| |
|
|
|
Tuesday, 20th October 1998
|
|
|
| |
The next stop, Saratov, was an
attractive city with friendly people.
The wide river crossing at Saratov
|
|
| |
|
| |
The River Station |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
A small group of
us threw caution to the wind and decided to ignore
the lunch on the boat and go to a restaurant. A
(very) large vodka, a plate of smoked salmon and
trout, a plate of charcuterie, and beef goulash,
with wines and 25% tip, cost us US$5 a head. Yet
the only Russians who could afford to eat there
were the wealthy top 10% ("Mafia", said
our guide who came with us). |
|
We also visited a market
full of wonderful produce including huge
carmine pomegranates, dried fruit and nuts
and home made pickles - all very cheap.
We bought a bottle each of lemon and chili
pepper flavoured vodka for Berni and Dave
for about US$2 each and several bottles
of Russian champagne for 27 roubles - about
$2.50. We learned that the shops now have
enough produce, but few people can afford
anything but the basic essentials; and 20%
can’t even afford that - there were
many elderly ladies in the markets wherever
we went sadly trying to sell poor bunches
of Michaelmas daises for whatever people
could afford to give: pensions are now all
but worthless. It was very, very sad. We
bought a lot of daisies. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
That evening, we
were invited to Andrei's birthday celebrations. |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
