SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW

Following the Silk Road in Armenia, Marcus, Kim and the children discover an unforgettable land of spectacular scenery and ancient history

As we passed through the gargantuan arches at the top of the pass, I found a sense of awe tangled with surrealism washing over me. We've been over higher passes on our travels, as well as several more beautiful than this, but this was different, this was more than just a road. This was the Silk Road. Armenia's Silk Road.

Driving along it felt as if we were following the ghosts of times gone by, travelling not just on asphalt but through the annals of history.

My thoughts went back to a time long before motorhomes existed, when caravans of camels and horses would have travelled huge distances, carrying all manner of goods to be traded in the great bazaars and markets of the world.

On this particular day, with snow covering the whale-backed mountains in the distance, this ancient road carried a dream - my dream. I had long imagined what it would be like to travel through Asia, following the fabled Silk Roads, to submerge myself in cultures and histories so different from those I knew.

Now here we were, driving our motorhome through the heart of Armenia, living that dream.

Crossing the border

Reaching Armenia was easy enough: heading south from Tbilisi, we were at the border in little more than an hour. Passing through border control was easy, too. It took us 40 minutes to clear passport controls, register the motorhome and pay an import tax. With vehicle insurance and local SIM cards accounting for another half an hour, it wasn't long before we were officially on our way and heading for one of the country's few established campsites, located a short walk from the impressive Haghpat Monastery.