I awoke this morning with an aching body from climbing the Russian Alps yesterday, Mount Stolby, at a running pace. Popped some Advil and hoped for the best.
We headed out in two cars into the Siberian countryside to visit a small Russian village, Ovsyanka, where a famous local Russian writer, V.P. Astafiev, once lived. On our way, we pulled over at a lookout spot over a lake known for its sturgeon fish (where the most famous caviar comes from) and toasted in Russian fashion with wine and grapes. From that point, I just knew this was going to be a much better day than the last.
Upon reaching the village of Ovsyanka, I knew it was like nothing I have ever seen before. Here people live in the smallest of shacks with muddy back yards from the melted snow, with fences dividing their property. I witnessed an old man actually visiting a creamery (milking station) where he filled up what looked like a silver keg and then rolled (delivered) it to local homes. I noticed him making several slow trips up and down the muddy streets back and forth to the creamery. I was also amazed by the amount of wandering dogs. One dog was holding its paw in the air like it had been hurt. It was one of the saddest sights ever.
In this town, we visited a small museum dedicated to the life of a famous Russian writer, Astafiev. My colleague told me the author's life story over breakfast and it seemed quite tragic. His dad was imprisoned and his mother drowned when a boat overturned on the local river as she was taking food to the father in prison. He was sent to live with his grandparents, but after being rebellious, was sent to live in an orphanage. It was during his stay in the orphanage that his love for writing was fostered and noticed. He served in many wars and wrote stories according to the Russian law. He was highly regarded for his works being appropriate for Russians to read. We were able to tour his childhood home and his home later in life, one in which Putin visited. Astafiev died just few years ago, at 92, from a heart attack.
From there we visited an hydroelectric power station in Divnogorsk. They told me this is the second largest power station in Russia and one of the seventh largest in the world. Water was not running over it today as the water is frozen, but will be soon. It reminded me of a very large, complex Dam. "Please, take all the dam pictures you would like." We also stopped at a nearby lake to try walking on the ice, but in my less-adventurous fashion I decided to stay on land.
We stopped off the road along the way at several roadside stands. One stop had dried fish hanging from their stands. I sampled some of the fish, but had a little trouble as they were still in fish form, just cut down the center. Their eyes were intact. They grabbed a chunk out of its insides and handed it to me. Surprisingly, it was really good.
Lunch at a village cafe was delicious. We dined on local dishes, one of which being a dumpling like soup which I absolutely loved. They call it Pelmini. Another host teacher brought wine for us to share. It was the best I have tasted. She said it is a wine from the nearby country of Georgia. I sure hope I can find something similar at home in which to remember this trip by. I've come to learn that Russians love to share in tea, wine, and good food.
Our last big stop was to their zoo. It looked like a children's playground area from the front. It had large cages in which you could walk right up to. Children were feeding zebras with their hands. My colleague, Emily, worked as a zoo keeper in Florida for eight years and mentioned that zebras are actually very aggressive and like to bite. While the outdoor exhibits seemed a little primitive, the aquarium and amphibian/reptile exhibit was awesome. My favorite animals were from the northern trek, including the polar bears, moose, wolves, reindeer, and white foxes. I also noticed that all of the African animals were kept indoors due to the extreme cold, long winters. The giraffe exhibit was under the bigtop. Ironically, when looking at my pictures of today, it seems like I took more pictures of the patrons instead of the animals, as they all dress up in the Sunday's best and highest of heals to walk around a zoo on a hillside. Who knew? I was told that Russian women like to look nice. Now I have found it to be true. Very true.
We are back to our hotel to hurry and change for the ballet. In an hour we have plans to attend Swan Lake. I'm really looking forward to this as I love ballet, especially a Russian ballet.
Tomorrow is another big day. I just hope my tennis shoes are dry (had to wash them in shower after ruining them on the hike) for the olympic competition they have in store for us. So much more to come....I'll keep you posted.
We headed out in two cars into the Siberian countryside to visit a small Russian village, Ovsyanka, where a famous local Russian writer, V.P. Astafiev, once lived. On our way, we pulled over at a lookout spot over a lake known for its sturgeon fish (where the most famous caviar comes from) and toasted in Russian fashion with wine and grapes. From that point, I just knew this was going to be a much better day than the last.
Upon reaching the village of Ovsyanka, I knew it was like nothing I have ever seen before. Here people live in the smallest of shacks with muddy back yards from the melted snow, with fences dividing their property. I witnessed an old man actually visiting a creamery (milking station) where he filled up what looked like a silver keg and then rolled (delivered) it to local homes. I noticed him making several slow trips up and down the muddy streets back and forth to the creamery. I was also amazed by the amount of wandering dogs. One dog was holding its paw in the air like it had been hurt. It was one of the saddest sights ever.
In this town, we visited a small museum dedicated to the life of a famous Russian writer, Astafiev. My colleague told me the author's life story over breakfast and it seemed quite tragic. His dad was imprisoned and his mother drowned when a boat overturned on the local river as she was taking food to the father in prison. He was sent to live with his grandparents, but after being rebellious, was sent to live in an orphanage. It was during his stay in the orphanage that his love for writing was fostered and noticed. He served in many wars and wrote stories according to the Russian law. He was highly regarded for his works being appropriate for Russians to read. We were able to tour his childhood home and his home later in life, one in which Putin visited. Astafiev died just few years ago, at 92, from a heart attack.
From there we visited an hydroelectric power station in Divnogorsk. They told me this is the second largest power station in Russia and one of the seventh largest in the world. Water was not running over it today as the water is frozen, but will be soon. It reminded me of a very large, complex Dam. "Please, take all the dam pictures you would like." We also stopped at a nearby lake to try walking on the ice, but in my less-adventurous fashion I decided to stay on land.
We stopped off the road along the way at several roadside stands. One stop had dried fish hanging from their stands. I sampled some of the fish, but had a little trouble as they were still in fish form, just cut down the center. Their eyes were intact. They grabbed a chunk out of its insides and handed it to me. Surprisingly, it was really good.
Lunch at a village cafe was delicious. We dined on local dishes, one of which being a dumpling like soup which I absolutely loved. They call it Pelmini. Another host teacher brought wine for us to share. It was the best I have tasted. She said it is a wine from the nearby country of Georgia. I sure hope I can find something similar at home in which to remember this trip by. I've come to learn that Russians love to share in tea, wine, and good food.
Our last big stop was to their zoo. It looked like a children's playground area from the front. It had large cages in which you could walk right up to. Children were feeding zebras with their hands. My colleague, Emily, worked as a zoo keeper in Florida for eight years and mentioned that zebras are actually very aggressive and like to bite. While the outdoor exhibits seemed a little primitive, the aquarium and amphibian/reptile exhibit was awesome. My favorite animals were from the northern trek, including the polar bears, moose, wolves, reindeer, and white foxes. I also noticed that all of the African animals were kept indoors due to the extreme cold, long winters. The giraffe exhibit was under the bigtop. Ironically, when looking at my pictures of today, it seems like I took more pictures of the patrons instead of the animals, as they all dress up in the Sunday's best and highest of heals to walk around a zoo on a hillside. Who knew? I was told that Russian women like to look nice. Now I have found it to be true. Very true.
We are back to our hotel to hurry and change for the ballet. In an hour we have plans to attend Swan Lake. I'm really looking forward to this as I love ballet, especially a Russian ballet.
Tomorrow is another big day. I just hope my tennis shoes are dry (had to wash them in shower after ruining them on the hike) for the olympic competition they have in store for us. So much more to come....I'll keep you posted.