We're almost packed - now for the hard part of getting everything we want to mail home to the post office and UPS and explain in Russian what we want.
This morning we brought almost 20 kilos of books, post cards, and magazines (souvenirs) to the post office (they're open seven days a week and I was in there around 11:00 when they told me I could bring my books in until noon). I dashed home and Scott and I called a cab and hustled back. There was only one woman working but we were the only people there at first. She went through every single book to see if there was any writing in them (can't send anything with writing), every card and post card, every photo, every business card. Anything with writing on it, as well as the Russian children's encyclopedia Scott wanted to mail, couldn't go in this package. But, we got most of it sent. It's going to take two months (coming to you, Dawn, Larry, Eric and Jessica, so keep a look out for four packages tied up in string) since it's going by ship (book rate). Only cost about $30 for all that! And it didn't really take us very long at all. Typically I have to stand in line at least an hour and this only took us an hour for the entire process. But now we need to find out where to take our breakables, clothing, notebooks of notes and journals, and souvenirs (Scott wanted to save his ticket stubs from various places we've visited and she wouldn't let us send those either!)
We'll leave Rostov on Tuesday on the Tiki Don and arrive in Moscow on Wednesday. We'll stay with a friend and Thursday we will try to get tourist visas at the Ukraine Embassy. Wednesday night we'll head out to Nizhnevartovsk to stay with Irina and Sergei Afanasyev for about five days. That plane ride will take us about 4 hours and we'll cross two time zones. Then, back to Moscow where we'll gain those lost two hours, visit lots of friends and 'family' (our Russian host family) plus go through the COS (close of service) process with Peace Corps.
I wrote earlier that the Russian Peace Corps office has been having trouble getting new visas for the current group of volunteers (group IX). They have completed their first year and are about to leave the country to renew their visas for their second year. But, eleven of them have been denied new visas (and no explanation has been given by the Russian visa department). So, only 24 will be able to come back to their sites. None of the people who have completed their second year (group IIX) who wanted to extend for a third year have been allowed to extend. So, Scott and I were extremely lucky. Not only did we get to stay our two full years, we also were allowed to extend for a third year (we're from group VII).
As I mentioned in several individual notes to some of you, this leave taking is bitter sweet. It's been wonderful to see and hear how much people like us and want us to come back (or stay - one friend even told me his family has a vacant flat from a grandparent who just died and offered to keep us there illegally and provide Scott with work!!!) But, it's very sad to say good-bye to these wonderful friends and acquaintances. I recall when we first joined the Peace Corps someone mentioned this will become our second home and for the first year and a half I scoffed at that idea because I felt quite alien. But, it's true. I love this area and there's so much more I want to do and see. And I adore the people ... but I miss being home, I miss being where I can hear the news in a language I can comprehend, I miss many of the conveniences (although I've discovered most of the time I don't miss my car), and I REALLY miss you all.
So, we're off on Tuesday. From now on I'll put my journals onto my web page and try to let everyone know there is a new posting by sending you a short message via yahoo.
You'll see our tentative itinerary on that web site. If you have any places or sights you think we should see, send us a message. Unfortunately, I won't be able to reply to you personally, as often as in the past, but I'll do my best.
More soon,
Judy
[email protected]
[email protected]
August 24, 2002
Dear Family and Friends,
Just wanted to let you know we are doing great and are staying with Irina and Sergei Afanasev in Nizhnyvartovsk in Siberia. We arrived on the 22nd (at about 1:30 a.m.) and they met us with a car to take us back to their home. Irina is a director of teachers in a village outside of Nizhnyvartovsk and Sergei is the director of communal services (water, heat, gas) for twenty villages in the Oblast. They are the parents of our friends Zina and Camille (Zina is married to Brett Morrison, former PCV for Rostov-on-Don and they live in Tulsa OK, Camille is in her fourth year at the Pedagogical and has adopted our cat, Harley). They also have a son, Sasha who is in Rostov at the moment with Camille so it's just we four adults.
Irina and Sergei are close to our age (I'm older than them) and are wonderful. Yesterday we had a tour, via car and driver, of the immediate area of Nisnevartovsk and learned more about the city and region as well as a tour of Sergei's work place before we ended the day at a banya with the two of them plus two of their friends, Ludmila and Victor.
The city of Nizhnevartovsk is only 30 years old and its only industry is oil. There are tons of drilling rigs all over the place and as we flew in for landing the other night, I could count 10 flames on top of the pipes of the active oil drilling just from the small area I could see out my window in the airplane. And, there are thousands of lakes here. We'll be taking pictures when we leave, from the air, and when I get those developed you'll be able to get a general idea of what the area looks like. There are lots of aspen trees, low shrubs, beautiful taiga flowers and reeds, and already some of the trees are beginning to change their color for the fall. It reminds me a lot of the Tuoalame Meadows in Yosemite. Sergei is a geologist and told us the level of soil and peat is quite thin, and directly below this is sand. That's why there are not many large trees, because their roots can't get hold of anything to hold on to and when there is wind, they topple. The weather fluctuates drastically, here. Irina told us sometimes in the morning it would be +20C and by evening -30, and other times, often, it can be as drastic going from cold to hot. She said when these drastic changes happen, she gets really bad head aches (as do many other people) so apparently the change in temperature isn't healthy for the people here. There are a couple of aboriginal groups in the area. The Huntee are one of those groups. I asked Irina what their physical characteristics are and she said they have a slight slant to their eyes, are usually short of stature, and their skin is sort of gray/white. She said according to genetic tests, they are not able to live much longer then 48 years of age and the average age is lower. Sounds to me like they have had to endure some pretty horrific climate and lack of a healthy diet thus their longevity hasn't expanded. Genetically, they have an intolerance for alcohol.
We talked yesterday about the climate and environmental conditions here - it evidently costs about a million dollars to put down one kilometer of road, so much the road surfaces leave a lot to be desired. Also, there is little to no wind, as the temperatures drop, and they have what is described as a Siberian sky - mostly cloudy - big dark clouds with some breaks so you can see the blue sky - the contrast is very beautiful to me but has ominous overtones. Of course, in the winter they live mostly in darkness but even in the middle of the summer, they don't usually see the sun. because of the clouds. I was asking if the community had considered solar or wind power and of course, neither of these things would work here. Then I asked about water energy, because they have the largest river in Russia running right through the area, but Sergei reminded me that from about October to April it's frozen. So, their power resources are quite limited. There are lots of trees in some of the areas up here but evidently they are very soft wood and quite damp so not appropriate for furniture or even fuel, although of course, they are used for both in a pinch.