Khabarovsk

Vladivostok to Khabarovsk - 12.5 hours

Khabarovsk is a wonderful city that succeeds in so many areas where Vladivostok fails. I don't suppose I'll get to know much about life here in only 2 days, but my experience in Moscow gives me some clues as to how things really are.

The central city has 3 main avenues toward the Amur River, a broad, currently ice-choked flow that comes from China only 15 miles away. The two adjacent avenues are more like parks, delimiting the central area of town from the neighborhoods. The central avenue is wide, tree-lined, well paved with attractive paving stones in geometric designs. Both sides of the street are lined with beautiful buildings in fine condition. And all of it is scrupulously clean. Not Russia clean, but world standard clean.

The main avenue - named after the first military governor of the territory - spills down to the broad, beautiful park along the river bank. It cascades down in terraces and staircases to a wide boardwalk, all well lit and well kept. It really was a pleasure to explore the waterfront in such pleasant circumstances; despite the cold wind that came off the snow covered mountains in the distance and picked p additional force over the river.

Its a great city to explore. Just off the main avenues, the city becomes older and a bit more rickety - but still nice. Its easy to find timber construction buildings with rioutously ornate woodwork on these side streets.

There's a huge Chinese presence here evident in the kinds of restaurants, the kinds of cars, the faces on the street and in the market. Khabarovsk has more than its fair share of chinese traders selling weirdly worded clothing - a bag with Mikey and Mimi Mouse, for example, or a jacket proudly emblazoned with "Camp Boy: Wilder Cutter and Livelier Town". Even the russian merchants hawk Chinese domestic goods.

The city is completely decked out with banners for both Victory Day (May 9th) and City Day (May 30th). Every business, every window, every lightpost has something on it well in advance of the holidays.

There are two beautiful, reconstructed cathedrals in town, too. One in the very center near the river, the other a massive construction on a hill next to the WWII memorial. I caught a Saturday evening service there with the local bishop and saw the place in full swing. Very impressive.

But its still Russia, after all. As I walked a couple of blocks back to the center. I noticed a man with a bucket toddle out of his ancient house. He walked over to an electric pump in the courtyard and drew water noisily and messily. Right next door to the publicly financed cathedral and across from two blocks of brand new elite apartments.

In all, Khabarovsk is a beatiful, impressive city. And it reminded me of Moscow. All in its place, clean, orderly, organized. The Cathedral even has a plaque announcing the government's financing of its reconstruction. All just like Moscow. It really speaks of very strong, determined city government with a clear vision of what life should be like here.

Like Moscow, there are probably plenty of people who disagree and get trampled over. But in the meantime, its an awfully nice place to visit.