95Themeatwas betterthanperfect.I thoughtbackto allthe
eventsoverthepasttwoyearsthathadbroughtustothatverymo-
mentin Magadanandalmostsanktomykneeswithemotion.
WewentoutwiththeLatviansthatnightfora celebratorydin-
nerat a restaurantcalledtheAlaskaBarwithplacematsthatsaid,
“MakeAlaskaRussianagain.”TheLatviansorderedcrab.Whenit
cametothetable,theyexclaimedoveritstasteanddemandedwe
trysome.Themeatwasverygoodbutnotnearas freshandsuccu-
lentas ourrustybathtubcrabs.“Isn’tthisfeastamazing?”oneof the
Latviansyelledat thetable.DaveandI didn’thavethehearttotell
themwhatthey’dmissedandthatthey’dbepayinga fewhundred
dollarsfortheircrabswhilewe’dpaidnothing,simplybecausewe
metsomeresourcefulpeopleintherightplace at the right time—
which is really what Russia is all about.DaveandI hadtrustedtheadviceofa NightWolvesmem-
bertostoreourflashy-lookingBMWadventurebikesbehindthe
falling-downfenceof a sketchy-lookingscrapyard.Wemighthave
doubteditssecuritywereit notfora rabid-lookingdogthatsnarled
andlungedatpassersby,snappingthechainsotightlyit wassure
tobreakoneday.TheyardworkershadthefacesofmenI’dsteer
clearofona darkstreet.Theybeckonedusovertoa hiddencorner
behindtheyard’soffice.DaveandI followedhesitantly.
Oneofthemengesturedtoanold,rustytub.Insidewerewhat
musthavebeenhundredsof pink,healthycrab,someof themtwice
thesizeofmyhead.It tookusa momenttorealizethemenwere
invitingustoa feastthatwouldcostbigmoneyinfinediningres-
taurantsbackhome.Wehada lotto dothatdayto getreadyto ship
ourbikesoverthePacific,butallof thatcouldwait.
DaveandI satin theAugustsun,watchinga youngermanwith
theeyesandskincolourofa nativeMongolianscoopcrabswitha
pitchforkfromthebathtub,droppingthema half-dozenat a time
intoa hugecast-ironcauldronof boilingwaterthatlookedstraight
outof a witch’stale.
Withina fewshortminutes,thecrabswereready;notimer,
recipe,orspecialsauce—justRussianknow-how.Oneoldsailor
passedusthelargestofthecatchandhelpedusbreakthelegsand
armswhilea cigarette hung from his mouth, peppering the crab
with ash.
Youngboysplay on the beachesof LakeBaikal.Davereceiveda lessonin
how to break crab limbs during the largest and best crab feast of our lives.