Trans-Siberian Express to Mongolia and the U.S.S.R.
1985
Dear Cha-Wel-Dor-Sue,
Our trip originated in Moscow, which necessitated our flying via Finn Air from New York City to Helsinki, then on to Moscow. After a night's rest in the InTourist Hotel, virtually on Red Square, we enjoyed a city tour that was essentially a duplicate of that which we had taken on our previous visit in 1978, and then later in the day, we departed by plane for Ulan Batur with a one hour stop at Novosibirsk for refueling. It was a flight of 3,200 miles and carried us across two-thirds of the U.S.S.R.
The Soviet Union is a vast country that covers eleven time zones and constitutes one sixth of the land mass of the earth! It is a vast country, rich in every imaginable natural resource. Its potentialities for the future, in my opinion, appear inestimable! When you combine its productive capacity with that of its satellites, i.e., Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Bulgaria, etc., it's power for greatness seems far beyond that of our country to try and match. In fact, our natural resources are fast being depleted.
Mongolia has always been a fascinating country for me, particularly since the time I read of the exploits of Genghis Khan and his descendants, who in the 13th century established the largest empire ever known to man. At its zenith, it included all of China, Russia, the Central Steppes, northern India, the Middle East, and all of Eastern Europe, except for Czechoslovakia. How nomadic illiterate tribesmen, equipped only with remarkable horses and skilled in archery, could accomplish such a feat seems incomprehensible, but apparently, their cunning ability to utilize speedy gorilla attacks on sedentary hamlets and cities and the ferociousness of their battle tactics enabled them to terrorize the Steppes and to move quickly over long distances. They always chose to divide and conquer and to incorporate their conquered enemies into their organization, provided they agreed to serve them and to pay tribute. As they approached a city, they used the "Three Flag Technique". On the first day, the Mongols displayed a white flag and if the occupants of the city surrendered, the people were spared and the city was added to their expanding empire. If the town resisted, then on the second day, the Mongols displayed a red flag and attacked and all of their leaders were massacred, and, if they resisted a third day, the Mongols displayed a black flag and every living soul, including women and children, were massacred and the city destroyed. This form of terrorism was remarkably effective and they became the scourge of Asia and eastern Europe. Their organization was superb and a pony type of communication from Karakoram, their capital, to all points of their empire was maintained. All tribute was funneled into Karakoram and yet today, absolutely nothing remains of their empire's capital! They used the expertise of the captured Chinese to record their conquests and to compile the statistics of tribute that was paid by their captured satellites and to create the Yusa, a body of laws that governed everyone's behavior. The word of the Great Khan was supreme and on his death, a convention, or quriltai was held and a successor was named, usually being the strongest character from among the descendants of Genghis Khan. Ultimately, the decline of the empire was the result of the fragmentation of the leadership.
A second reason for going to Mongolia was inspired by reading of Roy Chapman Andrew's expeditions into the Gobi Desert, looking for the earliest relics of Man. While he found nothing of significance in this regard, he did discover vast areas of dinosaur fossils and was the first to find dinosaur eggs. Today, there are expeditions to Mongolia but they are largely hunters, seeking trophy specimens of desert sheep, bighorn rams with 60" curls and massive racks of the ibex, reindeer, elk, etc. The Mongolian Peoples Republic derives a considerable sum of money from these hunters because they not only charge a great deal for the license but also derive a considerable profit from providing the equipment, guides, supplies, that such an operation entails. A very inexpensive hunting trip might cost $10,000 but most of them average $25,000 and a truly challenging hunting expedition into the very highest mountains might entail as much as $35,000.
Our
visit to Outer Mongolia consisted of two parts:
1) A visit to
the capital of Ulan Batur, with a population of 450,000, and
resembling a Soviet planned city with wide boulevards, many
monuments, and innumerable ministries, palaces of art, and buildings
devoted to entertainment and sport. It is clean, like all Soviet
cities, but basically dull from a tourist point of view. Military
uniforms were everywhere, most of which were Soviet soldiers, and
these were stationed particularly at the airport and at the railroad
station. While the native Mongolians insist they are an "Independent
Republic", they freely admit their close alliance and dependence upon
their northern neighbor, the U.S.S.R. One leaves with the impression
that Mongolia is far from being an independent republic but is merely
another one of the Soviet satellite buffer states. When the Big Bear
coughs, I am sure, the Mongolian catches pneumonia. At the railroad
station, there are two huge photographs, one of Gorbachev and the
other of Batunk, the President of the M.P.R.
