The Man with the Russian Gun
It struck me that you may - or indeed very well may not - be wondering about the man with the gun. For he was also our young doctor in Novosibirsk (and our fourth couchsurfing host), where suddenly even more pressing matters - such as malfunctioning limbs - came into play.
Needless to say, it was one of our very first questions: So what’s with the Kalashnikov?
“It’s a filter.”
Against what?
“There are two types of couchsurfers: those who judge on first impressions, and those who are more open-minded. There are too many couchsurfers who just say how crazy and wild they are.”
Right-o, we say, with pointed blandness. But where’s the gun now?
“The photo was taken during my military training. I only had to do it for three weeks because I’m a doctor. I don’t know how to use it - I’m a pacifist.”
Somehow though, the presence of the gun never quite left him. With something of a gaming addiction, he would take to his computer before bedtime, playing Russian convicts on the run, or a Siberian version of the demolition derby: “I’m off to crash some cars,” he’d say.
Trans-siberian update: after a “meat”-and-rice doughnut for breakfast courtesy of my berth buddy with the improbable black nylon bob-length wig (really!), we’ve just stopped at Irkutsk, Siberia’s capital located at the foot of Lake Baikal. It’s about to get scenic - at last, a clearing in the seemingly eternal spruce taiga. 7 hours till my stop, Ulan-Ude, the capital of the autonomous Buddhist republic of Buryat. My host, Zhenya, is pictured in her profile wearing traditional national dress - I can’t wait!
Ollie update: doctor’s orders to rest up. I’m presuming he’s in hypersleep.