The Mountain Cool in Armenia
It’s four hours from Tbilisi to Dilijan with the mashrutka or minivan, including the border crossing between Georgia and Armenia. Private companies run them and leave when there are enough people. The return trip from Dilijan involves going via Yerevan and adds about four hours to the journey. I used a GoTrip taxi. They also run in Armenia and, as usual, they stop for you to take photos.
A journey by mashrutka is a memorable experience! The drivers tend to speed and swerve a lot. The main aim seems to be to get to the destination as fast as possible. And yet, when a car pulled out on us on the main road our driver and half the passengers got off and spent fifteen minutes arguing with the car driver. It got very heated and almost ended up in a brawl!
Dilijan
A stay in Dilijan was a very good excuse to escape the extreme summer heat and enjoy the mountain cool in Armenia. As we entered the mountains the temperatures began to dip to a very civilised 20C. I was the only one getting off in Dilijan which gave me an escape from the American that had spent most of the journey talking at me.
Dilijan has a laidback and mountain retreat vibe. Its central point is a charming lake. The upper part of the town has well-reformed old houses, and the surrounding area is still thick with forest. I was more than happy to stay for a few days to enjoy the town and make the most of its good quality cafés and restaurants.
Sevan Lake
The train in Dilijan has long since ended its service. The local bus to Sevan lake leaves every two hours from 0900 to 1700.
I called to the driver to stop as soon as we had passed the peninsula to Sevanavank Monastery. I backtracked a little and eventually reached the beach path alongside the dark and uninviting lake. A few people were enjoying a picnic breakfast, and the jet-ski rental man was having a brief play with one of the machines. The hotels and resorts are popular with Russian tourists.
Sevanavank Monastery
The two intact buildings of the stark 12th century Sevanavank Monastery are neatly placed on a hill at the end of the peninsular. They lend wide spread views over the lake and the waterside town of Sevan.
Many local families had come to hike up the steps to the monastery. It is obviously a popular excursion as there are plenty of food and trinkets are for sale alongside the carpark. It was straightforward finding a taxi to get back to Dilijan in time for coffee and cake.
