Marshutka's they are-a-changin'

It seems like the Yerevan is changing all around me. In a few days there I see the metro double in price (50 to 100 AMD), and it's still not expensive, it now makes it equivalent to a Marshutka (mini-bus) ticket in price. Really this wasn't a big deal, though I kept telling everyone I knew. I found out by throwing down a 50 dram coin, then the lady shaking her head and pointing to the sign just above my head.

But then a day later I find that the marshutka stops for the northern regions are all changing. I luckily had some very helpful hostel workers that helped me figure out which buses go to where (I have just gotten down the ones that went from my bus station to most important areas I needed to get to!).

After reading several news articles I tracked down the station I would need to get to.

So I head out to catch my bus, and I make it to the central station. It is the last stop so that helps.

It's called the central bus station (or Kilikia) but it really isn't anywhere near the center. The point of moving the buses was to move the inter-city transportation out of the center, because of the traffic. So now instead of 18 people in one mini-bus, you will have 18 people with almost as many taxis, driving to the center. I will let you do that math.

So at the buse station I ask around about Vanadzor and they send me to the other side of the street. I have a guy who tells me no, there isn't any transportation to Vanadzor, but doesn't tell me why. I confirm that they have moved the public transportation from the previous spot.

So I go and ask more people and they say they only have buses going to Stepanavan, a town farther than Vanadzor, but in the same general direction. I find several other people talking about trying to find the Vanadzor marshutka's and I get a ride with them. Originally I think it is a share taxi, but this guy knew one of the people and he actually took us to a different bus station, which did have the Vanadzor transportation.

I finally ask, is this permanent and they said only for two weeks, then Vanadzor transportation will be moved to the central bus station. So now I have to learn a new area for when my parents come on Tuesday and then have to go and figure out this other station when they eventually do move there.