Four flights, five days, and sixteen time zones later, we have finally arrived at our barge home. Although it was fun to explore Yakutsk and Moscow, I am relieved that I won’t have to pack again for twenty days. The barge is comfortably compact and provides stunning views of the Panteleikha and the mountain beyond. The scenery of Cherskiy is truly breathtaking and I am starting to believe that the bugs are imported to keep tourism at a minimum. Before I left the US, I heard many bug warnings that I wrote off as exaggeration, but now I understand; the flies are persistent and the mosquitoes constant. The best relief that I have found is swimming.
Within twenty minutes of arriving, sweaty from moving bags and overwhelmed by the bugs, we jumped off the back of the barge into the cool of the Panteleikha. The water is a little chilly, but not as cold as I anticipated an arctic river would be (according to Melissa it is warmer than Lake Tahoe). Under the warm sun, surrounded by forests and abandoned ships, it sunk in that I was really here. I am in the Siberian Arctic. While it is still warm ( the forecast predicts another few days) we are taking every opportunity to swim, and with twenty-four hours of daylight, there is ample opportunity.
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deb denfeld says
July 8, 2010 at 1:25 pmSwimming in the Artic sounds like a good idea … compared to the heat wave we are having here. Sounds like you are all off to a good start. Keep sending the pics.
Deb D.
deb denfeld says
July 8, 2010 at 1:27 pmSwimming in the Artic sounds like a very good idea, as we are having 90 – 100 degree weather here. Sounds like you are all off to a good start. Keep sending those pics. Deb D.
steve merry says
July 9, 2010 at 1:53 pmlooks like the person in the photo is doing a flip. watch out-I hear those can be dangerous.