Vladivostok - Take Two

I spent another day walking around Vladivostok before my night train to the next port of call. Most of my previous impressions remain unchanged, but it was a really pleasant day nonetheless.

The day started at the local fortress, a series of concrete bunkers on a height overlooking an approach to the harbor. The museum was a collection of cannons from all eras outside, and historical artifacts inside. A strong museum, over all, and well documented in english. The real highlight was the noon gun. A soldier uncovered one of the cannons, loaded a gleaming shell, and when the radio station toned 12 noon, he let loose. I was photographing the whole thing but probably missed the crucial shot. Mainly because the cannon was, I believe, too loud.

I'm not sure what I was expecting from a ceremonial noon cannon, but the enormous boom scared the daylights out of me and I dropped my camera - the neckstrap saved the day. The other soldier, sitting on a lawn chair in a tee shirt, smoking, got quite a laugh out of the whole thing. He couldn't say goodbye through his guffaws, and could only wave to me as I walked off. So much for the solemn ceremony.

Vladivostok's aquarium is kind of cool. A few exhibits have local critters in their habitats - small aqauriums full of plastic plants. Most other exhibits have been given over to more prosaic things, like goldfish. Not too much excitement seeing a goldfish in an 80 ruble per ticket aquarium, but then, I've never seen goldfish cared for by a dedicated staff of marine biologists. They were probably as close to the aristotelian archetype of a goldfish as one can get in a post-modernist world.

I discovered a couple new areas of town, and enjoyed strolling about in the bracing sea air, sunshine, and cold breeze. Off to the train station and Khabarovsk on the overnight train.