SWELTERING, SHIVERING, SHAKING, RATTLING AND ROLLING

WHAT WE’VE EXPERIENCED IN YAKUTIA and
FAR EAST RUSSIA:
• More friendly Russians
• Snow-covered mountains
• Ice-lined streams
• Cuckoos at every campsite outside of cities
• KAMAZ trucks being repaired by their driver’s on the roadside – anything from flat tyres to engine overhauls
• Squirrel like creatures
• People walking alone along the roadway miles from anywhere.

WHAT WE’VE NOT EXPERIENCED:
• dead insects on the windscreen
• dead animals on the road
• bears in the wild (thank goodness)
• surfboards




A city highlight in the Russian Far East is the city of Yakutsk. To visit the city entailed a return 2600 km journey north of the Federal Highway. Passing through Tynda, on the way north, we stopped outside the impressive Russian Orthodox Cathedral. Within minutes, a television crew and reporter have us bailed up asking us questions about our trip, destinations, and things we like about Russia. With cameras rolling, Ann was interviewed for the nightly television news. In the process, we were introduced to Nikoliy who, as he spoke some English, helped with the interview and finding our way to the BAM museum. The BAM museum includes a fascinating collection of the regions 20th century history, with some focus on the BAM which is a major railway built in 1923 and completed in 1994. The babushkas who supervise each of the various and many rooms in the museum take their job very seriously indeed. One of the ladies waved us down as we were driving off, to give each of us a block of chocolate.




On the M56 north, we rattled and shook most of the way in 2nd or 3rd gear, with only occasional good stretches of level gravel and one 100 km stretch of new bitumen! Slava, from the Tour Service in Yakutsk which runs adventure tours to Magadan, 2200 northeast of Yakutsk, informs us that the road further north is in better condition than the main road south. In summertime, it was strange to see snow capped mountains and frozen rivers as headed north.



Away from large cities, we continue to find mostly large good campsites. We usually start travelling about 8.30-9.00 in the morning and find a campsite about 6.00-7.00 in the evening. The sun sets at about 10.30pm but it does not really get dark as we are so far north, approaching the summer solstice. There are marked variations in temperature, and we have experienced from 3oC to 33oC within the space of 24 hours.



One reason to visit Yakutsk is the Permafrost Institute, supposedly the only institute of its kind in the world, despite the fact that permafrost exists in many places world-wide, including Africa. Despite it being 30o above ground, the temperature plunged as we descended to 4 metres and then 12 metres below ground to -7 o. Shivering was averted thanks to the thick fur and leather jackets provided by the Institute. An interesting hour long presentation was given by one of the 80 Institute scientists. Permafrost is a major issue for buildings and civil engineering works in the Yakutsk region with frozen earth present just 1 metre below the surface. Large apartment blocks are raised above the ground on columns of about 1 metre and constantly monitored. The institute has a big project working with the railways to minimise the effect of the many railways of the permafrost and vice versa. Rail is the main mode of freight transport in this huge country and so this is important work.



Public transport in Yakutsk is provided by a myriad of small buses that rock and bump over the city roads. Our half hour ride from the Institute back to the city cost the equivalent of 50c per person. Our ride to the Institute was by taxi – driver, guide and we four travellers – very squeezy in a Toyota Corolla.

Most inhabitants of Yakutsk are native Yakut people, and are perhaps more closely related to Inuit people from Alaska. Some stunning traditional adornments and dress of the more wealthy Yakut people made of silver and fur can be found in the Treasury collection, together with other examples of the wealth of the region, including diamonds, gold, and other precious stones, as well as the finest creations of the master jewellers of Yakutia. The Regional museum also provide many insights into the life, culture and times of the Yakut people, including their role in the many battles fought in WW1&2 during the Soviet era.



In Yakutsk we experience our first supermarket. Shops (magazins) in Russia are not very visible from the street. Sometimes one small sign is all that indicates that it may be a shop. It is very much a matter of opening doors and finding out what is inside.




As we journey forth, Dodgy tours (Troopy and Directors, Alastair and Bronwyn) take the lead one day and Shifty tours (Essy and the Drewfters) the next: very democratic division of navigational responsibilities, morning tea, lunch-stop and campsite selection! We find the UHF radio communication between vehicles extremely beneficial. We collect water from different places, streams, water towers, wells, and shops. Some is used for washing and other for consumption, depending on the quality. The drinking water is filtered and purified.



The Russian people are generally rather reserved but given the slightest encouragement they love to talk and are very animated as they try to communicate. Our vehicles and we are a constant source of fascination for many. In most places we get looks that suggest we are from Mars rather than Australia as attested to by the Kangaroo symbols on the sides of our vehicles.

Some costs that might be of interest:

Cost of fuel further north rose to about 30 rubels per litre; about $1.20 per litre.
A hot lunch time meal in a ???? (cafe) is about $2.75 per person including drinks.
The cheapest vodka can be bought for ~A$2 for a 250ml bottle, 40% alcohol !

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