We're in the air on our way home. Getting through customs was nothing - we went through the green line - nothing to declare. We packed 6 bottles of Russian vodka and some chocolate. Security is especially tight on flights to the US. Not only did we go through 3 sets of x-ray but they hand searched our bags, etc. That is how it should be. We didn't get to see the Kremlin - it was closed, maybe next trip.

Well, I didn't sleep the night through. I woke up at 3:30 Moscow time. My body is so out of whack it's not even funny. Joe finally got up at 5 Moscow time. I think I got up at 6 or so. We met some other American couples at breakfast. Actually, they would be "westerners". 2 of the couples were from Canada, and one was from North Carolina. The southern couple were on their exiting visit with their 10 month old son. One of the Canadian couples had arrived to go to court and one had arrived last night on their first visit. We passed along our little pieces of wisdom, (Don't drink the water), order cocoa, not hot chocolate as everything is taken literally and don't forget to tip. We walked Arbat St. one more time and then waited for Natasha. When we came back from our walk Joe accidentally stepped on the towel I had put down on the bathroom floor ( i did this because the shower leaked all over the floor). When we checked out we were charged like 150 Rubles (Actually a little over 300) for the "damaged" towel! I said fine, but jokingly said to Natasha, I put down the towel because the shower leaked. If I have to pay for the towel I want it. I'll take it home with me to remind me to let the shower leak. Natasha tells the maid what I said, and that I want the towel. The maid put the towel in a bag and gave it to me! OK! Well, I've learned my lesson. Don't say anything you don't want translated and let the shower flood and let the maids clean it up. We wanted to tour the Kremlin but it was 1800 Rubles or $60 per person. Ouch. I guess that will have to wait for our next trip. We went to a chocolate factory and bought some chocolate and a liquor store and bought our vodka. Have I mentioned there are few stop signs here but alot of yield signs? And did I mention the drivers here can scare NASCAR drivers? Our drive was a real NASCAR driver, wedging our shuttle van in where ever he wanted or felt he needed to be. Overall, I feel the trip has been good and very educational. I have had lunch/dinner now and 2 glasses of wine, so along with the wickedly strong airline coffee I have a buzz and am wide awake. Momentarily. Joe is sleeping with blanket, eye mask and walkman beside me. Fred and Nancy will meet us at JFK in 7 hours, and our daughter waits for her court date. 7 time zones behind us. Yup, Jerry Garcia was right, what a long strange trip it has been.

We did souvenir shopping yesterday - spent about 5400 rubles - nearly $180. Got 40 Matryoshka Dolls as gifts, a keychain for dad, hats for Fred, Dave & Karen. Can't sleep - went to bed at 8pm - jet lag. Our plane leaves at 3:30pm for NYC. We need to find a duty free shop before leaving to get some vodka. Maybe we will tour the Kremlin today when Natasha - our coordinator picks us up. Whatever we do it should be an adventure. I've come to the conclusion that I hate seltzer water - that's all we can get here. We ate Italian food (real Italian food) at an Italian restaurant on Arbat st. That was wonderful. Russians have such a different idea of food than western Europeans and us.

We're in the air on our way back to Moscow. I didn't get a chance to write after the trip to see Katya yesterday. We had time to play a little while, got some more pictures of us with her before we had to leave. After our visit we saw the education minister (I think that was who she was). She asked us basic questions and will represent us when we go to court. The view of mountains from the air is absolutely incredible! The stewardesses just moved a couple with a baby to the bulkhead across from us. That will be us in another month or 2.



Some time in the afternoon - somewhere over Russia. We are on our way to Moscow. The plane is hot, Russians like it hot. I don't know why. We've had lunch/dinner. Some cut meats, hamburger rolled in eggroll wraps, a buttered roll, some kind of dry pastry and coffee. Even though I am only wearing a long sleeved T-shirt and yoga pants I am hot. I don't know how the people do it. The people across from me are wearing jeans, shirts, and sweaters. They are traveling with a baby - about 8 or 9 months old. I wish we could have brought Katya home today. I didn't sleep well last night, the bed was impossible and now both my hips hurt and I'm tired, but of course not tired enough to sleep. When I get home I am going to work on a list of things we will need and getting Katya's room ready and learning more Russian - Good morning, thank you, and good-bye just don't cut it. Joe wants to see inside of the Kremlin when we get to Moscow. I hope there are other Americans staying at the hotel. I can't wait to call Karen and Linda. I'll write more after I get back home I'm sure. It seems strange leaving without her.