The most interesting part of our Mongolian trip was a flight in an old De Haviland prop plane from the capital to Kurjit, where we spent the night in a modern Ger. It is a round structure with the side walls made of a lattice work of wood covered with several layers of thick felt. From the walls, ribs extend upwards to a small opening at the summit, through which smoke or the pipe from the stove emerges. It is cool in summer and warm in winter. They are transportable and enable the Nomadic herdsman to live a pastoral life, moving from one range area to another, dependent upon the grasses available for their horses, cattle, sheep, and camels. While there, we were entertained in the evening by a traveling musical group from Moldava, one of the autonomous republics in the Soviet Union.
The highlight of our stay in Kurit was a two hour bus trip to the West, to the site of Karakoram, the former capital of the Khans and which was destroyed by the Chinese during the Ching Dynasty in the mid 1,300's in retribution for the Mongols' conquest of all of China in the previous century. While there, we visited the largest Lamaisery in all of Mongolia, Erden-Dzu. It looks like a typical Chinese temple complex with many Buddhas and Tangkas depicting evil spirits and their protectors. Lamaism is a blend of Tibetan Buddhism and native Shamanism, or Animism (worship of spirits, animal or otherwise). Today, Buddhism in Mongolia represents a fossilized religion and there are only 150 practicing Lamas in all of Mongolia. The government, like that of Russia, is atheistic and discourages religious expression. In the city of Ulan Batur itself, we also visited the only viable or practicing Lamaisery in Outer Mongolia, that of Bogdoden the VIII. I have many pictures to tell the story of this interesting visit and which reminded me of similar visits in Nepal. I am sure Siddartha Gautama (Buddha - The Enlightened One), were he ever to return to earth, would not only not recognize the expression of his teachings but would both abhor and disavow them. He never sought to be deified or worshipped. His sole intent was to provide a way to contentment and happiness by elaborating an eight-fold path of human conduct.
I bought a book on Socialism in Mongolia and after briefly scanning it, I noted that there are 15,000 state farms and 30,000 collective farms in Mongolia, patterned after the same system in the U.S.S.R. Productive labor is rewarded by being named "Heroes Of Labor". The present five year plan is in operation and its intent is to increase the industrialization of the country. Its motto this year is "Intensification".
Ulan Batur is a relatively new city and can be dated from the year 1924. The word Ulan Batur means Red Hero and was named in honor of Sukpaatar, a young revolutionary who succeeded in defeating the White Cossacks and who together with another young man, whose name was Choibalsan, who was educated in Russia and familiar with its revolution, were able to form the Mongolian People's Party or the present day Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party. Socialism must be given the credit for transforming this totally agrarian, nomadic society into one that is almost 50% industrialized today. Some day, undoubtedly, it will probably be a formal part of the U.S.S.R.
Our Trans-Siberian Express really began in Ulan Batur and our border stop into the U.S.S.R. was made at a town called Haywaka. There, we experienced passport control. The doors were closed and then the officers came in and wanted to see our passports and made a superficial examination of our possessions. They seemed particularly interested in newspapers, magazines and books. On the railroad siding at that point, we noticed many railroad flat cars loaded with all sorts of military vehicles and massive tanks, all of which appeared to be headed south toward the Chinese border.
It is interesting, and we had noted this previously, that at every railroad depot and airline terminal, there were racks of literature espousing the virtues of Communism, as decreed by "Marx - Leninism". This literature is printed in virtually every language imaginable and is one of the techniques used by the Soviets to spread the gospel of Socialism. After reading one of them, entitled "The Foreign Policy of the U.S.S.R.", I have come to the conclusion that we and the Soviets do not speak the same language and semantics is the name of the game of propaganda. The Western Powers are called Imperialists or Colonialists or Neo-Colonialists, whereas the Soviets are called Proletarian Internationalists. Their reason for involving themselves in other countries' affairs is to support People's National Revolutionary movements and this is in keeping with Lenin's order and plan to devise a program to enable all of the workers in the world to unite and to unite in a common cause and organization called Communism. Years ago, this expansion of Socialism was done under the banner of the "Communist Internacionale" and was openly advocated. Today, it is no less dynamic but more discreetly disguised in promoting peace efforts all over the world, especially in the Third World or emerging countries. This is one of the cornerstones of Soviet Socialism and they openly admit that they will not be dissuaded in this effort and will carry on until all of the countries of the world are within their orbit ideologically. Detente is merely a peaceful interlude or merely a prelude to further expansion when the time and opportunity permits, i.e., Cuba, Nicaragua, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, etc.
