The Beginning of the Expedition for the Essence of Immortality

Readers have given me mixed responses as to my adventures from my last post.  It seems people are genuinely interested in my hunt for the Elixir of Life, the main component to form it being the Essence of Immortality.  I think it might help to add water from the Lake the Lady lives in because the water has an ancient secret in it.  So - let me help you reconstruct the chronology of what's happened in Russia.  This reminds me of my law school days - when the professors told us to live and die by the "chron" (short for chronology).  This should help reorient you as to where I am now.

1.  Flew from LAX to Berlin

2.  Flew from Berlin to Moscow

3.  Waited hours in Moscow and met a Tunisian.  We took the train into the City.

4.  Stayed in Moscow for about 36 hours.  Met an American guy, a French girl, and a Singaporean guy.

5.  Flew from Moscow to Siberia

6.  Met Svet, Sasha, and Zachil.  Explained my mission for the Elixir.

7.  Was told that expedition had to begin a week later.  [Thus, had time to kill for a week.]

8.  Instead of waiting around all day in a Siberian apartment, took a 33 hour train ride into a crystal Lake.

9.  Had an excursion, had visions, and met with Lady of the Lake there.

10.  Took the train back West.

11.  In Central-Eastern Siberia, met Tanya and Maks, my hosts there.

12.  Took the train ride back into Central Siberia.  Along the way I met the crazy Russian, who conceded defeat with a peace offering of beer to me.

13.  Stayed all day in Svet's apartment - dreaming of my future.

Now - point 14 starts in the morning.  At 6 am, we live for the expedition for the main ingredient of the Elixir of Life: the Essence of Immortality.  We will enter the Siberian forest called the Taiga ("Tai-gah").  A famous Russian poet once wrote that, "Where the Taiga ends, only the migratory birds know."  

The Taiga feels, seems, and looks endless.  You see it scene after scene in the tiny window during the train ride.  When I was with Tanya and Maks, they took me to their part of the Taiga.  The leaves were turning gold and crimson; therefore, the trees looked more like shapes of triangular gems of rubies and topazes strung across the endless backdrop of emerald green.  The contrasts of these harmonious colors stretched further than anything we could imagine and then, even further than that.  As was said, "Where it ends, only the migratory birds know."

Tomorrow morning, we will head into a special part to start the expedition.  Yet, when I returned into Central Siberia, Sasha informed me that our guide dropped out of the expedition.  I was a bit annoyed - but not panicked.  He was the one who knew where the Essence was and where the entrance to Shamballa existed.  Yet, I already had a feeling he would drop out.  He was the kind of guy that wouldn't want to share the deepest secrets of the Taiga with anyone - not even his own family.

When I re-met Svet, she said I need not worry.  She found another "medicine man."  He lives in the Taiga, and if we're lucky he'll help us locate the Essence.  With it, I'll be able to create the Elixir of Life, and I believe it can heal any disease, including HIV or cancer.  Yet, you need enough of it - and the limiting factors - as we know is the Essence.  

In some ways, I feel like it's a bit of dejavu.  Yes - for even when King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable hunted for the Holy Grail, it also led them into some forest.  But unlike Arthur, I refused to accept help from the Lady of the Lake.  Unlike him, I flatly rejected and angered her.  

Why am I interested in it so much?  I'm healthy: super healthy, actually.  I need to give it to someone in the States and make my trade.  That's why.  It's an item steeped in mysticism and no amount of money could buy it.

Finally, I feel alleviated that my homesickness is diminishing and being replaced with the realization that the mission is actually materializing.  I do think about my children - my duckling, chicken, African tropical fish, and the mystery pet.  I shall see them soon enough though.

Where we're going, Svet says, will not rain for three days.  Hence, for me, a native Angelino, I shall be seeing the mystical phenemenon of Fall.  I look forward to seeing endless stretches of the gems of the forest: the falling leaves of rubies and golden foil.  If I'm lucky, I shall be able to call my Korean family crest to us: the tiger, in this case - a Siberian one.