A 3 day tour...

The three day expedition is done - and it is drained me quite thoroughly. The road was extremely long, the suspension of the massive SUV extremenly unpleasant, and the sections of road where it was windy or pot holed made for a nauseating, tiring trip. It was, however a great trip. The landscapes were fantastic, the sites often fascinating and rewarding, certainly interesting, and the food often impressive. The biggest letdown was that the large and beautiful/comfortable hotel in Lori we were looking forward to staying at was fully booked. I was not a popular guy since I was the one who decided we didn't need to book a room in such a big hotel at this time of year - though in the end we wouldn't have gotten a reservation even if we'd called as soon as we'd decided to go, so I was not completely guilty. The main purpose of the trip - to photograph sites that have recieved assistance was definitely a success. The people at the sites - which we showed up at unannounced to photograph them on a normal day, were all very happy to see us, and very helpful. It was cool. I was also able to give some gardeners in Ijevan and Dilijan my Candy Lily seeds, so I look forward to seeing more and more of those all over Armenia :-)

It is so good though to be back in my own home, in my own bed (typing from bed, thanks to the laptop). Still waiting for my tiny camera to arrive - then I should log pictures much more often.

I feel a bit overwhelmed though with all the things need to get done now that I'm back - including the reprint of the Armenia guidebook I am working on, and the remodeling of the apartment which is just not happening until I get some preliminary steps taken care of.