Whoa- okay, Sam and I are back in Sisian for a few days, and it's a good thing too. As you may recall, I got sick in the last week of May, and whatever infection that was seems to have settled in my chest. On top of that, Sam and I woefully underestimated how cold the nights were going to be going over the Meghri pass (it turns out that even during summer, it's pretty damn cold when you're sleeping in a tent at 2500 meters above sea level). We spent the night on top of the pass huddled together, doubling up our sleeping bag liners with both of us inside, and the next day Sam developed a really nasty fever. We walked the whole way down the mountain and slept and taught in Lernadzor the next day, but that was it- we were really burnt out.
Fortunately, we were told there was a bus that would drive from Kadjeran, past Lernadzor, and bring us to our next teaching town of Kapan, (where we had a rest day scheduled and PCVs generously willing to let us sleep in their apartments- no more sleeping outside for a few days!). So, as the rest of the crew started hiking the 2 day trek from Lernadzor to Kapan, we waited for the bus. Mets Auftobus ("Big Bus") the good folks of Lernadzor assured us, Shat Mets ("Very Big"), there wouldn't be any problem fitting both of us and our large hiking packs in the bus. Unfortunately, the bus showed up and it was a super small, jam-packed marshutney, into which there was no way that we would both fit, and certainly no way we would fit with our great big bags.
As the marshutney pulled away from the stop and we pondered what to do next, the village kids waved us over towards a man and a parked car, assuring us that this man was from their village and would take us to Kapan. Figuring that this was a taxi driver who wanted to make some extra cash that day (it's not at all unusual for men with cars to run side-businesses driving their personal vehicles as taxis), and so we jumped in. However, when we got to Kapan and the man dropped us off at our destination (the glorious apartment of a PCV who was walking with a different Border to Border crew but who had most generously offered to let us stay in his home- thanks, Daniel!!), we tried to pay him and he wouldn't take any money. It turns out that we had accidentally hitchhiked our way to Kapan. So we tried to take our new friend out for a cup of coffee instead, but it seemed like he had stuff he needed to get done in Kapan, so instead we just hit the sack.
Sam slept for pretty much 2 straight days in Kapan. On the morning of the 3rd day, we taught our lessons, and while the rest of the group started the 3 day walk to Tatev, Sam and I took a taxi back to Sisian. There was no way we were going to spend 3 days sleeping outside feeling as crappy as we were. So, here we are in Sisian. Sleeping inside under warm blankets and eating real food (not just bread and tomato sauce as our walking crew was want to do on the trail) has made a huge difference, and while we're still pretty tired, we're feeling loads better than we were a few days ago.
Tomorrow we'll meet the group to teach in Halidzor, walk to Shinuhayr and teach there, and finally walk to Goris. The next day we'll teach in Goris, and while the rest of the group gets a rest day in Goris, we'll head back to Sisian to spend the night at home, and walk to meet the group in Noravan (a 2 hour hike from Sisian) in 2 days time. From there, pretty much all the villages are day-trips from Sisian until the group takes a 2 day hike over the Vorotan Pass into Vayk. We'll stay home and make day trips, then taxi to Vayk, sleep in PCV apartments there, then the next day teach in Vayk and walk with the group to the final destination of Yeghegnadzor
In the mean time, enjoy some pictures of the glorious food that's available in Sisian in the summer months- it's finally apricot season, and I'm stoked.
