The day before was a refreshing treat. Walking through the village of Egheg, I met a very nice older couple, retired and living off the land. From being teachers and academics in Kapan, now they are making their own butter, cheese, jam, and lavash over an old wood fire stove. I actually got to make lavash too: just salt, water, flour, and a little leaven, roll it out thin, and throw it on the stove. They wouldn’t let me leave with eating tons of cheese, yogurt (dried yogurt soup), and more cheese, veggies, and pastries for the road. A few miles up, toward the foothills of Aramazd, I ran into same workers taking a break from harvesting wheat under the midday sun. Khorovats and 4 shots of vodka later, I found myself walking through a forest, and finally catching a glimpse of the next peak, Aramazd. I set up camp near a rarely used and vegetarian-dense picnic area, and tried to get some rest before the big day.