Our first stop after leaving Ulan Batur was the city of Irkutsk and this is known as the capital of Siberia. It was built on the Angara River which connects with the beautiful Lake Baikal. On our previous visit to this area, the weather was deplorable and rain, mist and smog and the cold climate conveyed the impression that this was truly a great place to send people in exile, as was done in 1825 when the Czar sent the "Decemberist" who were the earliest revolutionaries in Russia. These were largely princes and nobles who rose up against the Czar's rule and were suppressed and then, some were executed, and the remainder were exiled to Siberia.
On this visit in 1985, the sky was cloudless and the beauty of the city of Irkutsk, also known as the Heart of Siberia, and especially that of Lake Baikal, was obvious and breath-taking. Lake Baikal is truly a "Sea", the largest body of fresh water in all the world, and greater than all of the Great Lakes combined. It is 400 miles long, 50 miles wide, and one mile deep, and 40% of its marine fauna is endemic or unique and found nowhere else in the world. Some 350 rivers enter it and only one, the Angara, flows out of it northward to join the Yenesei on route to the Arctic Ocean. It is crystal clear and one can drink directly from the lake itself. One can also see as much as 120 feet below the surface.
On our last visit in 1978, we bussed to and from the lake but this year, we rode the hydrofoil back from the lake to Irkutsk via the beautiful Angara River. It is interesting that hydrofoils are found virtually all over the Soviet Union, whereas they are rare in the United States. The only Hydrofoil that we are familiar with and which is made in America was the Jetfoil, which we rode from hong Kong to Macau and which was magnificent and manufactured by the Boeing Company of Seattle, Washington. We were able to travel in this at approximately 45 miles per hour.
While in Irkutsk, we also had lunch in the country at a remote area approximately 20 miles from the city itself. We had an opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the Taiga, the limitless expanse of pines, birches, and large trees, as we wandered our way by bus to the picnic site high in the hills on the old Road Route to Mongolia. Our picnic site was that of a log cabin which was typical of that constructed by the early pioneer Cossacks who were sent east to explore this vast area of Siberia. The food at the luncheon was befitting a Czar and we dined with both red and white wines, Vodka, Georgian brandy, caviar, crabmeat, smoked oysters, fresh fish from lake Baikal, roast lamb, salami, rice, pot roast with lingenberries, and poppy seed rolls! Finally, we had the opportunity to truly appreciate the rugged conditions of the Sibirs, or people who live in this area of the country, when we had to utilize the conveniences. Nothing was less primitive and everyone would have given his all for a good old Sears-Roebuck catalog.
One of the interesting aspects of having a train to ourselves and also, a tour guide, was that we had the opportunity to hear from our tour guide about history of Russia and its government but also the opportunity to ask questions of him regarding his country and their policy. It may interest you to know that I asked the following four questions: "Alex, why did the U.S.S.R. find it necessary to build an Iron Curtain around their country, i.e., Berlin Wall?" I added that it seems to serve as a prison wall for your people and prevents them from leaving your country." He first questioned my use of the word Iron Curtain and then replied that this was not an act of Russia but namely a problem between East Germany and West Germany, or the city of Berlin itself. I thought this was an evasive answer. 2) "Alex, why does your country find it necessary to jam some of our radio programs, such as the Voice of America or the BBC?" I said, "No jamming every occurs in the Western World." He replied that they do not jam the BBC as that is a legitimate radio station, whereas the Voice of America and the Voice of Liberty are propaganda stations, broadcasting false news. 3) "Alec, why has all evidence of Allied help during the War been erased in Murmansk?" I added that not a single monument to commemorate the Allies' contribution to your War effort through this Port is in evidence today. He said he did not know that this was true but he added that the Allies did make a small contribution to the victory in the great patriotic War but he also added that it came awfully late in the course of the War. 4) Why has the U.S.S.R. always opposed on-site verification of nuclear installations?" I added, "By so doing, it creates an aura of distrust." He replied that both the U.S.S.R. and the U.S.A. have the technical sophistication or expertise to detect any nuclear explosion anywhere on earth and therefore, on-site inspection was not necessary. I added that from my point of view, if we both had on-site inspection, we would have less distrust of each other and greater respect for each other.
