Today is the Fab Four’s final day in Cherskiy – only one more of Valentina’s delicious lunches and we’re on our way to the airport.  Leaving is very bittersweet; while we are excited by the thought of seeing friends and family in a few short days, we are very sad to be leaving this place that we have grown to love over the past few months. But the weather today enforces the fact that it’s time for the “summer crowd” to depart – chilly temperatures and blustery wind greeted us this morning. The colors of the landscape are starting to change to the deep reds and copper golds of fall. The plane ride from Cherskiy will be beautiful; even though we’ve already seen it 3 times I’m sure our noses will be pressed against the glass the whole way, soaking up our last glimpses of the landscape.

We land in Yakutsk tonight and depart early the next day for Moscow – look for more travel updates in a few days!