02.03.2018
We reached the Irkutsk train station just in time for the train to arrive. Igor helped me with my luggage to find the platform and I got checked in by the Provodniza. I was booked on train # 069 at 12:00+5 in coach # 6 upper bunk #22. It was going to be a relatively short train ride of only 18 hrs for 1088 km.
In my cabin were 3 men and I bet they were on the way home from work. Not that they drank vodka, but I think the deo spray their wives had given them on the way to work, was either finished or forgotten … Well, I probably do not smell all fresh after this voyage, but gosh, this was challenging! That the train was hopelessly overheated was not helping either. So I went to find the restaurant coach. As usually it was almost empty. But a couple tables were occupied. I found a table and settled in to catch up on writing my journal and drink beer. The man on the next table over, however, was probably lonely … or drunk … but he needed company and called me to his table. For the next hour or so it was back and forth, back and forth, back and forth …. Come drink vodka with me …. Let’s talk … unfortunately, he stopped talking completely as soon as I did not understand one word. Now, I do not speak Russian! I can, however, get by quite OK. If somebody just talks and tells me a story – even though I do not understand more than one third, I can get the sense and the story. If … people keep talking …. but he just stopped, shook his head – Gosh, she does not understand a word …. It was rather frustrating, because he seemed – apart from being well through a vodka bottle – fairly interesting. His name was Jevgenij and apparently he was a parachutist with the Russian army (at least before) who had travelled to Idaho/USA in 1998, wanted to go back to America and was telling me about it. But when it got interesting, he stopped because I did not understand for him important words. It was complicated, because he would not leave me alone. I went back to my table, started writing, he came over, start taking and would be miserable, because I did not understand. I thought, showing him my scrapbook journal would keep him happy for a while, but he wanted to talk about Tibet and China …. again he got frustrated because, I would not understand 100%. Eventually, he called over a guy from another table, because that is what Russians do, right, they sit together, talk, drink, even, if they do not know each other. Not that the other guy spoke any English or German, but at least he just kept talking and we got along very well…. made Jevgenij frustrated again…. Well, over the years I have also mastered the art of appearing to understand and listen, even though, I do not … listen or understand … Did not work with Jevgenij, but with the other guy who’s name I never got. Both of them kept drinking vodka, I stuck to my second beer (which Jevgeij had ordered for me I later learnt). I wanted a photo, but the parachutist was old school and did not want his photo taken. No problem, we just took a photo of the drinks as proof!
The restaurant coach started to turn into a disco – music was turned up and the matching lights went on!
In between talking, drinking and listening I kept packing away my journal writing stuff and then took an in between opportunity to excuse myself to go to sleep. It was only 20:00, but off I went and straight into my bunk and to sleep.
03.03.2018
I was up early in the morning, reading in my bunk and soon preparing to get off. Arrival in Krasnoyarsk was 06:30+4 – yes, I had passed another time zone during the night. The train was again perfectly on time and my guide Anatoliy from SibTourGuide – again part of my Monkeyshrine package – picked me up. The weather was cloudy, damp and cold. Anatoliy brought me to Hotel Meteliza – NO! Not Metallica! – Meteliza! Check in was fast, my room was very comfortable and he gave me an hour to get ready and have breakfast before the 10-Ruble-City-Tour. I took the time to settle in and then have a quick brunch – coffee as breakfast and soljanka for lunch. And before I could even log into facebook Anatoliy was there to pick me up again.
Krasnoyarsk has approx. 1 Mio inhabitants and is located on the Yenisei River. It is the third largest city in Siberia after Novosibirsk and Omsk, an important junction of the Trans-Siberian Railway and one of Russia’s largest producers of aluminum. The city is notable for its nature landscapes; author Anton Chekhov judged Krasnoyarsk to be the most beautiful city in Siberia – Really? The city was founded 1628 as a Russian border fort when a group of people from Yeniseysk arrived at the confluence of the Kacha and Yenisei Rivers and constructed fortifications intended to protect the frontier from attacks of native peoples who lived along the Yenisei.
The Russian 10-Ruble-Note depicts major sights of Krasnoyarsk. The front shows the Kommunalny Bridge across the Yenisei River and Paraskeva Pyatnitsa Chapel in Krasnoyarsk, which has also the city in the background. On the back is therasnoyarsk Hydroelectric Power Station. The tour would cover all those and some more.
From the center we drove up to the Chapel of Saint Paraskeva Pyatnitsa which is situated on the top of Karaulny Hill. In 1804 a first wooden chapel was built here, in the late 19th century it was finally set in stone. The Chapel was built in place of a watchtower, which was erected when Krasnoyarsk was established as a fort in 1628. This chapel is the highest point overlooking the city which is very large and even with this hazy day the panoramic view was stunning. It was only about -11°C, but a wind chill to -25°C. The wind up there was dreadful!
Nevertheless, we watched the noon cannon being shot. It is set slightly below the hill top and since 2001 it is shot every day at noon. It is said, that the cannon points right at City Hall … but shoots blank cartridges … Of course I missed taking a photo of the actual shot …. But I can still hear it ring in my ears!
