Աժդահակ
In 2018, Detlef and Gabi drove their 25-year old Opel Vectra from Germany through Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, the full length of Turkey, and Georgia. Having reached Armenia, they gave the Opel away and climbed the mountain of their dreams. A Photostory.
In Bulgaria
An uncle had left us a 1992 Opel Vectra, which we never used as we were living abroad working for UNICEF. In 2018, after retirement and resettlement in Germany, we decided to take it to Armenia where Opel vehicles are popular and well looked after. We also planned another attempt to climb Mount Azhdahak, which we had tried before without success. It took us 12 days and more than 5000 kilometers to reach Yerevan.
Ready to leave from home. We only took a small backback each and our hiking boots. If the Opel would give up on us, we wanted to be flexible.
Second overnight in Szeged, Hungary
In Romania, new traffic signs
Having crossed the Bosporus. The bazar in Safranbolu, Turkey
Turkey, more strange traffic signs
Black Opel Vectra at the Black See
Several hours waiting at the border between Turkey and Georgia
After 4000 kilometers, Batumi. So far, so good.
A plaque for Anton Chechov and Maxim Gorki. Just in case you don't know the Georgian alphabet, there is a translation in Russian with cyrillic script.
The alphabet tower in Batumi, with 33 letters.
Georgia and Armenia are incredibly artful
Our only puncture - though we had some warning lights flashing up on the dashboard and a variety of rattling noises under the hood.
Inside Prometheus Cave, Georgia
Sideways
The inscript of the mobile store says (in German!): Shopping at your doorsteps
This garage figured out what caused the rattling noise. Reassured, we continued without bothering any more about the noise.
Pine powder cures the Lungs, Immuizations (!), Bronches and Cough of english speaking people. Perhaps it also helps against Covid? Russian speaking people can be cured from rheumatism, radiculitis and sciatica
Iranian Hotel in Borjomi. Borjomi is a kind of Georgian Disneyland, though we found a bar to watch the match for third place of the 2018 World Cup.
The Wardsia Cave Dwellings - not unlike the Mesa Verde caves in Colorado
We did not have any maps, nor any reservations. Google and Tripadvisor helped us getting around
Entering Armenia
Armenia
The singing fountains in Yerevan - a nightly spectacle
We continued to travel a bit through Armenia - here at the far end of Lake Sewan, at the easternmost point of our journey.
Armenia
Armenian letters. We just had mastered Georgian, and now this.
We traded our Opel in exchange for a lift with this even older UAZ into the Geghama Mountains, up to a place from where we could start our hike to Azhdahak Mountain
The Russian UAZ is as rugged as the mountain
Where even the 4WD can not go further, at an elevation of 2900 meters, we started the hike
Azhdahak is a volcano, with spectacular colours. We had timed our journey in the hope to see some snow, and we just got it right.
View from Azhdahak Mountain over the Geghama Range
On top of Աժդահակ (Azhdahak), 3597 meters high. And yes, we did the tour around the crater lake to the top!
The last wash
Our Oldtimer Opel Vectra, clean, with its new Armenian number plate
Other photo-stories by Detlef:
- Lunae Montes - a journey to the source of the Nile, in 1980
- The Somalia Experience
- Operation Lifeline Sudan, the first years in pictures
- The Door to Hell and the Path to Health (Turkmenistan)
- Rudaki, a Wedding and Proto-Urban Sarazm (Tajikistan)
- A Walk on the Wild Side (New York)
- Into the Midnight Sun (Journey to the North Cape)
- Top of Mexico
- Magic South (Southern Africa)
- At the edge of the bog - where we live
Detlef can be contacted via detlefpalm55@gmail.com
You and Gabi are more than adventurous! What a FUNtastic trip. The pictures speak a thousand words! I wonder what I'd fill in my backpack for such a trip[? Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks Detlef for sharing this pictorial story. It reminded me of xUNICEF organized trip to Armenia and Georgia in 2019. Great places to visit in both countries. Cheers!
ReplyDeletePhotos are fantastic. Almost like I took the trip. Thanks for sharing Detlef and Gabi.
ReplyDeleteWonderful!
ReplyDeleteFantastic thanks for sharing. You both are such adventurous!
ReplyDeleteFantastic, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI have friends who studied in Bulgaria and Romania. one of my son is just back from Hungaria. I have never been to any of those countries. But with this extraordinary photostory, it was as if I were there, as if I always have been there.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your "Just in case you don't know the Georgian alphabet, there is a translation in Russian with cyrillic script", because, yes, we always have been familiar with the cyrillic alphabet.
I was great!
Great trip. You should have gotten a sales agreement to sell Pine Powder pipes. Even good against immunizations???
ReplyDeleteDetlef and Gabi - you are just wonderful. Thank you for this beautiful diary.
ReplyDeleteThank you dear Gabi and Detlef for sharing such an amazing adventurous trip with wonderful pictures which speak by themselves. This story made my day and I fully enjoyed it as I was traveling myself. You are an amazing couple and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work closely with Detlef. Stay healthy, in a great shape and keep your adventurous spirit high. We look forward to welcoming you again to Albania. Ori
ReplyDelete