Guide in Armenia

For a stay in Yerevan, Armenia, the week of Sept. 13-20, 2009, I hired a private car (Mercedes) and driver from Beau Monde Service (Republic Square, 1 Amiryan St., Yerevan, 0010 Armenia; phone 374 10 59 99 64, fax 99 65, www.rentcar.am), located in the Marriott Hotel where I stayed. They have cars and drivers available 24 hours a day.

My guide, Karo Kouyoundjian, was an excellent driver and spoke perfect English.

I had a list of things I wanted to see, and we did the following tours, each about five hours: visits to St. Hripsimé Church, St. Echmiadzin Cathedral and the ruins in Zvartnots; visits to the first-century-AD Garni temple and Geghard monastery, and a trip to the seventh-century Khor Virap on the Ararat plain for a view of Mt. Ararat, plus a six-hour trip to Lake Sevan.

Additionally I had a two-hour city tour and transport to the airport. The total cost was AMD133,000 (about $344).

EMILY KILLIAN

Palm Beach, FL