Caucasus -- October 2012
For my autumn break, I flew to Tbilisi for a week of fun in the Caucaus: Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. My first, and most anticipated, destination was the village of Kazbegi, in the north of Georgia. Microbus transport in Georgia is popular but, as you might expect in a mountainous country, terrifying.
The Kazbegi area is famous for Tsminda Sameba, a church perched on a beautiful hill overlooking the village. It is, perhaps, the most photogenic location on Earth.
Kazbegi is also the launching-off point for mountaineers who wish to climb Mt Kazbegi, the second-tallest peak in the Caucasus mountains. The climb is manageable for a fit person: you'll need crampons or an ice axe to make it across a glacier to the base camp (although you can scramble across in hiking boots if you're brave). Georgia's a fantastic destination for anyone with a penchant for hiking and stunning vistas.
After a day exploring Tbilisi's old city and ridiculous new architecture, I took an overnight train south to Armenia. Yerevan, the capital, is a bustling, exciting city. I was hoping to visit the Matenadaran, but unfortunately arrived too late in the afternoon. I spent much of a day at the Khor Virap Monastery in the south of the country. The ancient religious center has a delightful history, and is located perilously close to the Turkish border (top right in the picture below).
Because of the taut political situation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, it's impossible to cross the border between those two countries, so I headed back to Tbilisi to catch a train to Baku. Caspian Sea oil has made Azerbaijan rich, and Baku bears many similarities to the oil capitals of the Middle East. The old city was a bit too touristy for me, but I found serenity by tracking down the childhood home of prominent Soviet physicist Lev Landau.
My final destination was Nakhchivan, a province of Azerbaijan trapped between Armenia, Turkey, and Iran. It was not a great choice. In addition to being at the center of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, with corresponding paranoia and police-state mentality, and being basically unequipped for even basic tourism, Nakhchivan is probably pursuing a programme of archeological cleansing, and the local people and police seemed quite concerned about a Westerner walking around unsupervised.
Advice: In addition to being an amazing destination, Georgia doesn't require a visa for citizens from many countries. Armenia and Azerbaijan, on the other hand, both require a visa. And don't go to Nakhchivan.