The next large city that we stopped at, and we stopped at many small cities for a matter of five or ten minutes, was Krayenoyarsk. This is a fascinating city on the Yenesei River with a population of 800,000 and growing phenomenally. I made the following comments when we were in that city. "Today, we are 2,500 miles east of Moscow and we have traveled almost an equal number of miles from Ulan Batur. The immensity of this country, the vastness of Siberia, the magnitude of its railroad development, the number of railroad locomotives and rolling stock defies and boggles the mind! I have counted perhaps 1,000 electric locomotives on the railroad and the line from Irkutsk to Moscow is entirely electrified. Can you imagine in the U.S.A. an electrified line from New York City to Los Angeles? Beyond this line, diesels carry freight to every major city in the U.S.S.R. and virtually every community in the U.S.S.R. is accessible to air traffic utilizing the small Yak-40 to the latest four engine I-86 which is their counterpart to our 747. They also have the beautiful IL-62 which we flew non-stop from New York City to Moscow in 1978." All these experiences and sights that we have seen serve to remind me that perhaps some day, there will be some truth in Kruschev's remark that "Someday, we shall bury you economically". When I think of Appalachia and the U.S. Steel industry in the United States, I realize that we have insoluble problems that a planned society does not ever experience. We seem to enjoy all the amenities of living but perhaps in the long run, they may eventually win out. Their unlimited natural resources and their unlimited assigned manpower, taken together with their great devotion to "Mother Russia", may all add up to an eventual victory for Socialism.
A delightful feature of this trip occurred on three occasions when Mrs. Ewa Thompson, Professor of Russian Literature at Rice University, and who secured her PhD based upon her thesis of Shamanism and Its Relation to Lamaism and Russian Religion, spoke to us in the large dining room for approximately one to one and a half hours. Her fascinating accounts of the features of animism and the "Holy Fools" of Russia were entirely new to us and explained how Russia was able to accept Rasputin and how it was possible for him to achieve the great power that he exercised over the people and the nobles of Russia. This program was far better for us than the originally planned series of lectures on the Russian language.
Novosibirsk is the largest city in Siberia and is situated some 2,500 miles from Moscow. It is a fast growing city with a beautiful opera house and well-planned wide streets and abundant parks. The chief attraction for me was the vast scientific capitol of Academe Goroduk where there are some 26 Institutes of Science. There live the elite of science and where much of the basic research in science is pursued. I photographed the Institute of Nuclear Physics which houses the Tokamak, or the most advanced prototype structure designed for the creation of fusion energy. It was so well thought out that Princeton University copied it in order to pursue its interest in fusion research. It appears that the Russians are not only abreast of us in this vital area of pure physical research but may actually be ahead of our studies, which are currently being developed at the California Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Cornell University, Princeton University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They even have an Institute of Catalysts and we were told that 86% of all chemical reactions involve the use of catalysts and they deemed this sufficient for them to establish a separate Institute of Catalysts.
Finally, a one hour's visit to the Geological and Geophysical Institute revealed to us a magnificent collection of all of nature's gems, which have been recovered from the earth's surface consisting of precious stones, rocks, metals, etc. She displayed a map where all of these were found in Siberia and when I asked her where the uranium was found, she replied that that was a State secret.
While in Sibirsk, we spent an evening at the circus in a circular amphitheater seating 2,500 people. Their main attraction was excellent juggling and aerial gymnastics, but the only animals that we saw were a pair of beautiful black horses which performed many unusual steps and did a bit of dancing. While the clowns were amusing, we could not appreciate the humor of their remarks, as we were unable to interpret the language. All in all, it appeared to us to be a rather poor performance compared to what we had seen in China, and, in fact, both countries' best efforts were not comparable to our own Barnum and Bailey and Ringling Brothers Circus performances. In this area, I believe we are certainly among the best in the world!
Omsk was another one of our 15 minute stops and again, the paranoia of the local police was evident, as pictures are simply forbidden at all airports and railroad stations. There is, in fact, nothing of military value at the railroad stations but no pictures is the only word the local police or militia can utter. Local citizens cannot take pictures on order of the Minister of Transportation.The people here do not question such decrees but submit obediently, much as the serfs of former days never questioned their higher authority, the Czar.
