I haven't really experienced strong weather before. I come from the countryside of England in which sometimes we get a bit of a wind storm, but that's about it. Nothing too threatening aside from maybe a country road gets a bit closed from a downed branch here and there. Electrical storms are even more rare, something that is often weak and you never really feel threatened by. Such storms last a few minutes at best and only really happen once per year. I was quite surprised recently to see the weather here in Yerevan pick up so quickly, and naturally that was met with the opposite outcome: a clash in climate. The rapid changes in temperature from day to night results in massive storms that are just incredible to hear and pay attention to. You really feel your insignificance within the universe as torrential rains crush down upon the land and flood it within minutes as the sky plays a dance of cracks of thunder and flashes of light. These are heard within the day, within the night, recently every day. Though I believe this is a result also of a cyclone in the region, which has somewhat made its way over here and sharing some of that natural might.
Today I experienced such weather in a very different manner, however. In a way that really tested my love for nature, though I think I managed to come out on top of it all. Having thoroughly enjoyed the whole time despite getting utterly drenched and roaming around the city slowly drying off with most likely a faster rate of trench-foot than man World War 1 soldiers (not really, of course).
It rained just as the house was left. Instant downpour and little cracks of thunder. I had just downed a massive cup of coffee having barely slept the night before, and having consumed nothing else before leaving. I debated wearing my coat today and felt it would be a bit odd since I assumed in the city it would not be necessary, that it would die down by the time I got there or at least be a bit less intense there. Oh, I was wrong. Upon arriving in Yerevan it didn't stop at all. A short walk through one place to grab lunch while it rained outside lightly, then picking up instantly the moment the cafe was left. The thunder kicked in, the lightning followed. Having left my coat at home, I did ensure the umbrella came with. After all, my backpack was holding sketchbooks and around my neck was the camera. Things I really didn't want to get covered in water. On the way to the next place, a museum, the unexpected happened: it stopped raining.
Did it fully stop? Nope! Of course not! It turned into massive balls of hail. The streets quickly emptied as people completely unprepared for even rain began to panic and get out of it. Running to any place that had some shelter. These balls of hail were huge, the largest I have ever seen. I had the umbrella up and walked by groups of people hiding under any shelter, the sound of large balls of hail smashing into the umbrella was both heard and felt.
Within seconds, my clothes were drenched. My camera was safe, though the intensity of this hail reached the point in which shelter was definitely needed. The feeling that nothing could save me from this chaos unless I simply got out of it. I snapped a few photographs here and there, looking around as the hail continued, covering the streets entirely in what looked like the entire place being swallowed up by snow and ice. The large balls of hail didn't even melt immediately. It took a few hours for them to fully disperse. And the outcome of that was heavy flooding. Large pools of water flowing from all over the city. Down hilly streets, from all kinds of pipes, down and off any sort of shelter imaginable. The endless gushing of liquid was heard all over.
Leaves were all over the streets. Plants and trees were utterly decimated in this onslaught of hail. The few cars in the streets seemed almost desperate to get out of it all. So few people were really prepared for this event. And even I had never seen anything like it before. I still hear that noise of the hail falling. Completely powering over everything else around. The streets emptied, people silent and looking out into it all. Like the world stood still for a moment and enjoyed the strength of the natural world.
I had so much fun photographing it all, it was something that I just did not think I would experience. Such a sudden event. And one that really puts things into perspective when you realise how strong nature really is. And how everything we have built can instantly collapse under something that is in fact quite fragile. Our society being something even more fragile than that. Despite the chaos, I loved the pictures I took today, and I am ready for more sudden surprises from Mother Nature. In my case, I love it all. I love the way nature puts things into perspective, makes you realise what you really are. Makes you aware of your surroundings and how vast this life is. The scale of even the most minor, sudden moments that are completely out of our control. How we are merely along for the ride no matter how seriously we attempt to take ourselves as our buildings grow taller, lights more vibrant, and technological accessories smaller.
In the end, nature wins. We can try to control it, understand it. But it'll always kick us back down and remind us that we are just silly little monkeys that are running around with the illusion of strength. And it's good to realise this, to have our lives humbled a little so that we are aware of what we are, and where we are heading. Who we want to be and how. As well as that inevitable end as nature finally wins the last battle.
Hail not a regular occurrence there? It usually makes the news here due to how infrequent it is XD
and snapping pictures while holding an umbrella ;<)
Just kidding. Amazing experience. Nice story. Love this 'monkey's' pictures!
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