Meghri

Meghri is where I stayed while onsite and is down the valley at its the widest point. The local emblem is a goat – understandable looking at the slopes. Mchro had a story about some Alpine climbers who came to Meghri to train and being unable to climb the slopes as they couldn’t use conventional climbing methods. For the locals its second nature to run up and down them (well slide down mostly). At one stage when we were working in the mine Mchro turned around and told us “You guys are city guys, Im from around here, its too dangerous for you to go down there so I’ll go and get your samples, you stay here and tell me where to get them”. I am so the exploitative Westerner. The amount of water off the mountains means the valley is extremely fertile and covered with grass and fruit trees, absolutely beautiful if like me you’re lucky enough to visit in spring when they’re in blossom. The fruit juices and cordials around here are excellent (as are the fruit vodkas! fruit based = more alcohol though).
Meghri is also at the southern end of the country, this is the border with Iran. You’ll note theres a river and a decent sized mountain range – most borders in Armenia are easy to distinguish. You’re on this side of the mountain, you’re in Armenia. You’re on the other side, you’re in Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan. Explains why Armenia doesn’t share the best of relations with its neighbours – you wouldn’t come over those mountains without wanting to start something. According to all the info I got only the border with Georgia is open but in practise you can get into Iran and the Iranians can go to Meghri to drink and go to the strip bar (is there a religious law that if you don’t do it in your own country its not a sin?!). By the way the only pub in Meghri is a strip bar. Not that different to an Aussie mining town.
This is the photo taken on the church roof. The boss to my right, the translator to my left. Hell awaits us all.
The local winery. Aside from normal wines (which I think were fortified with vodka) they also make a pomegranate wine - all pretty rough. Conversely the pomegranate vodka was very smooth but +50% alc. Its all kept/matured in similar steel tanks inside the building. To add to the randomness the guy giving us the wines to taste was dressed in camouflage army gear. Meghri was my introduction to serious vodka drinking. Every 10-15 minutes during dinner, a toast, and another shot. Well you only actually have to scull the first, the rest you can sip. I learnt this rule late and chose to ignore it at times. The toasts are harder – you try finding something to drink to when you’ve drunk to each other’s country’s, families, your business together, to my visit, to them coming to visit my home. It goes umm, er, f*k I’m drunk. There is one rule: the third and the last toast are to your parents. This is not just respect but to piss off the Georgians as they drink the first toast to their parents. The Armenians say this is because they forget their parents after a few drinks. You get the impression the Armenians don’t really get on with any of their neighbours?!

Dining room with a view