Whales, Walruses, and Polar Bears in the Russian Far East

The polar bear sauntered down the beach toward us. My heart pounded as he squinted in our direction, no doubt weighing the nutritional value of the 20 or so tasty morsels wrapped in fleece, down and Gore Tex just 40 yards away.

Cruising the Volga with Love

In Russia, we learned that you don’t sip vodka. You drink it straight out of a shot glass and follow it with a sweet pickle, preferably one homemade by the sweet young grandmother who has invited you and eleven of your shipmates into her Uglich home for the afternoon.