Whew, the welcomes continue in grand fashion. In Cheboksary, the team was greeted by about six paddlers on the water, all in their K-1 Olympic Kayaks, and escorted them in. They have a good sized racing club with impressive grounds and storage facilities. Alexander was instrumental in setting this up along with Natasha and her mother, Olga.
Cheboksary is a very clean city. The waterfront is set up as a promenade with neat, clean sidewalks and streets, all well lit. Large fountains, cafes and hotels line the streets. It's obvious, they take pride in their city. Between Alexander and Olga, they found a nice apartment for West and jeff to stay in. It comes with wi-fi, washing machine and is very comfortable. The manager there, Alexey, is a great guy and very accommodating.
Alexander, Natasha and a friend of Alexander's took the guys to round up some needed gear. They all spoke great English and it was easy to converse with them. They needed something to repair their spray skirts since the bungies wore out and some additional paddding for their seats. They are stocking up on Ibuprophen and getting a bite to eat before heading back to the apartment.
Alexander will pick them up in the morning and take them to the kayak club. He will escort them through a large hydroelectric plant/dam and send them on their way. He said both Jeff and West are very tan. He said he enjoyed both of their sense of humors and they are very funny guys.
On a side note, look at West's shirt. This shirt demonstrates the logo of Epic Bars. They are an Austin-based company provided a great, less sweet protein bar. Please check out their website and pick up some today.
--Barbara
