“You’re Armenian?”
“Yup, we’re all Armenian!”
“Why didn’t you say so?! What would you like? More food, coffee, tea? You’re leaving tomorrow? Why don’t you stay…”
The “Armenian connection” conversation. It was a daily occurrence. Sometimes we even had it three or four times a day along the Janapar Trail, and it was a staple of evening conversations with our host families. We quickly learned how this conversation went. The explanations about our family heritage became automatic. Our settings would turn to autopilot and we knew they’d ask next to hear our Armenian surnames. The four of us each took our turn, but at this point we had heard each other’s answers so often we could have reported for everyone.
Lexee Andonian carefully crosses a bridge near Shushi. Brush in hand, she’s ready to paint the next blue marking.
Despite the frequency of the conversation, we never quite got used to how it ended. It was surprising and overwhelming—an offering of more food, a renewed enthusiasm for having met us, and a mutual acknowledgment that despite our apparent differences, underneath it all there was something that connected us.
The Janapar Trail is a nearly 300-km. (186-mile) hiking route that weaves through the mountains of Nagorno-Karabagh (Artsakh) from Hadrut all the way to Vardenis. Marked for the first time in 2007, the trail brings visitors to many of Artsakh’s natural and historical landmarks, including the alluring monasteries of Gtichavank, Dadivank, and Gandzasar, the otherworldly Zontik waterfall, and the magnificent 2,000-year-old tree at Skhtorashen. Broken into 16 sections, each day on the Janapar Trail begins and ends in a different village, allowing hikers the opportunity to spend each night with a local family and experience Artsakh through the eyes of its people.
As a volunteer with Birthright Armenia, I hiked the trail this July with three fellow volunteers from Birthright and Armenian Volunteer Corps. With blue paint in hand, we improved markings along the trail from Hadrut to Kolatak. The natural beauty of Artsakh is an invaluable resource for the development of the region’s budding tourism industry. But what we discovered along the trail is that the Janapar offers something totally unique to other hiking destinations: Nowhere else have I experienced such warmth and generosity from strangers as we did during our time on the Janapar Trail.
Our team toasts to family and friendship with our generous hosts in Azokh.
If you took one look at our dirty, sweaty bodies covered in blue paint, you would have wanted us as far from your home as possible. But not on the Janapar Trail. Families took us in and showed us kindness, love, and hospitality. And when we made the “Armenian connection,” the generosity flowed as fast as the oghi. After a long day of hiking, we stuffed our bellies with fresh vegetables from the families’ gardens. We laughed and joked around the dinner table as if we had known each other forever. Every morning, we exchanged hugs and e-mail addresses, and forced each family to accept our small payment, which never matched their generosity. And we hit the trail with reluctance, looking back over our shoulders at the smiling faces of our hosts, who we might not ever see again. But at the same time we marched confidently on, knowing that we had a new place to call home.
Ali Hamlin and Elizabeth McFadden help prepare khorovats in Patara after a long day on the trail.
To learn more about the Janapar Trail and to start planning your own hiking adventure through Nagorno-Karabagh, visit www.janapar.org.
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