OK .. it is 2:30am in Siberia, Khanty-Mansiysk to be exact.  We had a great flight (minus the somewhat concerning 'creative engineering' to fix a broken piece of the plane (see photos below).  The service on airplanes here is reminiscent of flying in the US in the 1970s-awesome service, plenty to eat and drink, hand wipes, chocolates etc.  

We were warmly greeted at the airport by conference organizers and perhaps some government officials (couldn't quite tell).  Everyone is friendly and doing their very best to make sure that we have everything that we need.  (Photo in the airport luggage area). The plane we were on from Moscow also had many many Russians on it that will also be attending the conferences this week. 

At the hotel we found there is an ice skating rink (come on ... it is Western Siberia), a spa, and a thermal pool.  We will have a cultural program tomorrow (around noon so we can get some sleep).  We will go to a natural history museum. We were told that this is the land of the Mammoth so we expect to learn a lot about the history of the area.  The area is rich in oil resources and is a growing, developing community. This area is home to two indigenous groups, the Khnaty and the Mansiysk.  We observed some beautiful folk art in the hotel lobby and are looking forward to seeing more tomorrow.  We will post more photos soon!

airplane meal of roll, cheese, cole slaw, sausage, delicious cookie, chocolate bar

Air craft Repair ... if you look closely it appears to be a long wire or bent paper clip holding the pieces together.  I give points for creativity!

                                                                  Airport welcome!