Hats off to Larry ! NAGORNO-KARABAKH

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NAGORNO-KARABAKH

DECEMBER 2007

Tatik Papik a.k.a "We are our mountains" is the defining landmark of Nagorno-Karabakh

Nagorno-Karabakh: Despite a vicious war in the early 1990's, this region is still claimed by both Armenia and Azerbaijan and declared as independent by itself. The international community considers it to be part of Azerbaijan, yet Armenia controls every single aspect of life -- including the currency and the road in and out. An unofficial cease fire has been in effect since 1994, but it's difficult to envision any kind of final diplomatic solution. Nagorno-Karabakh somehow seems to be chugging along; money from abroad is the savior. Today, things are really quiet here; hopefully the storms are over.

Before deciding to go keep in mind the following:

Be careful where you wander, the fields of Nagorno-Karabakh are heavily mined

There are no embassies here; travelers are advised not to come here; no consular services are available.

The main things to see are Stepanakert, Gandzasar Monsastery, the town of Shushi, and the jaw-dropping abandoned city of Aghdam (officially off limits)

My Experience in Nargoro-Karabakh:

You need to be a very dedicated traveler to get here. It involves getting to Yerevan, Armenia, then traveling another 6 hours by road. There are no flights. Two visas are needed; the first for Armenia and the second for Karabakh which is only issued at a consulate north of Yerevan's city center. All foreigners must register with the Foreign Ministry immediately upon arrival. On the bright side, the road from Yerevan to Stepanakert, the capital, is in surprisingly good shape.

The language barrier was a major problem, but I felt very safe and everyone I interacted with was friendly and helpful.

The Stone Garden Guide to Armenia and Karabagh says that 7,000 tourist visas are issued annually. I think 6,999 come in the summer, and I'm the one who chose December.

Getting a decent meal is tough. The large supermarket had some stuff imported from Europe and that was a life saver.

There is a substantial military presence here. Not a single one of them gave me an ounce of trouble.

I hired a driver to take me to the major sights. He wasn't cheap, but he let me drive his Lada for a few miles. There was no power steering, no power brakes, and the three pedals were too close together.

I stayed in the spare room of a private home for US$20/night. The owner of the home was a 70-year-old woman who could crack walnuts with her bare hands. Neither of us could speak each other's language, but we still had a barrel of laughs. She would sing "Happy New Year to You" to the tune of "Happy Birthday."

On television one evening was a Wheel of Fortune style show where all the contestants had to sing, dance, or perform in some way shape or form. I think it was broadcast from Moscow. I just couldn't believe an Indian woman had a better grasp of Russian vocabulary than the Russian contestants did. She cleaned everyone's clock and walked away with the grand prize including a new car and computer.

Church in Shushi