Hello All,
On Friday 21 July, I was invited to go to a small village on Lake Baykal.
After five hours of driving I came to a bridge over a small river. A large truck had run off the side of the road and was blocking the bridge. Small cars could pass but Bubba was to wide to get by, so I parked on the side of the road to decide what I would do for the night if I could not get by. Two men showed up and I invited them to have dinner with me. With the help of my dictionary I explained where I was going. After we ate they talked with the bulldozer driver who was working on building a ramp near the river for a crane that would come sometime later to lift the truck out of the river and off the bridge far enough for me to pass. He accomplished this manuever without launching the truck into the river and I finally was able to cross the bridge. I arrived at Bolshoi Galushnia about 21:00, located the American Forest Ranger who is working in this area, parked Bubba in his yard and got to bed about 23:00 after talking with the Ranger for an hour or so.
On Saturday 22 July the American Ambassador was due to come here for a visit to look at several projects that are being done with the help of US funds. This small village on the shore of Baykal was the center of a large logging operation for many years and the shore line here has been badly damaged. One of the projects is to restore the water front area to its natural state, another project is the restoration of a very old church and the third project is to build trails in the forest to highlight some of the more significant areas for tourists.
This is one of the most beautiful areas I have visited since I have been in Russia. The lake is crystal clear, very cold and as pure as distilled water due to microbic action in the water. The Ambassador's party finally arrived by boat about 17:00 and I observed the proceedings from a distance. Everyone seemed to be satisfied with the visit, several speeches were made and the group finally left about 20:00. Because of the north latitude here the sun does not set until about 22:30.
The same day two more Americans arrived. They were going to be working for a year in this area helping build trails. It was rather unexpected to meet so many Americans in this small Siberian village. I decided to cook some chili beans and corn bread for dinner and after the Ambassador's party left we all went to the Ranger's kitchen and had a combination Russian/Texas dinner, seemed everyone enjoyed the beans and cornbread although there were coments about how spicy it was. None was left over when I picked up the pot the next morning.
I decided to go to a small camp ground several kilometers from the village and stay until Monday. When I got to the camp ground two Russian families invited me to camp near them. We were able to communicate with the use of the Russian dictionary. Fortunately, one of the mothers spoke a little English. There were four children in the families and we played a version of baseball in the afternoon after a nice lunch. I had a nice nap and a bath before dinner time. I made another pan of cornbread and we all had dinner. One of the fathers played the guitar very well, we sat around the campfire until almost midnight enjoying the music and talking about many things. It was a very enjoyable evening with some wonderful new friends.
On Monday, 24 July, I got up early, said goodbye and started back for Irkustk. The drive back was a little easier as the road had been worked on aver the weekend and it was a lot better. I arrived back in Irkustk about 13:00 and spent the rest of the afternoon around the hotel after checking my mail at the Academy office. On Tuesday morning I went into the city to do a little sight seeing. I went to the museum of local history. This museum covered the history of the area from its early beginnings in the 18th century to the mid 20th century. It was very interesting to see how this area has progressed. Then my guide and interpreter, Pavel, a 12 year old student I met at the hotel, took me to the local central market and a large department store. The same area has many street side stalls with just about everything one could ask for. We finished up about 14:00 and rode a very crowded bus back to the hotel. Pavel agreed to come back on Wednesday to say goodbye and give me his address before I left.
Wednesday 26 July was departure day for Krasnoyark. I am a little surprised I have gotten this far with no real complications after all the dire warnings I have had from all sorts of people before I began this segment of the trip. I have had nothing but good experiences from the beginning. I find the Russian people to be most hospitable, helpful and generous with their time. They are willing to help any time I am lost or having a difficult time. I have waited for almost 40 years to confirm what I have always believed, that if we can only meet the Russian people without all the propaganda that has gone on in the past, we will find a wondrerful country of hard working people that only want prosperity for themselves and their children. I have not been disappointed.
Everyone take care of yourselves and do the right thing.
As Always,
Bubba and Roger