FOCUS - NOVEMBER 2017 55 TICO #4577532 158 Casimir Street, Port Perry 905-985-2268 jean.scott@marlintravel.ca MC Call Jean today at Bucket list... COSTA RICA The history of this tiny nation is an integral part of its being, and gives you a true understanding of life there when visiting. The countryside is beautiful and the people are extremely proud of their heritage. I stayed in the capital city of Yerevan for three nights and toured the area from there. Fortunately the country is small enough to make that possible. The 28 degree temperatures were tol- erable, as the air was dry. Cooler condi- tions prevailed in the mountains. I was amazed to see the many monasteries, most of which are 1,000 – 1,500 years old and are constructed in a unique manner to withstand earth- quakes, which are quite common in the region. Another very interesting visit was to the Holy City, the centre of theArmenian Church, and the adjoining Etchmiadzin Museum. I stood in awe as I gazed on religious relics such as the spear be- lieved to have been used to stab Christ and authenticated to the first century CE. There was also a piece of the cross and a piece of wood alleged to be part of Noah’s Ark, which ran aground on nearby Mount Ararat. The Cathedral is magnificent. The decorations have you gaping in many directions, and the sheer size is as- tounding. The site also serves as a seminary for would be priests, a voca- tion which appears to be on the rise. Overall the country is quite poor, compared to neighbouring Turkey and Azerbaijan. Unfortunately Armenians cannot travel to either of those na- tions, as relations are nonexistent. This makes Russia and neighbouring Georgia the only countries they can visit directly. I spent a few days away from the capital city and ventured to the town of Goris, located deep in the mountains. Enroute we stopped on the slopes of Mount Ararat to view the spectacular, snow-capped peak and visit the adja- cent Monastery. For Armenians, Mount Ararat is a symbol of their existence. For all Christians this is a very holy area, and the cradle of biblical civiliza- tion. The sad part is that through recent conflicts, Mount Ararat is now part of Turkey, and Armenians only have visual access to it. I continued on to Goris and a rode in the world’s longest, continuous cable car deep into a gorge where settle- ments, dating back to the Stone Age, can still be found. It is also where the University of Goris sits, res- urrected on the site of an ancient academy. The government is clean- ing up the shores of the largest lake of the country, Lake Seven, where many Armenians go to relax, picnic and enjoy water sports. The country has come a long way since gaining independence twenty-five years ago, but it still has an extensive road ahead. I was glad to have been able to spend a week there, as I thoroughly enjoyed the people, the food and the history. It also gave me a greater appreciation of how fortunate we are to live in the safety of Canada. Jonathan van Bilsen is a photographer, author, columnist, keynote speaker and can be followed at photosNtravel.com DO YOU KNOW….. ........ that terms such as BC and AD have been changed to CE and BCE? Do you know what the acronym stands for? Email me your best guess at jon@photosNtravel.com Answer, next month. Last month’s ‘Do You Know’ was … ........ what is the highest moun- tain in Canada? The answer is Mount Logan in the Yukon. Beautiful Tatev Monastery high in the mountains dates back to the 9th century. Areni Cave is where the oldest shoe in the world was discovered, dating back 5,500 years.