Week 9 in Russia: Driving Cars and Riding Horses

Wow, I'm getting later and later with these things...прости меня (Forgive me) :)

Last week, week 9, was marked by two exciting events, as the title of this entry hints.

On Wednesday last week, I was in my friend Sasha's car and we were having an ongoing argument about who are worse drivers: women or men. Sasha was convinced that women were worse, but I am convinced by the American study that women are, on average, safer drivers. (Statistically, men take more risks that could lead to accidents). I decided to tell Sasha that maybe in Russia women are worse drivers, but in America, they're better. I probably should have never opened my mouth, because then he pulled over, got out of the car, and told me to drive. Uh... I don't have a Russian drivers' license, I've never driven a car with the steering wheel on the right, people get stopped by the police all the time here--there were 100 reasons not to take the wheel. But, of course, when in Russia...

So I drove Sasha's car for about ten minutes, including driving down the busiest street in downtown Irkutsk. Mind you, there are no lanes. There are buses, trolleybuses, and pedestrians everywhere. The main goal is the zig-zag around these obstacles while trying not to crash into the cars that are also zig-zagging around the same obstacles. Needless to say, I was frightened, the entire time muttering minor curses under my breath at Sasha, but when I finally parallel parked the car and got out--I was ecstatic. I drove a car with the steering wheel on the right hand side for the first time down the busiest street in Irkutsk and survived! I took a video of Sasha driving down that same street, so that you can get an idea of what it was like. Excuse the loud noise from the wind, I was holding my camera out the window. (I wasn't thinking before to have Sasha take a video of me driving the car, and since I was so lucky the first time, I didn't really want to tempt fate by trying again..):


(At one point, Sasha asks if I'm taking a video or pictures, when I answer, he asks if he will be in the video. When the camera turns to him, he says: "Hey, guys, look: Here, Elizabeth drove a car, in Russia. Imagine! ..She broke the law." And the lyrics in the background are "Forgive me, forgive.")

On Saturday morning, Sasha and I went for a run on the banks of the Angara. I hadn't done this since February, when Martijn and I were training for the Baikal Ice Marathon. What a big difference in April--it was gorgeous outside and there were many other runners. I came back here to shower and get some work done before running errands. When I was out running errands, Sasha called and asked what I was doing for the rest of the day. "Nothing, really." "Okay," he said, "I'll be over in 25 minutes."

So, 25 minutes later he comes by, sees that I'm wearing a skirt and high heels and tells me to go change into something "sporty" and that he has a surprise for me. Are we going running again?, I wondered. Well, no, in fact, we were going horseback riding. I haven't been on a horse since I was a girl scout. I remember being on a black horse that took off galloping with me on it. I never wanted to go horseback riding ever again. Well, here I was, at a hippodrome in Siberia, with a friend who probably went through a lot of trouble to arrange a horseback riding lesson. Okay, I thought, I can do this. Just get on the horse, Elizabeth.

I ended up having a great time. I learned how to properly sit on the horse, how to steer, how to go faster, and how to turn. The trainer was very nice to explain all the equestrian terminology very slowly, and offered regular lessons on Fridays. Sasha is definitely taking her up on this--he used to ride horses at his grandmother's and he was itching to ride the entire time I was having my lesson. I've got to admit, that once I got over my fear, I really enjoyed it. I'm trying new things here--new, and sometimes dangerous, but always worth it.

Below are some pictures that Sasha took while I was learning to ride: