Before we know it, it’s 12:55 a.m.. Just as we get ready to call it a night (the bar closes at 1:00), the bar fills with people – very festive people. The bartender (one of our new close friends) tells us that the crew has been planning for weeks to have this night be a birthday celebration for the ship’s Food Director. We are welcomed to stay, on the condition that we join in the festivities. Before we can give him a collective "well O.K., twist my arm", we have no less than half a glass of vodka each, in our hands ready for a celebratory cheers to the birthday girl. The group yells some type of toast in Russian and down the hatch! A lot to swallow, but oh so smooth, very smooth indeed!

For some reason, I am singled out by one of the younger crew. She comes over and asks me to dance. There is a pause in the music and her true intentions come out. She tells me that I must walk over and ask the guest of honor to dance with me. Well, the guest of honor is the picture of a good Russian Kitchen Manager – late 40’s and stiff, STURDY, and stern. I protest adamantly, but to no avail.

I take a deep breath, toss down what’s left of my vodka and Coke, and sheepishly make my way to the corner where she is sitting surrounded by her staff. Just as I was instructed, I extend my hand to shake hers, wish her happy birthday, and then ask her to dance. Apparently she understands me. Her face lights up with a huge smile, she pops up from her chair, and we hit the floor and boogie down in the middle of what becomes a circle of clapping hands around us. A few songs later, our bartender comes out dawning a sleeveless tee-shirt and a long, dark wig, jammin’ on a sax. This soon turns into a full scale parade around the whole bar with the Kitchen Manager, complete with Russian soldier hat, in front waving a full sized Russian flag, one of the bartenders (and later our new friend Robert) beside her waving an American flag (of all things), and the rest of the 30 or so people dancing in line behind them. Quite a start to our trip! From that night forward, I got secret smiles and waves from almost the whole kitchen crew – especially my new friend, the Kitchen Manager.

Day 4 of the cruise, and day 2 of actual sailing, brings us to the shores of Mandrogi. This place is living proof that capitalism is alive and well. Basically nothing more that a large dock in the middle of the woods, this pleasant little stretch of riverfront will soon be a full-blown resort for some of Russia’s wealthy. After getting off of the boat and being greeting by a shot of vodka and a pickle (yes, that was our breakfast that morning), we toured the cabins and hotel in the early stages of construction. The owner, a successful restaurantor from St. Petersburg, definitely knew how to reel in the tourism money. Next to the dock was a large stage. Around 10:30 a.m. a band, dressed in very traditional and colorful Russian folk costumes, bounds up on the stage to entertain us.

They soon draw a crowd, and within minutes have their audience clapping with them to the beat of the music. Laura, in search of a good picture, finds her way to a seat in front of the stage. Well, being an accomplished musician, it didn’t take more that a song or two for the leader of the band to recognize the potential talent of this cute little, pony-tailed girl in the front row. He jumps off the stage, grabs Laura by the hand, and sits her down behind a 5 foot long steel timber saw. He places a bow in her hand, places her hand in his, and proceeds to help her ‘play’ the saw (it sounds something like a cross between an owl and a coyote with a belly ache). The crowd is definitely into it. I suppose that Laura did so well with that, that he keeps her on stage for an encore, this time on her own with a wooden sort of xylophone. With flashes flashing, and videos rolling, Laura’s command performance became part of the whole ship’s vacation memories.

Bright and early the next day, we docked at the island of Kizhi. In ancient times it was a pagan ritual site for northern tribes. Today, it is home to a rather fascinating outdoor museum of wooden architecture. The big draw here is the 280 year old, truly awe-inspiring Transfiguration Cathedral. In short, it was a group of basically uneducated, and by our standards, illiterate, craftsmen that built this beautiful, all wooden cathedral using no plans, blueprints, or – get this – nails!!

In addition to the three hundred year old buildings, once again, those enterprising Russians made sure there was plenty of shopping for those who were interested. I happened to catch a snapshot of two of the local craftspeople catching a break on the porch. The following day brought us to Goritsy and Kirillov.

The fortress-like monastery of St. Cyril of the White Lake was pretty much a snoozer, but the town grocery in Goritsy offered a pretty accurate peak into the life of the average Russian in the rural countryside.

Sunday morning, the 4^th, we arrive in Uglich. A living example of the poverty of Russia. Although there were enterprising part-time merchants with tables of crafts, souvenirs, and other merchandise lining the walk to and from the ship, there were also almost as many beggars. Most of them old ladies. This is the group hit hardest by perestroika.
Beyond their working years, and most likely alone, they have watched as their monthly pension from the state has dwindled to a relative pittance. And then, recently, sat hopelessly as the state withheld pension payments (as well as all other state salaries) over the last 4 months. This town did, like all others, have the majority of its populous with enough money to buy at least the basic necessities, if not a few luxuries. This was evidenced by the huge market we strolled through that sunny Sunday afternoon.

The remainder of the cruise was also a lot of fun. Time spent talking about a little of everything (for the most part, with refreshment in hand) with our new friends proved relaxing, fun, and sometimes even silly. The crew also did their best to keep us entertained. There was, for instance, the ship’s play and talent show. I was informed one night over dinner that a vote of the tour directors had been taken and I was selected from the other 200+ on board for the starring role of "Neptune, ruler of the seas, lakes, rivers, streams, and yes, even puddles". After carefully pinning my lines inside my cape so I would be sure to ‘remember’ them, I proceeded to ad-lib through almost the entire script. I had a lot of fun, and from the reaction from the packed house, so did the audience. The remaining 2 days always brought the good humored greeting of "Your Highness" from any of the other passengers. I still don’t know how I get myself into these things.