My parents are safe and sound back home, and I think we're all still trying to wrap our head around the entire trip. I left for Moscow on March 20 and yesterday, April 15, was my first "normal" day back. Needless to say, I'm a little tired! Tired, but kind of amazed and bewildered at what just happened.
My parents and I met in Prague where I got a new visa while we toured the city. In America, we think of things built in the 18th century as really "old", but in Prague you can find structures from the 13th century that are still in use! It was an amazing city, one I had always wanted to see and am very glad we got to visit.
From Prague we went to Moscow, where we saw almost all of the sites (the Lenin Mausoleum was closed, next time!). Moscow is a remarkable city, with a remarkable metro I might add.
After Moscow, we came to my dear Novorossyisk. I had a list of places I wanted to show them and things I wanted to do, but Uncle Ilya thought my ambitions were too modest and took the liberty of amending my schedule. By the time my parents left, we had seen EVERYTHING that there is to see in our region. We were tired, true, but what an amazing experience it was!
Here are some of the highlights of our tour.
We visited the
town that flooded last summer, and met with a pastor there who told us about how God spared the believers in that town, about the people who died or moved away, about how the town is continuing on. He and his wife had us over for lunch; what warm and lovely people. One of the unique experiences my parents had on this trip was visiting many homes. Usually when you travel to a place, you see many interesting sites but rarely how people really live. It gave my folks a whole different perspective on Russian life.
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| The pastor showing us where the water level was. |
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| If you can imagine, this entire bridge was underwater. |
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| Directly following the flood, their home served as a center for organizing, feeding, and housing volunteers from all over the country, so this was actually my second time at their home. |
Hanging out with my boss, Andree, and his wife Natasha. He and my dad had an instant connection, and our afternoon with them was peaceful and fun.
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| Andree showing us their construction project. |
Our town tour really was a highlight of the trip, at least in my mind. We learned all kinds of things about Novorossyisk, WWII, and the history of the Black Sea region. We even saw a dead dolphin on the beach! That sounds kind of grim, but for a girl that grew up in the mountains it's a little mind blowing.
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| Public exercise equipment on the beach? Yes please! |
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| Gettin' fit on the shore. |
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| Dad had a certain affinity for Lenin statues. |
Dad's birthday was April 9, right in the middle of our trip! After a tour of the campground where I work, we had a wonderful birthday celebration with the Ivanyenkos, who were such wonderful hosts the whole time. I know dad will remember this birthday all his life, I certainly will.
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| "Mountain Springs". My buddy Andree's dad did all this rock-work. |
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| The captain can't keep a straight face. |
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| On a birthday hike up to a cliff overlooking the sea, where someone build a platform with a picnic table. |
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| Dad with his new 'KGB' birthday mug. |
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| Smoked fish was a real birthday treat! |
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| My buddy Arthur gave dad a map of the former USSR, you can scratch away the places you've been like a lotto ticket. I wonder what's underneath? |
If anyone is wondering if I miss my parents, of course I do. Our time here together was unforgettable, and reminded me of how much I love and appreciate them. I hope this won't be their last trip to Novorossyisk, and I know they hope the same.
For now, camp season is right around the corner and I have some lessons to write!
Пока ребята, Russian Jane