Our last two days in Moscow were disappointing to many on our tour because our full time was not occupied by sightseeing, as we had on our previous visit with General Tours, Inc., of New York City some eight years ago. General Tours are the largest wholesalers of trips to the U.S.S.R. Hence, keep this in mind should you choose to visit the Soviet Union.
Two pleasant surprises consisted of an evening of Folk Dancing from several of the different Republics. The dancing and costumes were exciting and hopefully, my camera caught some of the colorful ensembles.
The second surprise was a visit to the Balalaika Theater on the outskirts of the Olympic Village adjacent to the Lenin Hills. The orchestral music was a novelty to us and there were many individual artists exhibiting their skills with the many varieties of balalaikas. A concert singer sang and later, we heard from both male and female artists, and the usual songs were popular Russian songs. The final act was hilarious, as the conductor started with the number and left the stage, demonstrating the skill of the orchestra playing without direction, and then, when he returned to conduct again, the individual members arose, one by one, in a random fashion, and left the hall, until finally, he was directing only a single percussionist, who also ultimately departed. The conductor was all alone,with an amused and bewildered look on his face. It was a fitting and funny climax to a most enjoyable evening.
On the night prior to our departure, we were entertained by the U.S. Section of the InTourist Organization at a cocktail and buffet reception at the Nacionale Hotel, where Armand Hammer has his apartment. The table was resplendent with delicacies of all kinds and both black and pink caviar was everywhere. The hors d'oeuvres were varied and solid rows of glasses of champagne, Armenian brandy and Vodka were in limitless supply. We were formally welcomed and exchanged toasts. I contributed mine by thanking them for the opportunity to visit their great country and expressed the wish that we could live in peaceful coexistence with each other and that the forthcoming meeting of our two respective leaders, Gorbachev and Reagan, would be crowned with success. I also explored the idea of forming a chapter of the United World Federalists in the Soviet Union and was told it was against their Constitution. In short, my informant intimated that their intent is someday to Sovietize the world and to bring their kind of Socialism to all the workers in the world. As Lenin said, "It is not to be attempted overnight", but at the right time and in the right place and as circumstances permit, i.e., when the Communists in each country are strong enough to form a National Liberation Movement, such as occurred in Cuba, Nicaragua, Afghanistan and Ethiopia. Now, for the first time, I was told directly that World Federation is not in the cards but that world domination of their system is and has always been Lenin's goal!
After two visits to the U.S.S.R., one comes to the inescapable conclusion that given our background in democracy and free enterprise, we cannot favor any other system, other than our own. Yet, we would be less than honest if we argued that it was the best of all systems. Academically, for me, Plato's Ideal Republic has always been the ideal form of government but that is too ideal to be ever practical. While we were in Russia, we did not see any area that resembled the bombed out Bronx in New York City, nor did I see any of the filth or degradation that I have seen in either the north or the south ends of Hartford. I realize that our system is far from realizing its best potential and that, combined with our two trillion dollar budget deficit and adverse foreign trade balance of 150 billion, is more than enough to make me shudder. While the average Russian income is only 200-400 rubles per month (approximately $350.00) the government reserves the right to print as much money that it needs and can sell this printed paper to the foreign tourists for use in their country. Printed paper for hard currency! How can you beat this system? This is money that never enters the normal financial exchange of the Russian community. Today, the emphasis in Russia is on increased capital production or increased industrialization and they have widely scattered their steel plants, etc. throughout their country, so that there is no one area that can be destroyed and with it, it's economy. There is no National Debt in Russia and her wealth consists primarily of the greatest land mass on the planet. As I have said before, she has limitless natural resources, a dedicated work force dominated by the Communist Party, which, while perhaps less efficient than our Capitalistic System, nevertheless gets things done. The vast hydroelectric stations, her gas and oil-fired electrical energy power stations, produce energy to spare and, as we know, the new gas pipeline is now shipping gas to West Germany and Western Europe! Fifty years down the road, the U.S.S.R. and China may well be the mightiest powers on earth. Japan will always be a power so long as she can continue to import the raw materials needed for production. I am not an economist and certainly, wouldn't even attempt to compare the merits of each system but when one looks at this country after only 70 years of Socialization, one is impressed and when one sees Mongolia, which only 60 years ago was a completely illiterate country, with its people living a nomad existence, one cannot help but be impressed with what Socialism can and has accomplished elsewhere.
