Author Archives: admin

Iraq – Kurdistan (Erbil, Suleymaniyeh, Dohuk) December 9-10, 2019 Currency. Iraq Dinar (IQD). Exchange rates (December 2019). 1US$ = 1200 IQD. 1 € = 1,316 IQD. There is no black market for the Iraq Dinar. Diesel. At 600 IQD/litre this … Continue reading →

Turkey – Northeast, Central-East Anatolia (Erzurum, Kars, Van, Malatya) December 4-6, 2019 I entered the far north of this area from Georgia. Turkish immigration was the usual bureaucratic nightmare where they check the same documents 3 times. With a great … Continue reading →

Turkey – Northeast, Central-East Anatolia (Erzurum, Kars, Van, Malatya) December 4-6, 2019 I entered the far north of this area from Georgia. Turkish immigration was the usual bureaucratic nightmare where they check the same documents 3 times. With a great … Continue reading →

Azerbaijan – Nakhchivan    December 5-6, 2019 GETTING IN Visa. My initial e-visa to Azerbaijan was a single entry and terminated with that use. When I wanted to enter Nakhchivan, I had to get a second visa on an urgent basis … Continue reading →

Nagorno Karabakh December 2-3, 2019 GETTING IN From the south shore of Lake Sevan on basically snowless roads, I drove through a NM “XL” series sight – Vardenis area (East of Lake Sevan). On my way to Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh, … Continue reading →

The Armenian Genocide (also known as the Armenian Holocaust) was the systematic mass extermination and expulsion of 1.5 million ethnic Armenians within the Ottoman Empire (most of whom were citizens) by the Ottoman government from approximately 1914 to 1923. The starting date is conventionally held to be 24 April 1915, the … Continue reading →

Armenia – Syunik, Vayots Dzor (Kapan) December 3, 2019 After only about 8 hours in Nagorno, I left Shushi to return to southern Armenia. Although I thought I had climbed as high as I could, the road continued to climb … Continue reading →

Armenia – Yerevan, Ararat, Kotayk, Aragatsotn, Armavir   November 30-December 1, 3-4, 2019 Day 2 YEREVAN (pop 1,073,000) Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia as well as one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, it is the administrative, … Continue reading →

Armenia – Gegharkunik, Lori, Shirak, Tavush (Gyumri) November 29, 2019 OBSERVATIONS 1. Currency. Armenian Dram – AMD. Exchange rate (Nov 2019): 529 AMD = 1€. 2. Drivers. Easily the worst thing about Armenia is the aggressive drivers. Of the “accelerate … Continue reading →

Nagorno-Karabakh, officially the Republic of Artsakh, is a country in the Caucasus. It is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but is closely linked in every way to Armenia and accessible only through Armenia. WARNING: There is a very high … Continue reading →