Sorry for the radio silence!
Blame filtered internet access in Iran that did not let me access my pictures in Google+, a government-sponsored virus that deleted all my pictures from Iran in my memory card (I managed to recover most of them later), a crazy three-day transit in Turkmenistan without any access at all and lately very poor internet connection in Uzbekistan. And yes, I'm already in Uzbekistan but let me ask you to travel back in time and space to one of my favorite countries: Armenia.
That tiny country in the Caucasus is home to an ancient culture and some of the friendliest people on Earth. I had already visited Yerevan and its surroundings a couple of years ago, when I worked there for two weeks, and could not wait to return and explore the country more deeply. This time, I also stayed mostly in Yerevan, doing day-trips to nearby sites and some other longer trips to more remote areas. But it was always nice to come back to Yerevan, meeting friends and feeling a bit like at home is this very welcoming city.

My first trip outside the capital took me to Mount Aragats, the highest peak in the current Republic of Armenia. Do not mix up with Ararat, the sacred mountain for Armenians, which still lies on Turkish soil. Or in Western Armenia, as Armenians usually refer to Eastern Turkey. In any case, Aragats is a 4000m+ volcano with a few summits around its crater and a decent road that goes almost all the way to the top. It passes an astronomical research facility and then goes up to the observatories located at 3200m of altitude, next to a famous lake (Kari Lich) and a cafe/restaurant. That is where I drove my bike and left it parked while I had lunch and hiked to the top. It was pretty late and I was told that the hike to the easiest summit takes about two hours... well, I managed to do it in about an hour pushing my physical condition to its limits.

On the way, I met a few shepherds herding their sheep on the green fields around the volcano and I decided to take a picture of one of the shepherd girls. She did not like it very much because she started throwing stones at me... luckily none of them hit their target. That was how Armenian girls welcomed me into the country...

I did not lose my motivation after dodging the stones and continued to the top, which rewarded me with great views of the other summits and the crater interior. The weather was great and there was nobody else, mainly because of the time I chose to start hiking... more or less when everybody has already returned home.

Armenia is saturated with very old monasteries, some of them dating back to early Christianity. They have many common features, like their conical domes and carved crosses, and they are the main touristic draw in the country. One day I went with Sophie, a friend of mine, for a motorbike ride to Khor Virap. It is not too far from Yerevan, near the base of Mount Ararat on the Armenian side of the border. This is where Saint Gregory the Illuminator, the patron saint of Armenia, was kept in a dark and humid pit for years. The legend says that he was released when he managed to heal the king's madness, after which the whole kingdom was officially converted to Christianity. Thus Armenia became the first Christian country in 301 AD.

Another famous monastery is Tatev, in the south of the country. It can be reached by a modern cable car but I decided to ride my motorbike all the way there, down and up again a very deep gorge. Tatev is impressive because of its remote location and the views of the valley underneath. Besides, it is surrounded by a defensive wall that makes it a religious fortress rather than just a monastery.

All this time I was based in Yerevan, enjoying the cafes, restaurants, nightlife and friends I made over there. It is also a very comfortable city, easy to orientate, with a very compact center arranged in a square grid and surrounded by ring roads. Within that area, it is possible to walk anywhere in less than 30min... that is why I stayed five weeks in Armenia instead of the two that I had originally planned...