I was exhausted! It was a long hard day. I woke up in Karanhunj, and decided to explore a bit before heading to my next destination, the Ukhtasar(camel) peak, at 3,550 m. above sea level. I wore my ‘trekh’ shoes: I wanted the challenge, but also because I thought it would be better to travel as they did. I walked approximately 18 km., all uphill, under the blazing sun. No rivers, no forests, no trees, no shade. By the time I reached the summit before the peak I was dead, just shuffling my lifeless body forward. I took a break, ate something, and laid down—mostly because I was tired, but also my back was still hurting. I don’t think the shoes did me any favors, and I won’t be able to walk long distances in them. After getting some energy back, and realigning my spine, I slipped on my normal shoes, and headed up for the last scramble to the peak, straight up with loose rocks and dirt, the only thing to step on. Making it to the top was worth the push; I could see for kilometers in every direction. There were green grassy rolling hills like pillows darting one after the other, with placid lakes scattered where they met. When I came down camping by the closest lake, I met some British archaeologists, an older couple who had been coming to Armenia almost every year since ’93. They said this area was an active volcano range, that many artifacts have been found, and petroglyphs, which I would explore the next day. It was great speaking English with them, comfortable, without searching for words. It was a nice break, and lifted my spirits before heading to bed to start another long trip.
