Russian Village on Sun Island

On Sun Island was a small somewhat odd attraction called the Russian Village. It was a reproduction of a charming Russian village with the original homes replete with bright colors and full bountiful gardens full of flowers and vegetables There were pens of white rabbits to feed and swampy pools of Peking ducks. It was well-kept and very cute, but also sort of odd.

There were a collection of very rough looking young women, supposedly Russian, who looked all of fifteen years old. They were heavily made-up and dressed in cheap harem/bellydancing outfits of hot pink and rhinestones. Some of the girls had silk flower wreaths in their hair. When Doe asked to take a picture with one she obliged and then shouted something in Russian to her compadres which caused a titter amongst the girls. They were wandering around the park aimlessly. There was also a young woman and man with a 3 or 4 year old child who posed as a traditionally-dressed Russian family. The child looked terrified the whole time. It was unnerving.

We strolled through the Village, snapping pictures of the little houses and gardens. All of it was 'colored' somewhat by the intense intestinal upset that my system was experiencing. The heat was oppressive, sweating profusely, and the loss of fluids because of diarrhea and the heat caused me to sort of stumble throughout the afternoon.

All I wanted to do was go home and sit on a toilet.

Simple dreams.

After the Russian Village, we chose to take the sky tram across the River back to the mainland of Harbin.