ASKERAN, NAGORNY KARABAKH, JUNE 2000

Inside the ruined old Askeran fortress there are three graves of ethnic Armenian soldiers killed in the war with Azerbaijan

Donkeys work hard in Karabakh, where most of the mountain roads are in poor condition and motorised transport is a luxury

There are bombed-out houses like these all over the Karabakh countryside

Right: Cows resting in the shade of the fortress

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That's the end of the Nagorny Karabakh section. If you are planning a trip to Karabakh, the following information could be useful:

Karabakh visas can be purchased by holders of an Armenian visa for $25 from the Karabakh representative office, Moskovian 11, Yerevan, Armenia, Tel: (+3472) 50 5637, Fax: (+3472) 15 1778, E-mail: ankr@arminco.com. The permanent representative is Karen Mirzoyan. You can ask them not to stick the visa into your passport because you will not be allowed to visit Azerbaijan if border guards see a Karabakh visa.

At the representative office you can also find out details of minibuses and buses going from Yerevan to Stepanakert, which is a cheap form of transport, but very uncomfortable. The best way to travel to Karabakh is with driver and guide Albert Stepanyan (he speaks Armenian and Russian but no English), who can be found at the representative office or contacted at home in Abovyan from Yerevan on (061) 375 61. I paid him $250 plus petrol and living costs (food and accommodation, which are extremely cheap), for a five-day trip. The representative office also found me a house to stay in in Stepanakert for $15 dollars a night, including breakfast.

All foreign visitors to Karabakh have to register at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Stepanakert as soon as they arrive, otherwise there could be serious trouble as Karabakh is under martial law. You have to say what places you intend to visit, so have a map ready. But permission is easy to get and you will probably receive a warm welcome if you follow the rules. Journalists first have to obtain accreditation at the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is also a straightforward process. Bring lots of passport photographs for all your documents!