Chapter Six 

                        IN EXILE IN NIZHNI NOVGOROD

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     It was 6.30 a.m on 26th May, very light and sunny, with the sun streaming into my
cabin through the drawn curtains. Even undrawn, it is still very light. Peeking out, I noticed
that we were, then, passing a mini-lighthouse with a track leading to it from the river bank,
perhaps quarter of a mile from us. The track took with it telegraph poles and wires to the
beacon. This bright sun is now at about 30 degrees of elevation. "Will this bring me many
mosquito bites?" I silently ask myself. "Will I need the protective cream?" There are a few
clouds - the sky almost totally blue. So this is what 'frozen Russia' is like!!! Pull the other
one!

     I could hear some strident American voices way down the corridor, outside,
somewhere. I thought that I, too, would get dressed and take a walk. Today, we reach Nizhni
Novgorod - which we are due at around 2pm. but I've two meals plus a Russian lesson before
then!! All go, isn't it?

     All of the sudden, it got dark. We were entering yet another concrete canyon, plus
bridge and Lock 14 of the 13/14 pair. They are 


the beautifully scenic and landscaped Locks 
- into which we are descending , a few Americans and myself being on-deck for more early-
morning photography.

     From the front of the boat, it was clear that more pillars indicate further Locks  down-
stream from our current position, the map showing it as being upstream from the Caspian Sea
- I think!! Are we really heading towards the Caspian Sea?? I think so!!

     Up on a higher deck now for the last two photos of the current reel, I witness 13/14
receding into the distance, - through the DAM and see a boat hanging out  of a dry-dock. I
take other photos. Those strident American voices become a little 'wearing' - but I got a
coffee to drink on deck in a shady position.

     Back here in the cabin, I unloaded the previous film from the camera and loaded
another. An awkward decision now faces me. Do I go for 'hot sun up on deck' or 'hot cabin
despite air-conditioning indoors' ?  I choose the former option after a pre-breakfast shave.

     We are heading towards the Caspian Sea, now in Lock 16 of the '15/16 pair'. On deck,
I find a bit of shade but, unfortunately, can't get away from an American 'talking shop' about
his local, or regional, government plans and 'cockups'.  Holidays are not the right venues for
'talking shop' !! Are they?? At 10 a.m., I went with Al (a QUIET American, my best friend
on the tour) to the first in a series of Russian lessons (given by Larisa) - having had pleasant
chats with Al before Larisa started. After the lesson, Al and I talked in a relaxed atmosphere
on deck.

     We got to Nizhny Novgorod at 11 a.m. and then had to wait THREE HOURS for our
'arrival time'. Photos from the boat were the 'order of the day'! We anchored and watched this
view of town from a static boat - for three hours!! Bang goes our hydrofoil ride - which we
were expecting - and had been 'looking forward to' for months! It was so hot that I changed
clothing AGAIN - back in the cabin - where I listened to Oleg giving a description of the
town over the P.A. (which was his main job, it appears!)

     Up on deck, I rejoined Al Pastor and some other Americans before lunch and had a
very long chat with Al after his fellow-countrymen had left us.

     In the restaurant for lunch, I was joined by Eric, Priscilla and Al - after which we
boarded a coach which took us into Nizhny Novgorod. This was the town in which dissidents
were put into exile - the most famous, I suppose, being Alexander Solgenitskin (remember
that these spellings are only phonetic transpositions from their original cyrillic alphabet!!). Up
the steep hill to the Kremlin and art gallery - the latter I wished we had not entered because
the view externally was so great!  High on this hill, the views of both the Volga and its
tributary, the Oka, were marvelled at. This was from the high altitude of the Kremlin.

     A few photographs were taken around town, principally from the banks of the Volga.




However, the temperature was SO HIGH, indoors and out, that my interest waned whilst we
waited in the Art Gallery for the return of the 'shoppers' (what a waste of good exploring
time!). By 5.45pm we were back to the boat, so it was six and three quarter hours since we
got to the anchoring point until this return. I think too much time had been wasted in the
name of the shop-aholics as we only got in half an hour of good (nay, - very good)
sightseeing time. It was a very beautiful town - and I bet that Solgenitskin wasn't too worried
by his exile there. It's a place to CHOSE to be exiled in (provided that one can survive the
very high temperatures and humidity!! ). Because of this loss of  'personal time' for
explorations, I decided there and then to 'do my own thing' in the apparently beautiful town
of Kostroma tomorrow. I had talks on the boat on our return with that in mind - both with
the organisers and friends. 

     I spent much of  the evening wandering over the boat trying to find May to establish
whether she also wanted to do a walking exploration around PLES  and KOSTROMA,
freestyle, tomorrow, without the guides and 'special arrangements' . I certainly wanted to "Do-
it-myself"! May had said several times previously that she would prefer something similar to
my suggestions - rather than 'art galleries and the like'! I did not spend much time that
evening looking at the beautiful 'flooded Volga' because of that 'search'.

 
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