The Caucus Mountains were a place of myth and legend at the edge of the ancient world. To the ancient Greeks, they were considered the pillar that holds up the earth. Historically, the Caucuses have been home to dozens of different nationalities with their own unique languages and cultures separated by only a few miles and nearly impassable mountains. We found ourselves at the edge of this pillar in Sochi, where the mountains meet the sea, to conclude our fall break adventures. Our first day included a stroll near our rental through downtown Sochi where we found Mr. Smart’s eccentric uncle, a ride on a private yacht along the sea coast, which put Sarah’s safety monitor alter-ego to the test, and exploring Park Dendrariy, a beautiful botanical garden at the edge of the city. This park, like the area around Sochi, is a study in contrast with its multitude of plants varieties.

The next day, we set out to find a spot that loomed large in my family history. When I was four years old, I came to Sochi with my parents to enjoy what many Soviets regarded as the ultimate destination for rest and relaxation. Not much has survived in my personal memory from that trip except for a photo of my dad and I at a waterfall. Armed with the name of the waterfall and a digital copy of the picture, we set out to find the spot some 42 years later. The Agura waterfalls is actually a network of three waterfalls spread out over a 3 mile stretch on the Agurchik River. The name of the river does not refer to a little pickle as its name in Russian suggests but to Agura, who is a character in the legend of Prometheus. The legend is related to the Orliniye Skaly (Eagle’s Cliffs) on the outskirts of Sochi. It is believed that Zeus nailed Prometheus to the rocks here to punish him for granting fire to humans. A local girl named Agura tried to ease his suffering by secretly providing him with water. She did this until she herself was turned into a river at the foot of the rock. We started our adventure in a taxi that struggled to make it up the mountain road leading to the Eagle Cliffs. We finally got out and walked up the road when the taxi backing up and trying to go faster still resulted in spinning tires and burning rubber. As we walked up the road, we saw a burned out car frame. If this was a Greek myth, it would not be a good omen. We started the main portion of the hike near the statue of Prometheus that looks out over the valley below. After about three hours of intense hiking down the muddy cliff (it had rained the previous couple days) and perilous drop offs we found the falls and the very same rock to reprise the photo. We finished the hike at the other end and found a taxi willing to take our muddy selves to our next destination (once the kids removed their shoes at the behest of the cab driver).

Next, it was time to go to the mountains. We decided to upgrade our airbnb apartment to the 5 star accommodation of the Rixos in Krasnoya Polyana. A hotel this nice would break the bank in the states but in Russia it was about $100 a night and included a deluxe buffet breakfast with champagne and a coupon book to help us spend more rubles. Mila and Sarah checked out the husky center while Alden did an ATV test drive and some archery. Later, we all went to Wonderland which was kind of like a Russian fairy tale land complete with actors playing the parts of Russian fairy tale characters (and for some reason, a statue of Golum). Baba Yaga proved to be a bit much for Mila to handle so Alden and I completed the fantasy quest by ourselves. One thing we’re discovering about Russia that is amazing is that pretty much anywhere you go, there is a kid-centric play area complete with child care. Our hotel provided this service for free and Alden and Mila were happy to hang out there while Sarah and I enjoyed the hotel spa and a couple of nice dinners out.

Here are some pictures of our gondola, chairlift x2, and a frosty hike up to a waterfall. You know you are in Russia when there are signposts on your hike directing you to the “meatsticks and mountain tea.”

Our trip concluded with a night in Adler, the part of Sochi that hosted the lowland Winter Olympic events. We spent the afternoon strolling about the town as Mila scooted and Alden tested out a skateboard for the first time. We checked out Sochi Park- an amusement park that proclaims to be “Russian Disneyland.” Alden thought it ranked somewhere between Universal Studios and Canobie Lake Park (in New Hampshire). Another highlight in Adler was checking out the Olympic Village, particularly the singing fountains which claim to have the tallest jets of water in the world with maximum heights of nearly 200 feet. We watched two sets at the fountains- the first with Russian and American pop music and the second set to classical music. During the “set break,” we made friends with an almost-retired army communications specialist and her daughter from Yekaterinberg, who invited us to come stay with her. She showed us pictures of her car and told us she’d give us a tour.

Now we are back to Kazan for another five weeks until the winter holiday. So far it’s been a surprisingly un-snowy November, though today we finally got some pretty flakes. Whatever falls now will likely stick around, as there is not a single high above freezing in the 15 day forecast!