We arrived in Armenia on a Saturday evening and are scheduled to leave three weeks later on a Saturday morning. I had gotten differing information on whether my 21 day visa would cover this period. Did the 21 days start from the time I arrived, in which case I would be okay? Or did it start at 12:01am of the day I arrived, in which case I would need to extend my visa? Wednesday I sent off an email to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Thursday morning I had my answer. I would need to extend my visa. In the not too distant past, if you overstayed your visa you paid a fine of something like 1000 dram a day or $2.60. Recently it was changed to a fine between 50,000 and 100,000 regardless of your overstay. I'm way too cheap to pay up to $260.
So today we headed over to the OVIR (don't really know what it stands for) office. Addresses here are really screwy. An entire building has a single number regardless of how many businesses or entities it holds. It is possible for an entire block to have a single address if the building is big enough. To add to the confusion if a building has the address of say 20 Abovyan Street but the entrance to an establishment is around the corner on Tumanyan Street, its address is 20 Abovyan Street. To add even more confusion, the numbers on one side of the street do not correspond to the numbers on the other side. There is the even on one side and odd on the other, but 37 Nalbandyon Street is across from 116 Nalbandyan.
We started off on Mashtots on the even side of the street looking for the general whereabouts of number 13. We quickly realized that mistake, crossed the street and headed back the way we came. We came to number 13 and went in the main door. There was a man at a desk right inside the door. He spoke no English, but when I said 'visa' he smiled. He'd faced this scenario before. He took us back aside and gestured that we should go around the back of the building. Okay that wasn't too bad. Inside the building we see a directory which lists 'visa' and a bunch of office numbers on the second floor. Up we go wondering which office number to choose. In the hall we see someone and I say the magic word 'visa' and we are led to the correct room. Here we are given a form to fill out, told that I need to make a copy of my visa and passport, and that I must renew for a minimum of two days which will come to 1000 dram and I should get a check from a bank. I say I have drams and I thought she said that was all right.
We leave the OVIR to go get copies made. Conveniently there is a xerox place nearby where we get the copies made and I fill out the form. Back we go to OVIR, up to the second floor and into the office where someone new is behind a desk. I hand over everything and she asks for the check. I take out a bill and she says no I must have a check. Works out I have to go to a bank with their routing number and have the money deposited into the account. They don't take cash. Back into the street to find a bank. At the bank we are taken care of by a lovely young woman who speaks very good English. She knows exactly what we need. Sitting behind her are two trainees who hopefully learned something new.
Once again we go back to the OVIR office, up to the second floor, and into the office. I had everything over and this time it seems I have everything I need. She then asks for my passport which is put into a drawer and am told to come back on Wednesday to pick up my passport and visa extension. I don't like parting with my passport and wonder if perhaps I will never be leaving Armenia.
Since it is a dreary, drizzling day we have decided to do an indoor thing and go to the History of Yerevan Museum. It is small but quite interesting. I most enjoy the old pictures of Yerevan. Almost a century later and I can recognize many of the streets.
Upon leaving the museum we only have time for a quick bite before Neil must be off to the bank. Accordingly we stop at a street vendor a block from the hotel and enjoy lamb, spices, peppers, and onions wrapped in lavash. Lavash is a soft thin flatbread.
It is still drizzling when dinner time rolls around but we decide to take a chance and go to an Indian restaurant that is about 1 ½ miles away. Luck is with us and the rain never gets worse. We should have stayed at the hotel. I have lamb with nuts and raisins over rice. Filling but very bland. Neil has a curried chicken which is marginally better. At least the ice cream he had for dessert was very good and was presented in a unique manner in a fluted cup with the ice cream on the top formed into spirals.
Our weather luck is still holding and we have a pleasant walk back to the hotel.
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