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.”