Monday, August 11, 2003

Another day full of work and fun. After work, I took a trip out to my lake for a nice long swim.

This time I took with me Rosa Myrig’s husband Hurant, their grandson Rosleen, my neighbor’s son Yervant (whose mother was hesitant, saying what will she say to her husband, who is the commander of one the two military bases here in Martuni, if something happens to him) and another neighbor, Ashot.

We got to the lake and inflated the raft and dove into the water. It was great fun and this time I swam for 3 hours non-stop. What a rush and even when I got out of the water, I was not tired. In fact, right now, I just starting to get a little bit tired.

Before I made my way to the water, Ashot and Yervant had gone down to check the temperature and Ashot told Yervant that he saw a poisonous snake called a Ghurso. He was joking and before Ashot could tell Yervant, Yervant spotted a Ghurso going into the water.

They came back to report to us what they saw and Rosleen educated us and said that snakes of all kinds go in the water, but the land snakes do not bite in water. This didn’t register all that well with Yervant, who for the rest of the afternoon was asking me over and over again if I think there could be a snake in the water.

Yesterday while swimming, I went to an island that is in the middle of the lake, where I found a fishing net that is a drum that you put in the water and the fish goes in it, but can’t come back out. I had heard from someone that there was one hidden near the lake, but didn’t know where until yesterday. These drums we do not allow to be used in our lake. So today, I wanted to take the raft out and load the drum in it and bring it back to Martuni with me.

I swam out to the lake, which I’m guessing is about half a kilometer from where we entered the water. In the raft was Yervant, who really was not understanding how the ores work, so I tied the rope from the boat around me and dragged him to the island.

I got out of the water and where the drum was, were dried bamboo on the ground and I was looking where best it would be to step, so I didn’t get my feet in slug or something worse. Before I took a step towards the drum, I noticed something that looked like a stick, but instead of bark, it had scales. It then moved and then I saw it’s head. It was one of those Ghurso snakes and thou it was only 3 feet long, it was not something I was going to bother, especially since I was on this island and no one that was near could really swim all that well and once you get bit by one of these snakes, you have about 30 minutes to get to a hospital so they can save your life.

So I made my way back to the raft and instead of getting in the water, I joined Yervant in the raft and gave him a lesson on how to use the ores. When I was about 100 meters from the island, I got back into the water and dragged the raft back to where the others were.

We finished swimming just before it got dark.

I’m really thinking resort for this place, not for tourists, but for the natives. Something very basic where we charge maybe $2 a night for a very basic cabin with no electricity or bed sheets. In short a room on the lake that you camp in and there is a common out house and maybe a shower, but with the water being so clean, I may be able to even get away without this.

I’ll also build a nice restaurant and have a general store with lots of ice cold beer!!!

Anyway, last night after falling to sleep, I didn’t wake up until late this morning and this only after getting a call from Rosa Myrig, who invited me over for lunch.

Can life get any better than this?

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