Best: Walk
Near the west side of town, we rounded a corner and slammed into a wall of the smell of fresh baked bread.

For the first time I can recall, I actually “followed my nose” as we searched for the origin of the intoxicating aroma.  After roaming around all over town we discovered that the source was a bread factory with no retail sales.  Needless to say, we were disappointed.

Best: Meal
Conor and I had tried Mexican food in Perm and Novosibirsk, but the new members of our travel cohort hadn’t experienced Russia-tries-Mexican yet.  We had a huge meal at a TexMex restaurant on the eve of leaving for Olkhon Island.

Best: Unexpected Find
Wedding cake toppers – at a 7-11 type convenience store.

Best: Activity
The morning we left for Olkhon Island we had 30 minutes to run through a market and grab food for the seven-hour journey and any snacks we wanted on the island.  It was a frantic, mad-dash up and down the aisles.

Best: Exhibit
The Decembrist houses.  Far into Siberia, these unassuming log cabins housed exiled members of the Decembrist movement who were convicted of crimes against the state in the early 1800’s.

Best: Grocery Store Find
Shopping cart of meat anybody?

Best: Awkward Moment
Meeting a college student on the street who asked all of us to write our thoughts about Russia in his journal.  He was learning English and was a complete character.

He accompanied us to a coffee shop where he chattered non-stop, sang, danced, took photos of each of us and wrote down quotes of things we said.

Our time at the cafe was interrupted by an angry intoxicated man who thought we stole his hat.  A verbal assault ensued and was only ended when the hat in question was produced.  From under the table.  Where the drunk guy left it.