We were in Sochi – in our second hotel in downtown Sochi right next to the train station. I was up a bit before 5:30 am and so had at least an hour before our 6:25 breakfast. I ate some of my food stash including the peach and the pastry from the New Athos cave. I thought all I would need from breakfastwas a cup of coffee. It turned out that we had a massive buffet with all sorts of goodies so I succumbed – got my cappuccino and a pickle, some fruit, a fried egg and some pastries. What a pig! I had waited to go down to breakfast so when I arrived almost everyone else was eating already. I ate quickly for me and was ready to leave at 7 am.

We walked a short way to the railroad station, waited, and then proceeded to the platform. This entailed an elevator ride. Our group took 3 turns in the elevator. I was in the last with Michel and Paul I think. We had to walk quite aways down the platform to get to our carriage and then I think we had to walk through no. 1 to get to 2. We were rather disorganized. Michel directed us to put our luggage in the space provided in the middle of the car and Olga pointed out my seat #5. I was across from Jim. And Brian and Jerry sat on the end of my row. Hmmm, was there someone else across from me. Jim and I were the lucky ones because we could look through the window. The first hour or so, we could still see the Black Sea coast with all its shingle beaches and umbrellas and tourists seeking the sun – a few sans clothes. After that we turned inland and the scenery was not so good – mostly overgrown weeds close to the rr lines. We probably got more into talking then and less into watching the scenery go by. The ride was about 3 hours and we had a short time to disembark. A conductor helped us because there was quite a drop to the platform. We were met by a new van and driver.

The next part took several hours and I was tired and dozed off during the ride to the village where we were staying so I can't really describe it other than there was still a lot of vegetation along the roadside.

We arrived around 1 pm and checked into a 2 star hotel that is quite adequate. It even has wifi but I don't think I could find anyone with the password so I decided to forego it tonight and just do this blog off-line and upload my lumix photos from the last three days. After checking in and getting my room key – last – we met in 10 minutes or so to walk to the house where we were to have lunch. Vladislav and Anya have 7 children with one immeninently on the way. The oldest are teenagers and they already help with cooking and serving and banya (sauna-type bathhouse) work. Anya, whom we did not meet, grew up in this village but Vlad is from the Altai region, has lived in Ireland and worked as a bouncer there. They wanted to have their childre grow up in a more natural state so they moved to the village. Vlad has built his house over the past 10 years since moving here and also built the banya house where we ate our lunch of bulgur with fried eggplant and dinner of rice, cheese and salad and halvah and sesame sweet. They have thankas hanging in the banya and seem to live a holistic spiritual life following Russian Orthodox religion and Buddhism.

After lunch, we followed Olga down the river path to see the boxwood endemic to this region which h has been decimated by some catepillar sprouting from a beautiful orange butterfly brought with trees from Italy for the Sochi Olympics. It is quite a catastrophe since it appears that all of this special boxwood that grew to 7 meters is now extinct. Normal boxwood only grows 1 mm per year and never gets this tall.

After the walk, we had a bit of time to get organized before going off to the banya. The women had the first shift beginnnig at 4:30 or 5 pm. Vlad runs the banya. First Kay, Olga, Dana (of Dana and Phil who joined us this morning) and I changed into a sheet to get our first exposure to the banya. Vlad lays fragrant grasses on the benches. We were to sit down with our feet stretched out and then move into a sort of lotus position (maybe – it was dark inside so I am not exactly sure what the others did in response to his instructions). It was extremely hot – so hot that I felt that my butt was burning. Kay and I couldn't take it and fidgeted and I lifted myself off the bench to protect my skin from burning. Later we found out that Dana had been sitting on her towel. Vlad sprinkled us with water and swished a bunch of branches with herbs or aromatherapeutic properties around. The banya had been prepared by starting a fire and allowing the banya to fill with smoke. The smoke was then let out before we entered. Vlad says that the banya has to be that hot for the best therapeutic effect – to make you sweat and get all the toxins out. We got points for good sweating. After awhile, we went out to shower and then we went back to the tables where we drank herbal tea with honey and had our choice of various fruits. We then took turns to get our main treatment. Olga went first, then Dana, then I went and finally Kay. It was the hotest for Olga who can stand it since she does a banya at least once per week.

Vlad's daughter gave me my treatment. First you had to lie on your back on the. bench on the grass – we used our towels now too. The girl then sprayed some water and then began to swat us with the branches rather vigoroustly – repeating the movement over our whole bodies, including the bottoms of our feet. Then she bent our legs and did more swatting, pushed our legs over on each side with more swatting. We turned over and got our fronts done. Oh yes, I had a circle of leaves sitting on my face and head. Then Vlad took over and did more swatting and some kneading. I got at least one hard push on my shoulders. He stopped at one point and asked whether I wanted more or not so I asked for a little more. Then he asked a second time and I told him that it felt terrific but I would stop at this point. I had the option of cold shower or river swim and took the shower since I hadn't brought my glasses and was not sure I could walk to the river without killing myself. I did regret this because I heard how wonderful it was to float downstream and that the river was not that cold – maybe no colder than the water in the cold water shower – from the river. Then the 4 of us sat and drank tea, ate fruit and chatted until the men – Michel and Bob – came to do their banya.

After 6:30 pm I went back to the room to change and time flew before I realized it was after 7 pm. I walked to the banya but almost got lost – it is not that far away but neither is it that close. I could remember some details of most sections of the path – e.g, the horse poop – to guide me on my way. The outside table was filled by the time I got there so I had to eat inside. I joined Paul and Jerry. We had rice, some kind of squeaky cheese, a salad, and a fried egg. Vlad and Anya may be vegetarian. They do not drink alcohol but we brought some beer and wine and I had some Crimean wine for dinner. . The party wound down shortly after 8 pm and I made my way back following Paul and Jerry . I sort of packed up most things, ate some cherries, uploaded my photos and now I am ready to brush my teeth and hit the sack. We have breakfast at 7 am tomorrow – as prepared by Olga.`