Mineral spring is inside building
April 21,1996 Had a great drive with Yuri and Konstantin to the spa of Peter the Great. The mineral water there had a very heavy iron taste. The Russians attribute medical benefits to the regular consumption of the mineral water. Then we drove to the water falls at Kivach. Very spectacular setting.
April 22-24, 1996 The last few days were spent finishing my report, explaining the two variations of the new endowment insurance product and discussing my recommendations. On the last day, Valery, Alexander, and Konstantin took me to lunch at the Karelia Hotel. My train to St Petersburg left at 10:20 PM. I shared a compartment with Ben who had also completed his assignment. I was jealous of Joe who had left the previous day and did not have to accompany Ben.
Photo: Church of the Resurrection of Christ, St Petersburg
April 25, 1996 Kate, a Russian at CDC, and the driver, Alexander, met us at the St Petersburg train station. When we got to the car in the parking lot, Ben said someone had stolen $2000 in cash from his jacket pocket and $200 from his pants pocket. I told Ben I thought I had seen him put it in his bag last night on the train. Although he initially said no, he then found the money in the bag.
He wanted to go to KLM to catch the first flight out, and happily for him and for everyone else, he was successful. While we were waiting in the car for Ben to finish with KLM, Kate gave me an earful about Ben. Contrary to what he told me, she said that he was born in Russia and left as a child. She resented that he hated Russia, his birthplace, so much.
After taking my luggage to the CDC apartment, I had lunch with Olga at a great restaurant near the CDC office. Then I toured the Russian Art Museum, which was very well organized.
I took the St Petersburg metro subway to the apartment, which was a testy first experience during rush hour. It was very crowded. Later, at the apartment, I met my roommate Peter Kokopeli. Peter was the Washington PC staff member who recruited me. He was in St Petersburg assisting a company that makes log houses.