Postscript

Although sincerely meant, the tone of the last blog posting may leave the impression that this trip was generally disappointing.  

Not at all!  

Japan was delightful.  We were thrilled with the winter landscapes, and the people were welcoming and very kind.  In Russia we learned a lot about how the country has evolved since the fall of communism.  And of course the cornerstone of the trip was the Siberian rail journey, which was a phenomenal way of discovering something about this vast historic route.

We crossed paths with many fine folks as well – fellow travelers, local contacts, street vendors and guides.  If for no other reason, we wish everybody would travel like this…. to reinforce the fact that the residents of this planet have much more in common than we have differences…. to learn from our collective turbulent past to cherish peaceful coexistence and promote it for generations to come.

All in all, a great experience – although we have many things we will do differently should  we wander this way again.  

All the best to you and yours.