The ARMENIA Nobody Prepared Me For | YEREVAN First Impressions 🇦🇲

🇦🇲 FIRST STEPS IN YEREVAN – FROM AIRPORT ARRIVAL TO GETTING LOST IN A CITY THAT FEELS LIKE HOME 🇦🇲 | BUS 201, VIVA SIM CARD & MY FIRST WALK THROUGH YEREVAN (ARMENIA) 🇦🇲 Some cities don’t just sit on a map; they live in you long before you arrive. For Armenians abroad in the US, UK, Canada and across Europe, this is more than an airport vlog – it is that first breath of air in Yerevan (Երևան / Ереван), the first Armenian sign you read in real life and the shock of finally seeing real Armenian streets, faces and voices again. The journey begins inside Zvartnots International Airport (Զվարթնոց միջազգային օդանավակայան / Международный аэропорт Звартноц). I step off the plane, grab my backpack and go straight into “arrival mode”: exchanging euros into Armenian dram, feeling local banknotes in my hands and walking to the Viva-MTS shop (Վիվա-ՄՏՍ / Вива-МТС) for a SIM card with unlimited internet so I can stay connected from the very first minute. Outside the airport, I cross to the stop for Bus 201, the microbus that links Zvartnots with the city center. The stop is close to arrivals and full of familiar travel details, and when the microbus arrives I squeeze inside, find a seat and watch the “real Yerevan” roll by – neighborhoods outside the center, apartment blocks, corner shops, hills and traffic. The bus drops me on Mashtots Avenue (Մեսրոպ Մաշթոցի պողոտա / Проспект Маштоца), one of the city’s main arteries. My first impression hits quickly as I walk toward my hotel: wide streets, stone buildings, trees, people crossing in every direction, cafés, bakeries, restaurants and small supermarkets where life moves calmly around me. Soon I reach Pushkin Street (Պուշկին փողոց / Улица Пушкина) and convince myself the hotel must be close – but it isn’t. I meet kindness when a gentleman points me in the right direction and later another group of locals calls the hotel to get clearer directions. I wander through side streets and quiet courtyards, learning the shape of Yerevan one wrong turn at a time until I finally spot the entrance to my hotel. Inside, the person at reception greets me with a calm smile, helps with the check-in and makes everything feel relaxed and human, and the episode ends there at the front desk with that small but powerful feeling that you have arrived and you are safe, and a new chapter in Armenia (Հայաստան / Армения) is beginning. 🌍 JOIN ME AS I EXPLORE ARMENIA Join me as I explore ARMENIA – starting from YEREVAN’s busy avenues and side streets and moving toward mountain towns, spiritual sites, forests and lakeside villages. Each episode visits markets, cafés and everyday neighborhoods that carry deep meaning for Armenians abroad and for travelers seeing the country for the first time. Armenia is ideal for slow solo travel, long city walks, digital nomads and remote workers searching for a base with warmth, community and affordable living. If you are part of the Armenian diaspora and dream about spending a season in Yerevan, working from a café, speaking Armenian every morning and walking home under soft orange streetlights, this series is for you. 📌 PERFECT FOR • Armenians abroad who miss ordinary Armenian days, familiar accents and neighborhood walks 🇦🇲 • Travelers who love honest first impressions, real-life city walks and everyday local transport • Food lovers curious about traditional Armenian dishes, bakeries and family restaurants • Remote workers and digital nomads looking for safe, welcoming, budget-friendly cities with real community 🛏️ Visiting or planning a trip to Armenia? 🇦🇲 Hotels in Armenia 👉 https://bit.ly/4ikArX7 🌍 Hotels worldwide 👉 https://bit.ly/4lcDpOk 🚗 Rent a car in Armenia 👉 https://bit.ly/43DGDn0 📱 Travel eSIM 👉 https://bit.ly/3IckAvR 🔥 73% OFF NordVPN 👉 https://bit.ly/4kiGX02 ⚠️ Limited-time deals - book early to save Affiliate links - I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. 🎒 ABOUT THIS SERIES Roaming Mario in Armenia is for anyone who feels a connection to this country – whether you grew up here, heard family stories or discovered Armenia later through friends and community abroad. Each episode is a gentle love letter to everyday life: buses, supermarkets, corner cafés, side streets, hidden courtyards and long walks through neighborhoods that might feel like home again. 🎥 Filmed in 4K HDR - best watched on HDR devices. 00:00 Arriving At Yerevan Airport 00:19 Exchanging Money And First Moments In Armenia 00:38 Getting A Viva-MTS SIM Card With Unlimited Internet 01:54 Finding Bus 201 And Leaving Zvartnots Airport 03:05 The Real Yerevan (Armenia) 05:37 First Impressions On Mashtots Avenue 07:50 First Impressions of Yerevan (Armenia) 10:58 Lost Near Pushkin Street And Asking Locals For Help 12:00 Finally Finding The Hotel And Checking In #vlog #travelvlog #travel #armenia #yerevan #roamingmario #solotravel #armenianfood #armeniandiaspora #ArmeniaTravel #europetravel #walkingtour