Kond

Flights to Yerevan typically arrive very early in the morning. By the time you arrive at your hotel, the only thing you really want to do is sleep. And that's what I did.

When I woke up, I got something to eat, but I didn't really do much after that. The next day being Labor Day, the U.S. embassy was closed, so I went for a walk to the Kond neighborhood.

From the map I had, it looked like it was an older area with a lot of dense housing units. Back in June, I'd heard about it, but didn't have time to check it out.

Sure enough, the buildings in the area dated at least from the Soviet era, though there were some parts along the streets that had been gentrified.

It was kind of surprising to see a building like this one (below) right behind a very modern looking restaurant (above right). But that's Kond. It may not be fancy, but it has a charm all its own. I was told I could walk into anyone's house and ask for something to eat, and they'd probably give me something. Compare that to the U.S., where I'd more likely be shot in the face.