AYF interns visit Lori, Ijevan and Dilijan

By Nyree Kourkounian, Areni Panosian and Raffi Sarrafian Our group was particularly excited to go on a three-day trip around Lori and Ijevan, as we had all heard from previous interns that it is the one to look forward to the most. We left for the excursion on Friday morning, making our first stop at Debed River for water rafting. This was our first group activity that was this physically intensive, so we were all excited but apprehensive. When we arrived at the site, we were equipped with protective gear and separated into three groups of six. The water rafting instructors then gave us a detailed demonstration of how to maneuver our paddles and follow basic commands, and after this, we were ready to go. The river path we followed stretched about 1.75 miles, and each raft took many twists, turns and drops. The landscape around the river was beautiful, with trees and mountains surrounding us. As our journey progressed, we attempted to race rafts at certain points. We also got to touch the water and enter the river (some willingly and some accidentally!). When we reached the end of the path, we carried our rafts out of the water and then, thankfully, changed into some dry clothes before driving to our next destination. After rafting, we headed to the Cozy House Hotel in Dilijan. This hotel was the most unique that any of us had ever seen. Its exterior reflects traditional Armenian architecture with inviting wooden façades and sloping roofs, complemented by lush greenery and well-tended gardens framing the property. The hotel’s design seamlessly integrates the natural beauty of Dilijan’s mountainous landscape. Upon entering, we were greeted by a cozy and intimate atmosphere. Each room featured a mix of traditional and modern elements, with wooden beams, stone accents and tasteful furnishings that created a homey feel. The common areas were decorated with comfortable seating arrangements, warm lighting and fire pits that added to the inviting ambiance. After a group dinner at the hotel, we met another family staying there; it happened to be their three-year-old son Miko’s birthday. We joined in on the birthday celebration. We danced, sang, ate dessert and bonded with our new local friends, which is a prime example of what the AYF Internship is all about. When the celebration concluded, we all cleaned up and headed to bed ready for the next day, with more adventures to come. The ever-looming second day of this excursion finally arrived, and we woke up and frantically packed our belongings in anticipation of our hike. After breakfast, we ventured to the beautiful nearby lake, Bars Lij, to start off our morning before heading to Haghartsin Monastery. This large 13th century monastery, coupled with its earlier ruins, contains several significant historic points including the tombstones of Bagratuni royalty and a tree stump that is rumored to grant wishes. The historical significance of this monastery displayed once again the longevity and resilience of the Armenian people amidst enemy claims that threaten our heritage and religion. Time and time again, the Armenian people prove through beautiful architecture, art and religious sites that our existence is by no means insignificant. Following Haghartsin, we visited Dadivank, another monastery filled with luscious green fields, beds of roses and Armenian inscriptions on the walls. After taking a photo with a stray dog, our group left Dadivank and headed to our first major thrill of the day: ziplining. We arrived at Yell Extreme Park in the afternoon, all of us shaky and nervous for the excursion ahead. None of us anticipated ziplining in Armenia, as it isn’t a traditional Armenian activity, and we were nervous to experience this new activity in the bright green mountains of Lori. Buckled in safely, we sped through three ziplining courses, awe-struck by the vastness and beauty of the region. The zipline course flew by more quickly than expected, and we soon noticed the sun beginning to set and realized it was time for our hike down to Lastiver. This hike is notoriously long and strenuous; however, the promise of a beautiful treehouse campground at the bottom kept our spirits high as we hiked downhill straight from the ziplining park. Thankfully, a local drove our backpacks and items down in a van, so we didn’t need to haul our bags down the mountain. We walked in a single file line through the branches, rocks and dirt paths, admiring the scenery and feeling thankful for the lack of beaming sun. It was a cool evening, and the hike thankfully was not as difficult as we had anticipated. Armen, our trusted guide on the trip, helped us down the mountain safely, and we successfully made it to the campsite in roughly an hour. Lastiver campground was as remote as we had imagined, lined with wooden tables, tiny treehouses and a river. We were divided into small groups and placed in each of the snug treehouses, where we dropped off our belongings before heading to our table to prepare dinner. The treehouses lined the center of the campground, where other families gathered around a small fire and grilled food. We stored our food and beverages in a pool of cold water, into which the only stream of running water at the site ran for us to wash what we needed. There was no running water besides a singular faucet and hardly any electricity or light; we were immersed into the remote, natural world unlike ever before back in the United States. Though various interns grew up attending AYF camps in America, no camping experience could come close to the isolated treehouses of Lastiver. Armen and our driver Artur prepared the meat for grilling, some interns cut vegetables and cheese and others helped manage the fire. In the meantime, we spoke with some of the other people at the campsite, one of whom was an 11-year-old boy named Areg and his two small kittens. Areg, an avid reader of poetry and Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, impressed us all with his knowledge of local history, and we came to find that his father built and manages the entire Lastiver campground, hence explaining his passion for the land. Areg shared his love of music, dance and literature with us, and eventually, as we peeled the skins off hot eggplants from the grill, we cheered him on as he performed traditional Armenian songs and dances around the fire. The food preparation took multiple hours, and we took short breaks to join Areg and others at the camp in songs and dances around the fire. At one quiet point, a man sang the somber and emotional revolutionary song “Menk Ankeghdz Zinvor Enk,” in celebration and commemoration of the resilience of the Armenian people and army, followed by the recitation of a poem by Areg about the humble and giving spirit of the Armenian nation — a casual Saturday night in Armenia. After a brief moment of seriousness, our group finally convened to eat dinner. We passed around the salad, grilled vegetables, khorovats, lavash and refreshing Fanta, dedicating toasts to one another as well as to Armen and Artur, thanking them for their hard work. Squished together at a wooden table, we shared a meal and strengthened our ties to the Armenian land through this act of communion and bonding. Before heading to bed, a group of interns took a dip in the cold plunge and sauna at the river, concluding the long day with a refreshing natural spa better known as shokehbaghneek. After a late night of eating, dancing and enjoying the campsite sauna, it was unfortunately time to leave Lastiver. We all woke up early in the morning and had a brief and simple breakfast before hiking back up to where we ziplined on Saturday. We dropped off our bags at a van that would meet us back at the top of the hiking route. Going down the mountain was fairly quick and timely. Going up was the exact opposite. The hike started off fine without too much difficulty, but 10 minutes in we all realized that we were going to get a great workout that morning. Thankfully, the weather was fairly cloudy. Sun or humidity would have added an additional layer of difficulty to an already grueling hike. After a couple of breaks, over an hour of hiking and some Armenian lessons from Armen, we returned to where we started our hike Saturday evening. Even though everyone was tired from the hike, the views of the valley and scenery made the hike worth it. Upon receiving our bags and boarding the bus, we were all set to head back to Yerevan. However, we made a quick stop in Old Dilijan on the way. We briefly walked around to check out the village. Many have said that Old Dilijan is similar to Switzerland, and it is hard to disagree with that assessment. After spending 45 minutes exploring, it was time to say goodbye to Dilijan. We made a brief pit stop for food, and after a couple of hours, we arrived in Yerevan and had a calm night before starting a new week of eventful and memorable activities in Armenia.

AYF interns visit Lori, Ijevan and Dilijan

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