepared.
There is no crumb in the Armenian lavash, so it is easily absorbed and preserved for a long time. I found out that Lavash can be stored for six months, for this it is dried and stored in a dry place. It is enough to sprinkle a little lavash with warm water, wrap in a clean fabric for a few minutes – and it restores the quality of freshly baked bread.
The composition of the dough includes only flour, salt and water, but a sourdough is used in the form of a regular piece of dough from previous baking, placed for a few seconds in Tonir (more known as a tandoor, but in Armenia his name is so). I never understood how they could bake such thin and huge bread so that it does not break until she saw everything with his own eyes, that a special “pillow” is used, where rolled dough is put, and then pressed to the walls of the furnace.
Bake Lavash the first time, about how to sit for the piano for the first time and play Chopin. It is simply unrealistic, dexterity and skill are required, because I did not even risk it and injure myself, it’s very easy to burn myself. Lavash is also a whole art, not in vain in 2014, the Armenian Lavash was included in the UNESCO intangible heritage list.
But I will definitely return to this country and learn to bake Lavash, otherwise this time I was too arrogant about it.
I am summarized: thanks to this journey, I learned that in Armenia it is very tasty, cheap, absolutely everyone speaks Russian, you don’t feel stranger here, people are very friendly and hospitable, and breathtaking from local beauties.
I would definitely recommend going to the cascade to look at the whole city against the backdrop of the majestic mountains, go to the choir virap to the foot of Ararat, see the pagan temple of Garney, the monasteries Gerard and Noravank, located in the most picturesque places, go to Lake Sevan. Much can be done one day than small countries are beautiful.
If you have more than 1000 subscribers in one of the social networks, participate in the Kudablin project, and we will send you to anywhere in the planet at our expense. Where you go and what will you do, your subscribers will decide.
Travels are closer than you think. Submit an application for participation in the Kudabin project, and perhaps you will go to the next adventure!
The author of the text and the photo: Irina Fairy (@miladyfairy)
Photo for Preverty: Unsplash.com
