Good morning, everybody.
It's about 12:30 Sunday afternoon in Yerevan...about 3:30 Sunday morning back in Columbus....and the skies here are just starting to clear from the steady rain that started right after breakfast. A few more comments, then off to explore this new city for the afternoon.
Now, where did we leave off?
The plane from Paris to Yerevan, on Air France, left right on time and got us in here just before the scheduled 8:55 landing last night. Another flight with every seat taken...of course, with only two incoming flights yesterday (the other originated in Moscow), choices do not abound. The woman sitting next to me, coincidentally, grew up in Upper Arlington (about 5 miles from where we live now), so that evoked a bit of conversation. It was her sixth trip here, so she gave me some pointers on food, culture, etc. Most useful. Otherwise, the plane was largely filled with Armenians returning from Paris vacations and shopping.
With both foreign flights arriving at about the same time, the airport was ready. I already had my visa, so could bypass that line. Passport control had 10 officers on duty, so I was only in line about 5 minutes. Baggage claim took about 20 minutes, and then Customs waved me right through without any inspections or questions. Guess this old guy doesn't look too dangerous. My contacts at the bank were waiting in the lobby, and had me at the hotel within 20 minutes (roughly 15 km. from the airport). A quick check-in, unpacking of clothes, and hopping online to check email; and I was in bed by midnight. Slept solidly for over six hours.
Initially, the city looks to be quite a step up from my only previous experience, in Baku. There was still much activity at 10 last night (I am almost dead-center in the city). Much of the highway from the airport to the city line was lined with gambling casinos on both sides...not as large as Vegas, but with the usual garish neon signs. I'm told the casinos are a dying business here and, not knowing the language or gambling laws/cheating norms, I'm not inclined to find out about them directly.
The streets around the hotel are much cleaner than in Baku...people actually put their litter into trash cans. The few (maybe a dozen) locals I have dealt with so far are universally friendly and helpful...maybe it is because fair skin and blond hair are both rare, so one can tell from 10 km. away that I am a foreigner. They will also look you in the eye, which was not common in Baku until both parties knew each other.
My bank contacts offered to show me around the city today, but I punted so they could spend the free day with their families. We will do the tour next weekend. The work starts tomorrow, with meetings with bank management; then nine full days of training before I depart on the 16th. Conveniently, the bank is only 2 blocks from the hotel - no need for a driver or taxi.
For those of you who love food, I will tell you that I took advantage of the breakfast buffet in the hotel this morning (so I could bill it to the room, since I have no local currency yet). For 3500 AMD (Armenian dram, with an exchange rate of about 360 to the USD), I spent 90 minutes navigating 8 types of pastries, three cereals, yogurt, oatmeal, bacon, ham, sausage, cheese, melon, fruit cups, an omelette station, baked potato pieces, rice with peppers, and some of the best coffee I've had in a long time. No, I didn't sample everything....just a good chunk of the offerings.
OK...the rain has ended, and I need to buy some dram and take some pictures to post later. Hope all of you are happily sleeping right now. Later!
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