Yerevan!

Dubai always does this to me - lost luggage. After a very late night catching up with a (significantly older) cousin over G&T's, wole up, slapdash shopping for essentials and an eventless flight.

Except for the landing - nothing extraordinary, but you know you are some place special when there is applause and cheering, for what was perfectly normal landing. Scary to therefore wonder what's *their* usual norm.

A very long scrutiny at immigration - lone traveler, no friends, no hotel reservation, no speakie Armenian. Stout official gets his female superior who may have been Russian, and a good-looking one at based on the dated ID badge. Finally let through, with something said smilingly - perhaps patronizing, perhaps contemptuous, perhaps well-meaning. I said, "Why did you say something in Armenian? I don't understand!", to which came back the sarcastic "Why do you only speak English?".

Armenia!