at Kashan | کاشان
Caucasus + Western Asia
Here you’ll find all the articles and short posts I’ve published about hitchhiking and hospitality in the Caucasus + Western Asia. I traveled in countries such as Georgia, Armenia, Iran, and Turkey mostly in 2014.
- Georgia: my best friend whom I met at university comes from Georgia, so I visited there for the first time for New Year’s in 2012/2013. Then in summer 2014, I hitchhiked from the Netherlands to Tbilisi in five days to attend her wedding. After that, I traveled back and forth to Georgia from Armenia and Abkhazia, living in Tbilisi’s Vake Park with a band of cool people and absolute weirdos.
- Armenia: I visited Armenia twice in 2014. Once with a Polish friend on a short trip, and once on my way to Iran.
- Abkhazia: I visited this disputed territory after getting travel permission in Zugdidi. It was a strange place, but also incredibly beautiful. I had a lot of fun at Stalin’s Dacha and in Gagra.
- Iran: after picking up my visa in Armenia, I hitchhiked around Iran for 28 days in October/November 2014. These were some excellent times!
- Turkey: I’ve been to Turkey four times, of which twice with my family. The last two times I was there speed hitchhiking through to get to that wedding on time. The second time, after Iran, I had more time to explore between Van, Batman, Hatay, Mersin, Northern Cyprus, Ankara, Eskişehir, and İstanbul.
Because of the top-tier hospitality in the Caucasus + Western Asia, I’m longing to return pretty much every day I’m feeling a little uninspired.
Getting Closer to Iran: Hitchhiking Vayk→ Goris→ Kapan (Armenia)
Photo from when I hitchhiked from Vayk (Վայք) to Goris (Գորիս) in Armenia in one ride with a guy named Artur. That’s a good 100 kilometers closer to Iran! After taking a short break in Goris because of the rain, I’m continuing my hitchhiking trip to Kapan (Կապան). I had a nice cup of coffee with Artur at a place called Deluxe Lounge Cafe—a surprisingly fancy place in the center of Goris along the main thoroughfare. Then he left for business in town. From here, it’s very easy to walk 1.5 kilometers out of town to hitchhike south to KapanContinue reading
Hitchhiking Yerevan to Vayk with an Iranian Visa in Hand (Armenia)
The last time I was in Armenia, I also hitchhiked this road on the way to Jermuk. But today I only went as far as Vayk (Վայք). I wasn’t hitchhiking alone back then, but with Michał from Poland and our multi-day super driver. The road passes by the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan within spitting distance at the town of Chiva (Չիվա). Well, not really spitting distance; it’s still like 1.2 kilometers. Our driver from back then told us that there were snipers just over the ridge. That’s why – and this is a quote, nothing I verified – there’s a sandy barrier on oneContinue reading
Soviet Acropolis and Brutalist Mall in Yerevan, Armenia
While waiting at a traffic light while taking a short ride in a taxi before hitchhiking to Vayk, we pulled up to this beauty of a building. Call it… the Soviet Acropolis in Yerevan, Armenia! I love it. I unironically love it. You all know I have a weakness for brutalist architecture… right? If not, now we know. Also, adoring brutalism is absolutely a personality trait. Ah, I’m going to miss beautiful Yerevan. Finding this Soviet Acropolis again on the map was a challenge that proved impossible. I searched everywhere, but couldn’t find its coordinates for you. My best guessContinue reading
Iranian Visa: Picking Up My First Visa in Yerevan, Armenia
NOTE: If you want to use this picture of me preciously holding my first visa for an article about getting an Iranian visa and such, read my page about using my content first. Wanted: a visa to Iran YESSSS! I just picked up my very first visa. If you’re new here: I’ve been trying to obtain an Iranian visa for months now, first starting at the Iranian embassy in Tbilisi. I just walked in and asked, but they couldn’t really help me. I went to bureaucratic hell and back and considered hitchhiking to the Iranian consulate in Trabzon in Turkey.Continue reading
The Last Hostel Before Iran (Yerevan, Armenia)
I did something unusual today: I checked into a hostel called One Way Hostel in Yerevan, Armenia. This time no picture from me camping in my tent somewhere awesome. I’m expecting this to be the very last hostel in a while; Iran probably doesn’t have mixed dormitories, especially mixed-gender ones. One night in a dormitory shouldn’t affect my Iran budget that much. Soon I’ll have to exchange my last Armenian Dram to get some stacks of Iranian Rials to buy very cheap cigarettes with. That’s what I’ve heard from everyone I encountered who’s been to Iran in recent times; highContinue reading
Café-Surfing in Yerevan, Armenia
Staying at a hostel in Armenia’s capital city Yerevan didn’t work on a spontaneous basis. But spontaneous couchsurfing at a garden café (café-surfing) worked well. It was a little chilly! We received tea in the morning from the nighttime furniture guard. Yes, we had permission to crash on the couch. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the name or location of the café anymore. My memory fails me! Though judging by the stripes on the shadow thingy, I think it could be this one. The cushions also look familiarly comfy. Now it’s time to pursue that Iranian visa before winter is here.Continue reading
A Rainy Day at the Iranian Embassy and Bank in Yerevan, Armenia
It was raining, so I took a sad rainy selfie right outside the Iranian bank (Mellat Bank) in Yerevan. I needed to travel here from the Iranian embassy to drop my €75 worth of money to pay for the visa. This wasn’t straightforward to me at all and felt like such a strange thing to do. Strange because there’s no guarantee that they will give me a visa. It’s a maybe yes, maybe no, and they don’t even owe me an explanation if they refuse my request. No other transaction that I’m willing to engage in works like this. IsContinue reading