Last days in Russia

On Saturday, we realized that from that point forward every day would be our last of that day in Russia. For instance, today is my last Monday. We’re doing everything we can to make them count!

Yesterday, we met up for lunch at a really nice restaurant just outside of town. Each table was in its own individual hut. We had posey, fried posey, pilmeni, salad, blini, the works. The food was awesome. Tracy was once again the star – at least three people asked to have their picture taken with her. For many, she is the first black person they’ve ever seen! I don’t think the staring is quite as bad here as it was in Ulan-Ude, though, or maybe they’re just not as obvious about it here.

After lunch, we headed to a local art museum showcasing photographs of the Chita area. On the second floor, there were a number of works by a mother and daughter. The mother is an architect and in fact designed the church on the overlook we went to on Friday. The daughter is art school in St. Petersburg and had some really neat fashion design drawings. The third floor was more traditional works, including some old Soviet Realism paintings.

After that museum, we went to another local museum with exhibits on the indigenous animal life of Chita, as well as more Chita history. We stopped back by the central city cathedral, then headed over to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. After dinner, we walked to a bowling alley at a motel next door. There were six lanes, video games, American pool and an adjoining casino. We headed home a little after midnight.

Today was Mark’s professional day, and we went and met the police chief and had some chai at headquarters. Then we walked down the street to the old firehouse from the early 1900s. It has a tall tower, from which the fireman could watch the city and respond to fires by sight. Now, the downstairs is a car repair shop, and upstairs is a police museum.

After lunch, we headed outside the city to the police gun training site. We are the first foreigners ever allowed to visit this place, so it was a real honor. (Chita used to be a closed city, and foreigners weren’t even allowed in the city, much less at such a militaristic venue.) We put in some Russki earplugs (bullets placed in our ears) and got to fire a variety of weapons, and I did all right. Hit the bull’s eye with my first pistol (all luck, as I only hit the target one other time with that gun), and managed to get about a dozen other hits with the next couple of weapons – another pistol, and an automatic. (this was at 25 meters)

We moved down the range to a 100 meter target and shot another automatic - a kalishnikov (ak-47). Five shots on the target here.

Now, about an hour at home to get cleaned up, then off to our Rotary meeting. Last night in Chita, as we leave tomorrow night on the midnight train and start our long journey home!