Heading back from Kyzyl - April 18 - 20

Sleeping in Taxi to Abakan

Monday…we had a nice breakfast in the hotel… omelet… yogurt… bread… blinis and jam and tea.  The day was drizzly and cooler but not cold… upper 50s.  Lucas went to the office where he had to buy tickets for the train ride home and then we waited for the taxi driver to come pick us up about noon.  It was nice to not be so tired on the ride back so I could enjoy the scenery a bit more.  Sam and Sophie were asleep in about 15 minutes and slept almost 2 hours!   Jamie was sitting in the front chatting in Russian to the driver and he was full of information about the areas we were driving thru which was interesting.  

Potty Break

Shaslik ad at our stop

We stopped after 3 hours and had a potty break and ate some of the delicious shaslik (kebab).  Then it was 2 more hours and we arrived at the Abakan train station.  We were able to get a locker and put our things in it so we could walk around a bit while waiting for the train that was leaving about 8 PM. 

There was a train engine on display near the station that Sam loved climbing on, eploring and examining.  He knows how to imitate the sounds of the trains… not just the clickty clack but the hisses and whistles etc…  That was probably one of the highlights for Sam and he enjoyed it with another Russian boy who was waiting with his dad.  There was also a large park across the street that was nice to walk in and we found a grocery store…. where Lucas bought a baked chicken and some wraps and we sat on a bench and made sharmas for dinner!  It was good even without the cabbage and onions :).

Sam enjoying climbing on the train engine in Abakan

The ride home was fun and I think one of my fondest memories of Russia…being with Sam on the train and seeing how exciting it is for him.  How can train noises… tickets…. opening and shutting a sliding door being on an upper bunk with his own light and eating at a little table be so much fun… but it is when you see it thru the eyes of a 3 yr old!  When we had to get off in Krasnoyarsk he just hated to leave the station.  He wants to stand and watch the trains come and go.  I mean… what little boy wouldn’t want to do that… and maybe someday Sam will realize how cool it was that he got to live so many little boy’s dreams … our hearts so thankful for this time with them and the opportunity to see Tuva and meet some of their friends. 

Sophie placing telephone with dinner on train

On a side note, Sophie has started to take her first steps since we have been here.  She took 2 – 3 steps the first day we were here and last night took about 5 – 6 steps.  She seems to do it when she is not focused on it but rather intent on getting something she wants. 

It was good to get back home and we were back in the apartment about 7am…in time for tea and breakfast!  I decided to make some banana muffins with some bananas we had left behind while laundry was started and unpacking done.  Lucas went to a class in the afternoon and the rest of us took a long nap.  

Lucas preparing sharmas in Abakan

When we got up and Lucas came home… Vanessa was with him!  It was so nice to see her and have her hang out a bit and hear some of her perspectives on life here.  She has just found out that she needs to find another place to live.  She is staying with a girl and her mother in a house and they sold the house so will now have to move.  Its a lot more complicated than I could write but the moving adds to the busyness of her life and is never fun.  But she has a great attitude and it was fun to hear of the many relationships she has built here and opportunities she has to share into people’s lives here.   Vanessa decided to invite us for tea in the morning on Wednesday (as if she does not have enough to do) so we could see a real Russian house (as opposed to an apt.) so I will write more of that later.