Leisure

Society usually call people who don’t live life like everybody else or go to the extreme to get what they want as “crazy” or “strange”. Rev Brown can be considered as one of those people. Some of our photographers had spotted him on one of the streets of Yerevan. The photographers had not only been attracted by the foreigner’s free dresswear and “sandals”, but also, his bicycle with a little cart. Later, the photographers found out that he had been traveling around the world with that bicycle for over a year. They invited Ray for a “cup of coffee” at our newspaper edition. “Unfortunately I am English by nationality, but I also have a little Irish blood in me,” said Rev during an interview with us. “Why do I say unfortunately? It is because England took part in the war against Iraq.” Rev went out on his expedition on November 5, 2003, however, he doesn’t consider himself a traveler but rather someone who is trying to find his home in the world. He has visited 14 countries with his bicycle, including France, Belgium, Germany, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Georgia, Turkey, Azerbaijan and more. He has been staying in Armenia since October 21 of 2004, he has been in Kapan, Meghri, Goris, Gyumri and now he is going around Yerevan. He sleeps at churches (he is a Christian) and if he meets anyone hospitable enough to offer him somewhere to stay he accepts that offer. “There are few people who are ready to make that offer, of course,” says Rev. “In Turkey, a Kurd offered me a place to stay and another in Azerbaijan, but it was horrible. In Georgia I met 5 families and in Armenia only two families have welcomed me into their homes. You ask me about the difference in nationalities. There is no such thing. There are just good and bad people.” Which country will Rev visit next? The answer remains unclear. “God knows (he answered almost all the questions like this-A.M.). Neither I nor you know. I go wherever the road takes me. I followed that road and it brought me to you. I also don’t know how long I will be staying in Armenia,” he says. While in Armenia, Rev has managed to learn some words and expressions in Armenian, like “jur(water), lavash, Mesrop Mashtots, ayo (yes), voch(no)” and “Karogh em mi gisher dzez mot mnal?” (Can I stay at your place for one night?).

The 43 year old Englishman told us that he has no family and there is nobody in the world who he can call his relative. “Who will marry me? I have nothing, not even a home,” says Rev. The most extraordinary thing is to know that Rev has visited 14 countries with his bicycle and hasn’t had any problems with customs. “I just show my passport and pass,” he says. To be honest, we didn’t really believe this last one, especially when he talked about the Georgian-Armenian border. “Could it be that you are a spy?” In response to that, Rev said: “I don’t take anything that may make others suspect something. I take clothes, bicycle equipment for repairs, a tent, an English-Finnish dictionary (I love Finnish), my pictures, my guitar, a flute, half of a mandolin, I collect lighters and the Bible is always with me.” He finds food wherever he finds it. “Good people can still be found around the world.”

Our “Catholic church will soon celebrate Christmas-the birth of Christ. Where are you going to celebrate Christmas, since you are so true to your religion?” Rev answered the question by saying: “I will most definitely celebrate it in the church, but the question is which church. Only God knows.” During our interview with Rev, it turned out that he had been traveling all this time to get to Australia because he has received an offer to work there. “I have no profession, I know 7-10 languages, I write music, I play guitar and flute, I have a half mandolin and I will be playing that as soon as I get it fixed. I will be working as a painter in Australia. I also do portraits.” What amazed us the most was to see Rev in a sweater and sandals during the cold weather. We tried to find out whether or not he was not afraid of freezing to death and not getting to Australia-his dream land. “I really hope that Australia is the land that I have been dreaming of. As for not getting there and freezing to death, I can only say that everything in this world is born and dies. I am not afraid of dying. I am a Christian. I believe in God and know that I will go to heaven when I die.”