Sochi Spa Resort

... There is a crudity and simplicity about the Russia we saw that accords with the written views we have previously come across. Is it something to do with the Russian personality or the regimes they have endured or both? Probably a melange of the two one would think. They are hard, often cruel and cunning, folk and have plodding attitude which shines through in their dealings with others. This latter applies particularly to officialdom of whom we ...

It's possible to hitchhike 5200 kilometers from Siberia to the Black Sea in January. Elina is not a "durachka" (idiot). I agreed to drink with her because I'm weak. But, not every guy is a "durak" (idiot), either. I, though, am worn out. And maybe I should go home? After all, the Russian-Georgian border is an impenetrable one - at least, in winter. (There. Now you know the conclusive themes of this story. Let's learn how they got resolved.) As ...

... learn to greet tourists with at least a smile if nothing else. A couple of people we were with saw two policemen nearby and told us they were going to ask to take a photo with them. One policeman walked away when he saw our friend coming and the other refused to have his photo taken. See what I mean? Doesn't take much to be nice. I can imagine it would be a pretty place in winter as the mountains are visible from the port.

... but it doesn't really show much of the town. Today is a day at Sea. These days are quite boring because there are so many guests onboard that we can't really use any of the guest facilities, so I end up working most of the day. Tonight Verne Lundquist from CBS Sports is the entertainment so I might go watch that for a lack of something better to do. I have put pictures from Kusadasi and Yalta up. Take Care,