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Zone of Relaxation ahead!
May. 27th, 2004 10:02 pmAll sorts of rumors were rife this morning regarding our destination. If you bet with the most outlandish prediction, we were going to the middle of the desert where there was a puddle to bathe in, a volleyball court (with no net), and a shovel that one would take along on a stroll into the steppe in case nature called.
If you bet that way, you would have lost. This is what our destination actually looked like:
Getting there was half the fun. It took nearly two hours, and the last mile or so - where the bus left the highway - was particularly bumpy. Along the way, we were treated to views of the by-now usual herd of horses (being tended by a man riding bareback), an eagle waiting for lunch while sitting on a telephone pole (a huge bird, slate gray in color, with streaks of darker gray in the wings), a pair of camels grazing by the road, herds of goats, and the numerous ground hogs that populate the steppe (and serve as lunch for the eagles, among others).
The rest area is named Подлипки Дальные, where the second word means "remote" and the first word (Podlipki, in transliteration) is the name of a railroad station in Moscow that is near the headquarters of the Energiya Rocket Space Corporation (originally the design bureau assembled by Sergei Korolev). This garden spot is located on the banks of the Syr-Darya river, a few kilometers upstream of Baikonur city. The body of water in the photo above is not the river, but a pond constructed immediately next to the river (which is situated to the right of the view above). The water in the pond appears much cleaner and more inviting than what can be seen in the river.
Russians seem to have a fairly tolerant attitude toward greenery, especially here in Kazakhstan. The rule of thumb seems to be: if it's growing, leave it alone! Thus, you won't see manicured lawns either outside the Fili hotel or at this rest area. And to be frank, the infrastructure isn't lavish. There's a swimming pool, a sulfur spring, a toilet facility, and a few bungalows. If you're going to have fun, you've got to engage your imagination, supply a little elbow grease (to make sure there's plenty of space to lay out the food), and - of course - start a fire (to cook some shashlyk):
And naturally, none of this would be worth a hoot without the benign supervision of the facility dog, an aged canine by the name of "Buran" (yes, I know, very original), who in addition to being cute as all get-out still knows how to shake hands.
I find it interesting how people here make the most of the least and manage to have a heck of a good time in the bargain. If this event had been organized by Americans, we'd have much better organization, perhaps (I've been to my share of company picnics, thanks), but not the same level of... engagement that seems to occur in environments such as this, where everyone manages to find a place to sit and eat and talk.
After the feeding frenzy died down and folks started to gravitate toward the pool and a relatively plant-free area to engage in a game of boules, I sat down and played a pair of chess games with my usual opponent, losing the first and drawing the second (although I think I threw away the win in the latter game... but who's counting?).
Sergey Z. and Olga F. definitely overdid the sun, methinks. On the way back, Olga's back was quite red, and I noticed Sergey's sun at dinner. I managed to stay out of the sun, for the most part.
An excellent time was had by all, which is good, because in our absence, the propellant team loaded the spacecraft with fuel, which means we're about to enter a high-pressure period of work. In another couple of days, joint integration of the spacecraft will begin, at which time the proper and timely completion of all activities (including interpretation, naturally) will be paramount and high-profile.
Then again, it's what they pay us for. :^)
Cheers...
If you bet that way, you would have lost. This is what our destination actually looked like:
Getting there was half the fun. It took nearly two hours, and the last mile or so - where the bus left the highway - was particularly bumpy. Along the way, we were treated to views of the by-now usual herd of horses (being tended by a man riding bareback), an eagle waiting for lunch while sitting on a telephone pole (a huge bird, slate gray in color, with streaks of darker gray in the wings), a pair of camels grazing by the road, herds of goats, and the numerous ground hogs that populate the steppe (and serve as lunch for the eagles, among others).
The rest area is named Подлипки Дальные, where the second word means "remote" and the first word (Podlipki, in transliteration) is the name of a railroad station in Moscow that is near the headquarters of the Energiya Rocket Space Corporation (originally the design bureau assembled by Sergei Korolev). This garden spot is located on the banks of the Syr-Darya river, a few kilometers upstream of Baikonur city. The body of water in the photo above is not the river, but a pond constructed immediately next to the river (which is situated to the right of the view above). The water in the pond appears much cleaner and more inviting than what can be seen in the river.
Russians seem to have a fairly tolerant attitude toward greenery, especially here in Kazakhstan. The rule of thumb seems to be: if it's growing, leave it alone! Thus, you won't see manicured lawns either outside the Fili hotel or at this rest area. And to be frank, the infrastructure isn't lavish. There's a swimming pool, a sulfur spring, a toilet facility, and a few bungalows. If you're going to have fun, you've got to engage your imagination, supply a little elbow grease (to make sure there's plenty of space to lay out the food), and - of course - start a fire (to cook some shashlyk):
And naturally, none of this would be worth a hoot without the benign supervision of the facility dog, an aged canine by the name of "Buran" (yes, I know, very original), who in addition to being cute as all get-out still knows how to shake hands.
I find it interesting how people here make the most of the least and manage to have a heck of a good time in the bargain. If this event had been organized by Americans, we'd have much better organization, perhaps (I've been to my share of company picnics, thanks), but not the same level of... engagement that seems to occur in environments such as this, where everyone manages to find a place to sit and eat and talk.
After the feeding frenzy died down and folks started to gravitate toward the pool and a relatively plant-free area to engage in a game of boules, I sat down and played a pair of chess games with my usual opponent, losing the first and drawing the second (although I think I threw away the win in the latter game... but who's counting?).
Sergey Z. and Olga F. definitely overdid the sun, methinks. On the way back, Olga's back was quite red, and I noticed Sergey's sun at dinner. I managed to stay out of the sun, for the most part.
An excellent time was had by all, which is good, because in our absence, the propellant team loaded the spacecraft with fuel, which means we're about to enter a high-pressure period of work. In another couple of days, joint integration of the spacecraft will begin, at which time the proper and timely completion of all activities (including interpretation, naturally) will be paramount and high-profile.
Then again, it's what they pay us for. :^)
Cheers...