We just had an interesting occurrence. We have seats just behind the bulkhead that separates the economy section into 2 parts. I was sitting in the window seat, rain in the middle seat. All of a sudden a guy comes through the curtain with a girl in tow by a hand full of hair. Something caused a fight up front, not sure what. It took a few seconds for people to realize what was happening. The couple with the baby were definitely in danger since the baby was in a basinet. The guy hit the basinet already. The father, on the aisle was getting up, the guy on our side was about to get involved, I unbuckled my seatbelt, and basically shoved Rain behind me and was about to get involved. The guy was big, and out of control. One of the flight crew, possibly a pilot, and a passenger arranged to bring him down and stop anything further. One of the guy's friends ( I assume) got involved in calming him down and they took him up front. That was definitely scary. It's amazing what adrenaline can do in a situation like that.



Leaving Khabarovsk was difficult. The idea of leaving Katya in such a place is unthinkable but as Joe keeps reminding me, at this time a necessity. I still hate to think about it. When we got to the airport it was time to go, with only time for a few more forms, then it was time to board the shuttle with a few other passengers and be cattled out to the plane. Of course no-one at the boarding station so we (and 2 Chinese passengers) didn't know the other passengers had already gone on out to the plane, nice huh. When they realized some people had checked in but were missing they came back to the terminal to do a quick double check. Glad they did. They also double booked one of our seats. Since everything is done by hand with 2 women assigning seats as you check in, it was bound to happen. So we got to sit by the bulkhead. It gave us a little more leg room, the man who sat beside me had yet to discover deodorant this week. And of course the plane was hot and crowded. About 2/3 through the flight some guy further behind us freaked out and grabbed a woman by the hair and was trying to grab her bag and was really whacked out. The smelly man and the man across the aisle both tried to contain him. We tried to head butt one guy. The stewardesses were trying to calm him down, nothing was working I was beginning to get scared. For the first time I was glad we didn't have Katya with us. Finally 2 GI's (Russian GI's) got involved. They babysat the guy in business class the remainder of the flight. The guy beat and kicked on the bathroom door the whole time. A member of the cockpit crew helped with serving dinner and we noticed he had a bandage around his upper arm and blood on his shirt. We wondered if the guy bit him or something. When we landed the police met our plane and everyone got off while the cops babysat the guy. It truly made the flight memorable. Olga didn't meet us the same girl who met us coming in did. She was nice. We went back to the Arbat for the night. We had a much nicer room this time, a real bed! with a real mattress! And an English speaking channel on TV! We walked on Arbat street and finished our souvenir shopping. We ate dinner at the "Italia Restaurant" they serve "American" food. Pizza, beer, spaghetti, "Calsones" you know "American" food. I had a Greek salad, (that fit into a cereal bowl) and a Coke, real Coke! Not a flat, warm one either! Joe got spaghetti with tomato sauce. It was like chunky tomato puree but it worked. I got careless though and ordered "American" coffee, OK slap me hard. It was worse than Sanka, instant coffee. It was very bitter. I don't put sugar in my coffee, but I put 2 sugars in this coffee trying to save it. No such luck. I was so tired I fell asleep sitting up reading. Hopefully I'll sleep the night through.

Well yesterday went by too fast. Yuda met us at 11:30 and we did some shopping, first fro the director then for the orphanage. We bought the director an amber necklace at a museum/gift store. The salesman followed us around 1) to make a sale 2) to practice and show off his English vocabulary. He did pretty good. We even made jokes about the Terminator - we went to a department store and bought some sleepers and 6 pair of tights. Katya likes squeeky toys and her care bear. On our next trip I want to bring picture books, a purse with stuff she can play with, stacking toys and tissues, she loves these! She knows how to blow or wipe her nose. She also likes buttons on phones, cameras, etc We only got to spend 2 hours with her Friday. I was devastated. She was more interested in our interpreter than us. Mostly because she spoke Russian. Then abruptly at 4:30 our visit was over. At 4:30 they get the children ready for their evening meal. Thursday for lunch we saw her eat Borscht (beet soup) with bread, Black bread, mashed potatoes, and a hot dog (yummy) she ate everything! The director said she is a good eater, eating 4 times a day. She doesn't eat baby food but real "normal" food. She's allergic to buckwheat and oats and any citrus. She doesn't have a sleep schedule at this point ( that will change). I am going to talk to Karen, Nancy, Amy about sleep schedules. We went to a local bar/grill for dinner. Man, did I feel like a total tourist! Thank god the bartender spoke English! I swear I will be nicer to our tourist now that the shoe is on the other foot. We had "steak" a thin breaded beef patty, "fried potatoes" - French fries, and "coca cola" - flat coke. McDonalds is a big hit when we get to New York! So as we are leaving the orphanage Friday we realized Katya (Katie) has scabies (small common mites here). Thank god the pediatrician knew that was going to happen so he set us up with antibiotic cream to bring with us. We put all our "contaminated" clothes in space bags in one suitcase and took a shower. Then we applied the cream treatment from head to toe. This morning we washed it off. Our clothes will be left in the suitcase and the entire suitcase will be put into a garbage bag and sealed for 2 weeks. Joe and I are sad to leave Katya here even one more second but for right now we have no choice. We met with some case worked who oversees all the orphanages. She wanted to be sure of our reasoning for the adoption. I think she liked us. Today we head back to Moscow. Our plane leaves at 11:30AM and lands in Moscow 7 hours later at 3:30PM in Moscow. Yeah the time zones mess me up too. I am already making a list of things to bring for our next trip. Diapers, baby wash cloths, sleepers, shoes, coat, socks, more antibiotic cream for all 3 of us, a doll. None of the small children have dolls! The barbies and play dough we brought over will go to the "hospital" near us. That's where the 4-6 year olds are. I feel like we are abandoning Katya today. Even though I know in my head we aren't, my heart is breaking to leave her here in the orphanage. Joe and I agree this trip has been an eye opening experience. Here literally the rich are rich and the poor are extremely poor. I haven't been sleeping well, the beds are hard and the rooms hot. Karen would be in agony here. The rooms are kept at 74F. When we get to Moscow Joe and I are going to make a list of things to buy and bring. Right now I would love to hear an American accent. I admit it is cold here but not as cold as we expected. I will not need the wooly socks after all. Our driver Oleg gave Joe a badge for his hat. It is a USSR military pin. The one that came with Joe's hat is a basic tourist token. Olge ask he not put the pin on till he got back to the U.S. We bought our translator flowers to show our appreciation. Monday is "Woman's Day" - or Mother's day. On our next trip we are going VIP customs each way. And we want to check out business class for our flights over and back to Moscow. The flights to Khabarovsk is either coach or first class. I think we will price both. First class has 2 seats per row coach has 3 and it is a tight fit. I don't think I will ever get used to the food or the bread. I hope Olga meets us in Moscow. She was so nice, she kind of reminds me of a favorite aunt. It's hard to write down everything I am feeling and thinking. I made contact with Katya by getting down on the floor and doing what she did. Setting up her toys and knocking them down. I hope our next trip is very soon. We know we want to bring a U.S. map and a map of NJ. Yuda likes to look at maps, etc., newspapers, LBI tourist guide, a Beacon, NY times, I love LBI shirt for Yuda. Something Jeep for Oleg. Katya was fascinated by my fingernails. Women here don't have long nails and they aren't polished with anything but clear polish. So my long, pink nails are amazing to her. I don't know how she would like her nails painted. Life will certainly change in the Irvine house. I don't think she can open doors yet, but Katie is a smart girl, it won't be too long to figure it out.