After leaving Moscow we flew to Helsinki and then, after a very brief wait, caught a plane to Stockholm, Sweden. We had planned to spend a few days in Sweden with Pat's distant relatives, Lennart and Elsbeth Tessmar in Stockholm. On our previous visit to Sweden we stayed with them at their summer cottage at Torekov in Southern Sweden and had a most enjoyable stay with them. On this occasion, we were prepared for a similar reception and we certainly were not disappointed. We were met at the airport and then all of our free time, except for two days that we spent in around the Island of Visby, we were constantly together. Both Lennart and Elsbeth were in good health, in good spirits, and their hospitality could not have been surpassed. All of our wishes were provided for and assistance provided at every moment for whatever wishes and plans we had in mind. It will be hard for us in the United States to provide an equivalent hospitality. Hopefully, we can make them feel as much at home in Manchester as we were made to feel in Sweden. We have already begun to make plans for their visit, which hopefully will occur next May or June.
Among the many things we did in Sweden was to visit:
1) Prince Eugene's Castle overlooking one of the many rivers, with a beautiful view of the city and all of its walls adorned with the Prince's own paintings, as well as those of other well known Swedish painters.2) A visit to the National Museum, where the Director of the Museum itself could not have provided a more informed tour of its many rooms and its many art treasures from all over the world. Only Leonardo da Vinci and Michael Angelo were missing.
Lennart's detailed history of the early days of Sweden and his knowledge of painting made the visit unusually informative and interesting for me.
3) A visit to Skansen, the Folk Historical Center, situated high on a hill overlooking the city, which provided us with a background knowledge of the early days of Sweden's history.
4) A visit to the "Vasa", the largest and most magnificent sailing vessel of its day, which sailed only 1,000 feet before it toppled over and sank and lay beneath the waters for over 300 years. Apparently, it was improperly designed and constituted a great catastrophe. It was to have been the King's crowning achievement and would enable Sweden to emerge as a Naval power. Apparently, the King played no small role in its construction and this may have been the cause of its demise.
5) A trip by car to the Archipelago, where we saw many fine coves, and inlets, crowded with magnificent sailing vessels, motor boats, and other forms of marine craft. It seemed to us that virtually everyone in Sweden possessed "a summer house and a boat in the Archipelago". While this was certainly not true, one could hardly come to any other conclusion, so numerous were the boats!
6) A day in Uppsala was again fascinating. We revisited the the University where a Surgical Amphitheater had been in operation in the early 1600's. We also revisited the church where Dag Hammarskjold's burial plot is located and the Castle where the genealogical records are preserved. We also returned to Old Uppsala and the ancient burial mounds of the Old Kings and where in 1968, with my children, we drank mead, or fermented honey, from an oxen's horn.
7) A two day visit to the ancient and medieval walled city of Visby. The weather was ideal and we walked the cobblestoned streets until we had seen everything at least twice. It was after the season and therefore, "The City of Roses" was virtually deserted. Most of the stores and shops were also closed, either for the winter season or were only open on weekends. It was only a 30 minute flight from Arlanda, Stockholm's International Airport.
8) A guided tour in English of the City Hall of Stockholm was most interesting and it is known as the home of one of the most beautiful city administration buildings in the world. Stockholm, as you know, is called the "Venice of the North", and is really built upon seven islands. The Nobel Laureate presentations are made here, after which, the conferees retire to the Concert Hall for the Gala Dinner hosted by the King and Royal Family.
9) Lastly, we had a most pleasant day on a boat which took us from Stockholm to Vaxholm. This is a very attractive small town in the Archipelago and a great favorite for people to visit, either by the so-called water taxi or else using their own sailing boat.
As we flew into Arlanda from Helsinki, we certainly had a good idea of what the Archipelago looked like, as it really was composed of thousands of islands, many of which were connected occasionally by bridges.
10) On my last day I visited the Karolinsa Institute and spent a most informative and delightful morning with Dr. Lennart Anderson in his study and operating theater. Dr. Anderson was Head of the Urological Department in the Hospital and Medical School. One of his residents personally escorted me wherever I wished to go. He almost made me with that I was still in the active practice of Urology.
As we left for home, we had been gone almost a month and were quite anxious to see that everything was in order as we had left it. We were not disappointed, as everything had been well maintained in our absence and now, we can sit back and rest and plan for another trip some day.
With Love,
Dad
1985
CEJ/ngb
T11/29/85
or