Odessa Zoo today

Today we ventured out to the Odessa Zoo.  I know I've said it many times before, but John is just amazing at making plans to get us out of the flat.  Good thing, too, because left on my own, I would not get out at all.  Better to be out and about.  Less TV, GameBoy, whining, etc.

We called Zhenia to get us a cab and set off on our journey.  We got there, got tickets and went in.  We were among the first to get there.  The animals were just getting out for the day.  We saw everything in about an hour.  It is not a large zoo at all, but bigger than it looked initially.  The enclosures are small and dated.  The good thing is that we could see the animals. The bad thing is the animals were cramped in concrete cells.

Oleg took the camera (which I found in the bottom of my suitcase when I rearranged).  Most of the pictures are his.  He needs to learn to slow down and let the camera click before he moves on to the next thing.  Most were really blurry but some were really good.  Then he handed the camera to me, so the rest are mine.

After the zoo we went back to the flat for lunch and nap for Hanna.  In the evening we met another family for supper.  They are adopting Boris and Sasha from the same orphanage and just made it to town.  Boris is friends with Lena, and Sasha is friends with Oleg, so it worked out really nicely.  Rachel and Jonathan are from California and are first time parents.  They are very good with the kids, and Rachel even speaks some Russian after an exchange experience in Khazakstan in college.

At the end of the evening we decided to try the beach together tomorrow.  Should be a fun experience.

I'm sure there's lots more that happened today.  I just can't remember it now.