We arrived in Van in the evening, exhausted from the hot bus ride, and checked into our hostel. After a quick bite, we went straight to bed. The next day, we explored the Van Castle, perched high on a massive rock overlooking the lake. With hardly any tourists around, we practically had the place to ourselves. Since our time in Eastern Turkey, we’ve only seen a handful of foreign tourists, which has been a pleasant change.
We hiked up the rock to see a mosque and enjoyed the stunning views of the remains of Old Van City, which was destroyed during WWI. On our way down, we decided to explore the base of the rock and stumbled upon some friendly kids who wanted to say “hello” and take pictures, as well as two men shearing sheep. The process was fascinating to watch: they first catch the sheep, give them milk with a sedative to calm them down, tie them up, and then shear off all the wool with large scissors, leaving the sheep much happier without its heavy coat.
At the base, we found Armenian inscriptions, tombs carved into the rock, and ruins of old mosques, hammams, and buildings dating back to the 1500s. After our exploration, we headed back to the hostel, relaxed, and wandered around before meeting some fellow backpackers: Philip from Germany, Moson from Iran (born in Bangladesh, living in Vancouver), and Lucas from Switzerland.
We all went out for dinner and then to a teahouse to have chai and play backgammon, just like the local men do every evening. As the only woman in the teahouse, I received a few curious looks, as it’s typically “men time.”
After two nights in Van, we took a bus to the city of Kars. Thankfully, this bus ride was much more comfortable. Upon arrival, we found our hotel with the help of a local and went out for dinner. Kars is famous for its honey and specialty cheeses, so we stopped by a small store to sample them. The honey was incredibly delicious and the cheese, with its jerky-like texture, was surprisingly good and not too salty. We ended up chatting and having chai with the store manager and his friends, enjoying another warm encounter with the hospitable locals.
Originally, we planned to transit through Kars on our way to Georgia but decided to stay an extra two nights. I’m glad we did, as we visited the ancient city of Ani on the border with Turkey and Armenia. Once a prosperous city on the Silk Road, Ani changed hands several times before the Mongols abandoned it in 1239. An earthquake and changing trade routes left it in ruins, but the setting is breathtaking, with ruins scattered along grassy plains adorned with flowers, a rock-cut river on both sides, and rolling hills in the distance.
We spent three hours exploring the ruins. Our favorites included the Church of the Redeemer, half of which was struck down by lightning in 1957, and the Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator, perched on a cliffside with incredible relief work and frescoes inside. There was also a mosque built by the Seljuk Turks in 1072, unique in its rectangular shape. We climbed the narrow stairway to the top of the minaret for stunning views of Armenia and the river below. The most impressive building was the well-preserved Cathedral built in 937, which served as both a church and a mosque over the years. The spacious interior was adorned with intricate details and inscriptions.
Deciding to spend the extra day in Kars and visit Ani was undoubtedly one of the highlights of our trip. Once back at the hostel, we took some time to relax and plan our next adventure: a few days in Georgia.