On the road again

We are underway to Ol’han – according to Yelena, it’s actually more like a 3 hour tour, so that won’t be so bad.

The hardest part about keeping this journal is not being able to write anything down until well after it’s happened. It’s not just that I don’t remember everything, it’s that so much has happened it would take me a week to write everything that’s happened in the last two days. A daunting task when you realize we still have three weeks to go!

So, let me try to hit the highpoints. A few notable differences between our home and Irkutsk. Everybody in the city lives in apartments; there are no houses. I guess that’s one reason the dachas are so important. Also, in the city, there aren’t really lanes marked on each side of the street. There is one central line, then just a big, wide space on each side. If the cars can force into three or four across, they will. There’s a serious shortage of stop lights, and I’m surprised we haven’t seen more accidents – especially when you consider that both right hand and left hand drive cars are in use.

Getting around is a bit of challenge. We headed down to the central market yesterday afternoon on the autobus, but the traffic jam on the bridge was so bad we got out and walked across, and then got on another bus on the other side. After we got to the market, I bought a “Dior” bag for about $30. I also had to get a new curling iron since I fried my other one at the hotel. Katyea (Katy), Il’ya’s sister, helped me find the right stores, so I bought a hair clip for her. She is 27 years old and absolutely breathtaking. When we got back to the apt. last night, she had given Il’ya a journal to give to me, which is nice because if there turns out not to be electricity on Ol’han, I can at least journal the old way. J

*break*
We just stopped at a site on the side of the road to leave a gift for the spirits so we’ll have a safe and happy journey. A kind of shrine is built as the spirits are said to inhabit this spot. Apparently, there are many out here and in Buryat country. You must leave a small gift – a piece of cloth, a coin, bread, candy – so the spirits will watch over you
*end break*

Yesterday morning we visited a surgical hospital. I was actually quite impressed. I had heard stories about how patients had to bring their own blankets, food, and in some cases, medical instruments. This was definitely not the case here. The hospital had 150 beds and had just been privatized six months ago. The railroad company owns it now, and they treat mostly railway workers. They have accreditation for all surgery except vascular. They have top of the line diagnostic equipment including a CT Scan. It was very clean and bright, and they have private and semi-private rooms and suites. The surgical side is obviously better funded. The equipment for rehab, however, is well below the standard we would be used to. They use magnetic therapy, and have an old stationary bike for use in a stress test. Another difference I really noticed was there are plants everywhere – even in areas that would be considered sterile in the States. Speaking of which, the sterilization area included a stove and pot… The physician who spoke to us was the head of the surgical medical education at the hospital. There are 3 to 5 surgeons on staff, and they perform surgery 6 days a week. We had lunch at the old children’s hospital, which is soon to be closed. There are only a few children still there. We ate there because it was lunch time at the main hospital, and the patients are brought down to the dining area to eat together, so there wouldn’t have been room for us there. The surgeon gave our group a box of chocolates and a set of pins commemorating the Soviet space program – very old and very rare.

Back to Monday (sorry for the free form timeline). The first thing we did was meet at the statue of Alexander by the Ongara (There are about 350 rivers connected to Lake Baikal, and the Ongara is the only one that comes out – all the others feed in.) for a TV interview. Bill and Vlad were interviewed about why were here and Vlad’s group’s time in Texas. Some footage that Marina had recorded of Sundance Square and Dallas were cut in, too. (Mark and I saw the broadcast that evening at Natasha’s. There were some pans of the group, so I’ve been on Russian TV!!!!) After that, we went over to a radio station for another interview.

Next, over to the art studio of Tatyiana. She works in oils and sketches. Her parents were from Mongolia, so a lot of her art is influenced by that. She said she has always been an artist; even when she was a little girl and would go out in the snow, she would draw in the drifts with a stick. She has sketched pictures to go with a lot of her father’s stories and would like to publish a children’s book. She has already had an art history book published with plates from a lot of art from artists who had been banished by the Soviet state.

After lunch at the studio, we went on to some more Russian Orthodox churches, including one that was being refurbished. We met the artist who was doing all of the frescoes, Nicolae. He has been working for six years, and I’m not even sure that it’s half done. Mark got to go up on the scaffolding for a close up view, but the women were not allowed. At one of the churches we went to, Ora and I were buying candles to light, and the nun asked us our names and gave us prayer card’s with our Saints’ on them. Mine was Margarita (had no idea that form of my name existed outside of Mexico!)

That night, we had our first Rotary club meeting. We gave our speeches (in Russian – I had to read it, but still!) and we presented the flags from our respective clubs. Vlad presented each of us with a Russian pin. The one he picked for me had a little character in a car, because he remembered meeting Garett in Arlington and how much Garett liked cars. J

Back to last night (again, apologies, just trying to report as it comes to me). After the afternoon at Il’ya’s and the Central Market, we headed over to the theater for a concert by Igor Butman with Jann Parker singing. Amazing jazz band. Jann Parker sang in English (she’s from Manhattan). After the concert, Vlad went up to the stage with Tracy. They told him no one could come back, and he said that he had Jann’s sister to see her. They saw Tracy and went and got Jann. Apparently when she saw Tracy she said, “Where’d that black girl come from?!” She was very nice and signed autographs for all of us. Since we hadn’t been home, Mark and I hadn’t eaten since lunch. Yelena stopped at a Supermarket for us at about 10:50, and they were already shutting down. She had a somewhat heated exchange, and they let us in. We grabbed some supplies for Ol’Han, and headed back to the house. We had planned on going over to Karils and making pizza, but it was so late, I bowed out. I told Babushka “Ya golodnya” (I’m hungry), and she heated up some excellent beef and rice. I was also “olchin ustala” (very tired), so I ate quickly and packed up for Ol’Han. Il’ya helped me get the household items I needed to take with me (spoon, knife, cup, napkins, toilet paper). Sasha is gone for two days to get her Visa, as she leaves later this month for six years at the university in Germany, so Il’ya is getting some good practice in on his English!!

A quick note about the weather – it’s turned out much colder than we expected. High 30s and low 40s the last few days, overcast and rainy. The sun is trying to break out, though, so hopefully we’ll get a break on the island.

Well, I think that brings us about up to date. There have been some amazing vistas along this drive. We’re in the area where Ghangis Khan used to reign. Rolling steppes, birch forests, former Communist collectives. So, I’m going to sign off for now. Dasvidanya!