Walks on no sleep, friendly stray dogs, off the beaten path

I didn't sleep last night. My sleeping pattern is completely all over the place. I knew that being up so early meant opportunity to get out and visit and photograph the local market here, apparently markets like to open real early in the morning; though despite my excitement and having packed my camera bag, I reached the market and it was just as dead as it had been the last time, few stalls up, nobody roaming through. There was nothing to see, nothing to photography. So, what's the next best thing to do? I decided that instead of returning home immediately, I would instead go on an adventure. I walked around the rustic town, well, it claims it's a city. Down streets I have never seen before, in search of life, composition, and a few stories to tell. I walked so much that I ended up losing the path, reaching areas that seemed more and more industrial, leading to highways. I wanted to walk more, to keep on going. In the distance was the Ararat mountain which was teasing some visibility through the clouds. Early morning, I still had energy.

Stray dogs blocked the roadside that grew increasingly dangerous. I was worried about stepping beyond. I trust a lot of the stray dogs here but in areas void of people, I don't feel as comfortable walking up to a pack of 4~ dogs of varying size and breed. Knowing that I'd be alone in the event that they got a bit too agitated by my presence. Funnily, a few hours later, an Armenian breed of dog decided to play with me, biting down on my arm quite gently. It played with a dog a mere fraction of its size with the same gentle nature, and I've seen it around before. It's interesting how huge a dog can be, and so fragile. Yet small ones can be terrifying. This group of dogs, however, seemed like angels. They ran up to me with such excitement, as if I had been the first human they had ever seen, giving them such intense fascination. They'd run around me, lay down at my feet and roll around. At the same time, industrial trucks would scream by on the roadside, kicking up dust and causing so much noise. The dogs didn't seem to care much. This was their general home.

The airport isn't too far away, and from here you'd see and hear the planes coming in to land above. So low that you could read the specific airline that the aircraft belonged to. I wish I had my 85mm lens with me, to capture these planes coming in to land with more detail, a closer perspective. But I used the 35mm I had with me anyway. It made me realise how fun these sudden roams can be, and how fun it is to be able to photograph them, the random events that take place along the way. The discovery of it all. I wondered how many other foreigners had walked this area, in a way it felt like I was completely alone. Isolated. In a place of my own.

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