Getting Around Town

Many Ways to Get Where I am Going

Without a car (for which I am grateful), I have several choices of how to get myself around this city. Taxis are very cheap (about $1.50 in the central city) and really a good idea if I am walking in high heels or just tired after a concert. A remarkable number of old, old Russian Ladas are still running here as taxis. Very few have seat belts in the back, but so far the floorboards seem intact.

Mini-buses run regular routes all day.

There are full-sized buses and mini-buses called "marachutkas" (just try to pronounce--I don't trust my spelling). The latter is the way many people commute to and from work and school. They are like long Dodge vans invariably painted white, a mix of very battered to very new, and often very overcrowded, especially at rush hour. 

Then there is the single line Metro, constructed about 20 years ago by a Soviet apparatchik who wanted to do something nice for Yerevan. He apparently exaggerated the city's population (had to prove 1,000,000 to qualify for a subway) and put in this system. A ticket costs 200AMD or about 50 cents American (the fare doubled a year ago; buses cost half as much). Tomorrow I will use this system to get to the opposite side of the city for a meeting.

But by far the most expeditious and reliable way to go is by Shank's pony, as a my English grandfather called it. In other words, to walk. I have always loved walking around cities that are new to me. Sometimes I lose my location on the map (thinking back to Stone Town last winter), which is completely okay if I am not in a hurry. You can walk as slowly or as fast as you want and traffic is not an issue. You can stop for a cup of coffee and people-watch. A generous supply of Band-Aids in your pocket is always a good idea, preferably fabric-covered ones (I have consulted experts on this).

Walking: Yerevan Adventure Sport and Fashion Show

When I explore a new place on foot my head is invariably on a swivel--I am trying to take everything in at once, get a sense of the context. Plus, if I am with someone else, it's a sure bet I am engaged in a conversation. 

Those are good things except when I miss a step or hit some broken pavement, both of which can occur frequently here. It's not only embarrassing (like waking yourself with an excessive head bob during a concert), it can actually be a little dangerous. This means I have to moderate my upward and outward observations with some attention to the pavement. In other words, I look like a total bobblehead.

But, in Yerevan this not only reduces the chance of a broken ankle (knock wood), it also yields another whole field of observation. I confess, I look at the shoes people are wearing. What can I say? I love shoes!

Window display on Abovian St

We live in a university area so the sidewalks are full with young slim women in form-fitting jeans or short skirts and the highest platform shoes (among other styles) I have ever seen. I am so tempted to ask them if I could take a picture of their shoes, but I am afraid they would think I was some foot-fetish nutcase. I don't think I have seen a young person in anything remotely resembling a "sensible shoe," certainly no athletic shoes. There are some very flat sandals some of which go all the way to the knee in elaborate designs, but clearly the key to impressing is a nice pump. And my Merrill suede Mary Janes not only look totally klutzy (especially with socks), they broadcast "not from here" to anyone who even notices.

Older women, who are often seen hauling groceries in two or more heavy hags and who might be forgiven for wearing sensible shoes, more often than not are seen in fairly high wedges or non-platform high heels. High. Heels. I felt like I was lying to fit in the other night when I wore sorta-high heels to the concert.

The young men seem to wear shoes that are unremarkable, except for the all-white leather oxfords sported by some of the more stylin' guys. I have no idea what the old men are wearing. I am not paying attention to them.

Art in the Pavement

The other thing I have discovered as a result of having to watch my step all the time is that there's art in them there sidewalk stones. No endlessly boring poured concrete sidewalks divided by cracks that will 
break-your -mother's-back here. 

The sidewalks are all composed of separate stones placed in patterns. Now that I am tuned into this, every time I see what I think is a new one to me I take a photo of the sidewalk. This may lead bystanders to conclude I am odd, but at least I am not crowding their space in my oddness. 

I have no idea what the history of this wide variety is, or whether individual building owners are responsible for the pavement outside their stores and thus get to exercise some creative design. Here are just a few to show you some of the variety. I intend to keep taking pictures. Maybe I could even produce a big poster called "The Sidewalks of Yerevan".

Dodging Cars

Crossing the street is a subspecialty adventure sport. Crosswalks (known locally as zebras) and timed lights are relatively new here. Locals claim they have made a huge positive difference for pedestrians. Some days I question that, as when a car comes ripping through an intersection, pedestrians be damned, or when at a very large intersection I have exactly 14 seconds to get across. My college years experience of dodging cars on East Grand River in East Lansing is paying off here. In general the rule is to wait until the locals step out and go with them.
 
At places where several big streets come together, there are underground walkways, some lined with little shops selling push-up bras in outrageous colors, watches, phones, the everyday necessities.

Today my plan is to find the bakeries we have heard about--one new Armenian and one French. I will be able to use the bridge over one of the beltway streets and wander among cafes in the green belt on the way. There will be new blocks to explore. Maybe even a croissant to savor.