I had great aspirations to write a novel or something of that nature from the backseat of Nancy on the 4000 km road trip Yomadic and I did from Sarajevo to Tbilisi, but that was a pretty stupid idea. Way too many cool things going on outside the window and in my mind. Someday…
One thing I did did manage to throw together though during the less interesting parts (and whilst trying to avoid paying attention to the out of control drivers Nate was dealing with on the road) was this little cinematic ditty. A visual voyage to the ancient Armenian capital of Ani that now rests its ruins just 40 km east of Kars, Turkey, and just a stone’s throw away from the present border of Armenia which has been closed since 1993.
How do you get there? Kars is one of those places that you don’t just end up in, but it isn’t all that far if you are hanging out over in Batumi, Georgia or Trabzon on Turkey’s Black Sea coast. Driving east from Cappadocia, we stopped and slept in 2 different cities on the way (Zara and Erzurum) after driving at least 4 hours a day if that gives you a good idea of just how far it is from some of the more touristed parts of Turkey. Overnight buses work too, but they just suck. Flying from Istanbul or Ankara is the fastest and most convenient option, but it can also be the priciest. From the city of Kars itself, it’s about 40km out to Ani and a piece of cake if you have your own car – it’s a straight shot. If you don’t have your own car, you will need to hire a taxi and according to Wikipedia, it costs 100 Lira for a 5 hour trip which is about $50.
How should I do it? On your own. Please don’t go with a Turkish tour guide or company unless you are 100% sure they are going to present you with unbiased information about what actually went down there. Just don’t…
How much does it cost? I forgot. But less than $5 for sure to have a coffee at the nearby “cafe” and get inside.
10 Comments
Lisa Imogen Eldridge
December 16, 2013 at 3:53 pmI love the fact that you venture to countries that are more unknown. Armenia wasn’t a place I had ever thought of but you’ve inspired me to visit. Thanks.
Larissa
December 18, 2013 at 8:54 pmGreat, I love hearing that and you are most welcome :)
Silvia
December 29, 2013 at 10:59 pmThis looks awesome! I’m planning on going to Armenia in the spring, and now I really can’t wait.
Larissa
January 3, 2014 at 11:11 pmArmenia is great, I will definitely be going back to explore more as I mainly spent time in cities. Need to get out into the mountains!
Ryan
January 8, 2014 at 11:56 amGah! That roadtrip looks so epic. I was following along on Nate’s blog with his dinky car and it fascinated me. I need to explore more of the unknown towns in places I go. Astounded I haven’t been more keen to yet.
Larissa
January 11, 2014 at 10:01 pmJust do it, Ryan. That road trip was probably one of the coolest things I’ve ever done, at least until the next one.
Sally
January 8, 2014 at 11:49 pmI’ll be in Eastern Europe starting this April for about 2.5 months, and this post / your blog is now my official guidebook. And the photography is stunning!
Larissa
January 11, 2014 at 10:03 pmThank you so much, that makes me really happy to hear. Trying to get more posts up, but in the meantime, don’t hesitate to ask me about anything you think I may be hoarding information about.
Corinne
January 10, 2014 at 5:42 pmYes, Ani is fantastic! Well worth the trip, and Kars isn’t so bad after all..great honey and cheese!
Larissa
January 11, 2014 at 10:11 pmIt’s not a bad place at all. Unfortunately I was pretty sick while we were there so didn’t get to explore as much of it as I would have liked. Definitely an interesting place in its own right with an interesting history, especially the Russian chapter.