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Starting point: SEVAN Rejuvenated by the cool winds and beauty of Lake Sevan, the cyclists started their third day riding along the southern shores of the lake, passing the 9th century monastery of Hayravank before visiting the famous khachkar cemetery at Noraduz, burial place of kings and princes and home of thousands of beautifully carved khachkars. As is usual in Armenia, local villagers told us the history of the area, then offering us lavash, madzoon, and coffee. Amongst the khachkars, a young boy sang a patriotic song as two elderly women knitted socks and carded wool using old Armenian work tools. Leaving this important, historical khachkar cemetery, we continued along Sevan’s southern shores on to Martuni, where ATG farmers grow wheat on high mountain fields that had been abandoned for years. From Martuni, we entered the newly-constructed Selim Mountain Pass, part of the Old Silk Road. Breezing down the mountain road, we imagined ourselves in the Middle Ages, as caravans took this same path with their silk and treasures. Reaching the Caravansari, we investigated the carvings and chapel before seeing where travelers of the past, and their animals, spent the night during their journeys. At the end of the Selim Pass, we reached the town of Vaik, where we enjoyed dinner at a riverside restaurant, meeting with the region’s vice-governor and other area officials. That night, we stayed in the resort town of Jermuk, located in a river gorge near the main road to Karabagh. To see a map of the route, click here
Itinerary:
If you wish to participate in any part of the upcoming Bike-a-Thon IV, please e-mail us at info@atgusa.org. For more information about how you can help rural Armenia, contact the ATG office at (559) 224-1000 or by e-mail (info@atgusa.org). Tax-deductible donations can be sent to ATG; 1300 E. Shaw, Suite 149; P.O.Box 5969; Fresno, CA 93755-5969. |
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