Shawna and I are in the heart of permafrost country: Sakha-Yakutia. It’s just the middle of September, beginning of fall, and it’s already cold. Happy people they are: potatoes already collected, berries picked, harvest reaped.

On Saturday they celebrated the jubilee of their capital Yakutsk (I don’t understand why they call it a jubilee – it’s 375 years old). Unlike our celebrations in Ulan-Ude, here alcohol was strictly prohibited, even beer. That was very unusual: so many young people outside and nobody drunk. Another interesting thing: many people here actually smile to strangers on the street.

They also baked a loooong cake, 375 meters. They planned to cut it into pieces at 1:00 p.m. We were there at 1:05 p.m. and only crumbs remained. Looks like this habit of being and beginning late exists only in Buryatia.

On the bank of the Lena river (shallow in the fall)

 

Sakha tram

 

Anton’s birthday party (playing a strategy game)

 

Vicky and kids (getting ready for the guests)

 

Empty tables (the cake disappeared within minutes)