Lost & Found in Armenia’s Capital – Yerevan, Yerevan, Armenia

YEREVAN wasn’t planned. It just happened to fall into my 2.5-month long solo journey across West Asia, Eastern Europe, and North Africa. By the time I rolled into Armenia’s capital, I had already crossed countries, borders, and cultures, but Yerevan left its own mark in a way I hadn’t expected.

I arrived on an overnight bus from Batumi, Georgia. The ride was uneventful until we reached the border in the middle of the night. That’s when things slowed down for me. Having been to Azerbaijan just before Georgia, I was pulled aside for extra questions. Nothing too dramatic—just the usual, “Why were you there? Where are you headed now?” But there’s something about border officers staring you down under harsh fluorescent lights that makes you more nervous than you should be. Eventually, they waved me through, and I sank back into my seat, relieved.

At dawn, the bus dropped us—not in the middle of Yerevan, but somewhere on the outskirts. I had no SIM card, no Wi-Fi, no map I could rely on. Two other travelers from the bus were in the same situation, so the three of us decided to just walk. It was about 1.5 kilometers to the center, through quiet streets waking up to a new day. There was a strange beauty in that silence—three strangers hauling backpacks, following instinct, and hoping the city would reveal itself. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).