So we have gone to the notary and petitioned for Katya's adoption. Galia our interpreter was very nice. She explained everything as they went. Tatiana gave the notary and her assistant some chocolates as a thank you gift. Joe and I ate breakfast in the bar/cafe. When Joe asked for hot chocolate that's what he got, dark chocolate melted in a cup. It was gritty and bitter. I ordered cocoa with milk and got good, old fashioned cocoa. It was great! I had an omelet with "shrimps" tinned maize and greens. Their idea of a "cold garnish" is cold peas (canned) picked zucchini and a cole slaw like cabbage mix. We spent 5 hours with our baby. At first she didn't want us near her. But she slowly warmed up. They don't put diapers on the children because diapers are expensive and there is never enough. Tights and clothing can be washed and worn again diapers can't. The clothing will be worn over and over until it falls apart. Katya does use a potty but she also had 4 accidents. Joe took lots of pictures and video. Katya is very interested in the digital camera. Joe let her play with it, I turned it off and boy did she get pissed! Katya is very independent, she has order and plans in her head, It's just making herself understood. By the end of our visit she would talk to me, pat my hand, smooth my hair from my face. She is compassionate, kind and loving. Joe and I ventured outside the hotel for dinner and munchies. We went to "Cafe California" for dinner. The door man spoke some English. We had beef kabobs Russian style, basically Salisbury steak formed into a long row then baked on a skewer. I also got a salad with crab, so I thought. No it was shredded cabbage and a huge glob of mayonnaise on top of tomatoes, peppers, and a small amount of crab meat. My first bite was all mayo. I tried not to gag, I finally moved the top layer over (mayo & cabbage) and ate the crab, tomatoes and peppers. They also served white bread! I was never so happy to see white bread in my life! They do not serve your coffee or tea with dinner, it is served after your meal. Black coffee here is basically espresso, coffee with milk is cappuccino, and as Joe found out, milk is server hot. Milk is more like heave whipping cream. Per Joe it is very thick. Our room has been another obstacle. The shower is run by a switch on the sink. Water is heavy in iron content so you drink bottled water. And the water is carbonated. It is weird drinking seltzer water. Its even weirder boiling seltzer water for tea and coffee. The beds have no real mattress, its more box springs sheets and wooly blankets. I actually miss Moscow. At least in Moscow there was one British /English channel. Here the one channel with English runs the same program all day. The other channels are Russian or Chinese. Even the menus, info, and signs in the hotel are in Chinese or Russian. We definitely stick out as tourists, an people know the only reason why people come here as tourists - the orphanages. It's 4:30 in the morning and Joe and I are both awake. Sleep for 8 hours is in high demand but we can't get it. And today is our last day with our daughter until our court date, whenever that might be. We stopped after dinner at a little shop and bought Pepsi, Pepsi "Light" (diet), instant coffee, chocolate, and seltzer water. I want to buy tights, etc. for the orphanage for the next trip. Our in ear thermometer was a huge hit! They asked for few things when we asked what we can do to help. The in ear thermometer, the thermometers that is on the the forehead, disposable masks, and sample bags for baby girl urine samples, I am going to do my best to find them. Diaper rash ointment, etc. is in high demand. Joe and I are going to ask Fred to meet us with McDonalds food and a huge WaWa coffee for me. We are definitely suffering from culture shock. At this point I go from tears of despair because we have to leave Katya here for another second to hard headed determination to do everything to bring her home and make this experience worthwhile.



Yesterday was definitely an adventure - the notary process was simple enough, 500 rubles (about $18) for the translator - had to use a court appointed one, not ours. 350 rubles for the notary. I changed $200 into rubles and got 5500 rubles. Katya was much more friendly then the first day. She is not only speaking a few words but is ready to start speaking sentences. After a few hours, she was going on & on to Rain about a perfume sample she got out of Rain's purse. Definite sentences in her mind, of course most of it was not actual words but baby babble, but she thought she was speaking in Russian. I got about 45 minutes of video so far and lots of pictures, though not as many as I would have liked. Still working on the first memory stick out of 4. I'll get more today when we go shopping. We want to buy some clothes for them before we go. They can definitely use some. Not much of interest in the city to take pictures of. Only so much to take pictures of with Katya before you end up taking more of the same picture. She is definitely a cutie, she has Rain's eyes - more grayish blue then actual blue. We think she has scabies so we are going to treat ourselves before we go to bed tonight. The pediatrician gave is a prescription for a salve just in case - good thing. Today is our last day with Katya. Our flight tomorrow leaves at 11:25AM so we will be to the airport by 10:00AM. Dinner was interesting - we had "beef kabob" - basically beef formed on a skewer. I never thought beef would taste so good. We went 4 days without eating American food. Still none in sight but we're looking for anything that even is close at this point. We found a vendor and got some Pepsi - that was so good! Russian cuisine is very different than American - though in Moscow it is closer than it is here in Khabarovsk. Yesterday it was -20c when we got up - a bit chippy but the silk thermals did their job well, the boots too. We over packed, but with the cold here it is better to be prepared. Next trip we can pack more changes of clothes or more donations in the suitcases. Russians seem to love their chocolate and it is pretty darn good.