Sunday, June 20, 2010

Worship of the... gas. My discoveries in Aghveran

I spent my previous weekend in Karin resort in Aghveran. An AIESEC seminar was taking place there and I was enjoying my alumni status (which allowed me to do nothing but have the much needed rest).
view from our window
Karin resort, also known as the "Gas rest house" or Armrusgazprom's resort has been recently renovated, however was still quite affordable (AIESECers managed to negotiate the price 6000AMD per person for 2 days/1 night, including the meals for both days).

Aghveran is a popular resort for Armenians in summer. Many people drive to the river bank and organize a picnic the Armenian way. With barbecue and all related "tashakhust" (sorry, an untranslatable word!).

View from our window. The swimming pool of our resort can be seen (it was empty).
Also "Arthurs" popular and expensive resort can be seen in far right
The camping site at the river is indeed crowded and noisy. Many people can't do without turning on loud music which has to be Armenian dance/rabiz music that you normally hear on weddings here. And it's from the morning to late evening, from all the cars and pavilions. Altogether it makes an unbearable buzz (worse than vuvuzelas, i assure! :D).
Same unfortunately applies to many resorts of this kind. I was shocked seeing some people dancing to rabiz music from early afternoon to the late evening in the resort's cafeteria. I bet there wasn't any celebration. I have to accept that some people are just having fun this way.
music, reading on the fresh air. my great weekend
On the second day the music-mix heard from outside became too irritating and i had to close all the windows and doors to reduce the noise.
Now to the shocking discovery.

When going upstairs to the 5th floor where our room was, we noticed something around the corner, next to the elevator. Something we weren't expecting to see inside the resort's building. It was a... CHAPEL !
At least the writing at the entrance said so. I crossed the narrow corridor to find myself in a small room, with the walls covered with saints' images and icons. But this isn't the full story yet.
This picture is worth thousand words. There was a place to light candles, right below the gas-geyser (հայերեն ասած` բաքսի :D). I couldn't help but imagine myself the details of the worship of gas in the ArmRusGazProm's resort.

Maybe I'm a bit retarded, but is this an everyday occurrence anywhere? 

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