Sibling rivalry and snakey visits

So I have finally been shamed into writing something. Or maybe it is the sibling rivalry kicking in a little. The rather pointed comment from Jenn regarding my lack of update, while she has been blogging furiously, has pushed to finally write something. Maybe it is also the fact that the IT dept has finally blocked facebook at work, so now if I want to waste any time on Facebook I have to do it at home.

I am halfway through my time now. It is still passing pretty fast which is good. Summer has pretty much arrived and it is rather pleasant to be outside… I have spent a few days playing with hydrology in the sun and I saw my first snake of the summer last week.

The locals think I am nuts wandering through the dodgy areas (you know, nice sunny rocky areas or the grassy places) calling out ‘go away snakes, I am coming…’ The fact that there is (apparently) no antivenom in the country has made me rather, lets say, cautious about an unexpected snakey visit while bashing around the countryside. I am wearing my gumboots so they will get a mouthful of rubber too (that’s how much of a wus I am!). I am getting better, when i met the snake the other day i was by my self, but i wouldn't have embarassed myself anyway. I just stood rooted to the spot as it saw me and ran (slithered) away. Phew.

I have added a couple of pics from Yerevan – I had a couple of extra days in the city before coming to site. The first is a cathedral built into a rocky hill which i visited with a friend and the other is a couple of us finishing some drinks before entering a fine drinking establishment. The proximity of a big pile of smelly rubbish somehow seems, well, just so Armenian that we decided to record the occasion. Just another holiday pic!