The hill with the chapel and the view point is apparently one of the most popular places for newlyweds, where they take photos and enjoy the scenery. And sure enough we watched Natalia & Alexander in having their picture taken in various different poses and spots up there. We were sitting in Anatoliy’s car, of course, and I felt very sorry for them out there. But I sure hope their photographer was good enough to get top shots to remember the day!
On the way back down to the city we stopped at the Victory Monument which commemorates the WW II victory and all those Siberians lost in that war. I have seen many of those monuments and every single one is special, but this one has a very interesting and well set up museum.
There is a great painting and photos of my other memorials. And here as well were young cadets doing the guard service of the eternal flame.
In down town we visited the confluence of Kacha and Yenisei Rivers where the first fort had been once built. Of course now there is nothing left of the fort, the Philharmonic Concert Hall is situated there and a monument for Nikolai Resanow, who’s biggest legacy was the Russian-American Company. He promoted the project of Russian colonization of Alaska and California to three successive Tsars and died Krasnoyarsk 1807 on his way back to St. Petersburg.
We took a walk on the footbridge across the Kacha River and also stopped at the Steam Vessel Nikolai which is now permanently docked at the river bank and houses a museum. It used to be a Lenin Museum, because the ship transport Vladimir Illjitsch Ulyanov to his excile in 1897. However, somebody found out that the future Tsar Nikolai II crossed the Yenisei River in the same vessel in 1891 … So now it is a museum for both events.
We passed the Kommunalny Bridge on our way to our next stop which was on the other side of the river and made a pit stop for lunch at the Fun Park Bobrovyy Log which will be one of the venues for the 2019 Universiade that is being hosted by Krasnoyarsk.
On the way to the the Krasnoyarsk Hydroelectric Power Station and Dam we stopped at an view point near the village of Ovsyanka. From up there the view over the river was very beautiful.
There is a monument called “The Tsar Fish” up there – No! It is not in honor of the great sturgeon which inhabits the north-flowing rivers of Russia that feed the Arctic Ocean like the Yenisei! It is actually a monument in honor of the famous book “The Tsar Fish” by Victor Astavyev who was born in Ovsyanka.
We passed Divnogorsk – another blast from the past kind of town approx. 40 km upstream from Krasnoyarsk – on the way to dam.
I later skipped walking across the bridge over the Yenisei to view the dam, because the wind was very strong and is was just too cold for me … even though I had all my usual layers of clothes on! Nevertheless, the dam is very impressive. The Krasnoyarsk Dam is 124 m high and was constructed from 1956 to 1972. It supplies 6,000 MW of power, mostly used to supply the KrAZ – Krasnoyarsk Aluminum Plant. After commissioning of the 10th turbine in 1971, the station was the world’s single biggest power producer until 1983.
I did learn today, that – obviously – the bad machines in “Star Wars – The Empire strikes back” were inspired by the Krasnoyarsk Dam! May the force be with you!
Anatoliy drove us up to see the dam at eye level. The road was well snowed over, but he said his Japanese car can handle it … I was not sure … but – Hey! We did it! From up there we had a great view over the dam, the power station and the boat lift.
That boat lift is absolutely amazing. A pity it is obviously out of service in winter because of the ice! I guess, it is a reason to come back in summer on day! The lift is a platform that gets moved along a track. Each of the track rails is based on separate overpasses.
The “boat tub” is moved by electric motors. A ship enters this “tub”, then the platform begins to move up the overpass transporting the boat afloat. At the top the platform reaches a turntable which moves it to another track on which the platform is then lowered to the water again. With the frozen reservoir and no boat traffic in winter, of course the anyway seldom used boatlift is in hibernation… Even in summer it does not have a schedule and sure the ship traffic here is not exactly the Rhine River (= river autobahn!). So I might have to camp out here one summer to see the boat lift in action!
As a result of the dam, the Krasnoyarsk Reservoir was created which is known as the Krasnoyarsk Sea and has an area of 2,000 km² and a volume of 73.3 km³. It is 388 km in length and 15 km in width at its widest, has an average depth of 36 m and a depth of 105 m near the dam. Of course, in winter it is frozen and we saw kite skaters in the distance and drove there to have a closer look. Unfortunately, the ice road had been closed the day before … apparently spring is coming and it is not safe anymore… Really? I am freezing my bum off here and they say spring is coming?
But we could walk over the ice anyway and so we did. Only the wind on the ice was very cold. Damn! I would have liked to have a closer look and linger a while, but my fingers were falling off from the cold despite 2 pairs of gloves. It was just too cold today! Today was the first day I put the hood of my yellow jacket up against the wind.
Back in Krasnoyarsk Anatoliy indulged me by stopping at the Lenin Statue for my traditional photo before dropping me off at the hotel.
Plenty to write in my journal tonight, photos to check and to repack my luggage for tomorrow’s dacha adventure, which the guy from Monkeyshrine had talked me into – Your itinerary is so adventurous, you might as well do this! – Ok, let’s do it!
04.03.2018
After an excellent breakfast in the hotel – I just say fresh pressed orange juice and real espresso! Anatoliy picked me at 09:00 and off we went. First we stopped at the train station. He originally wanted to leave my suitcase in the car over night. Not that I was worried about its safety – NO! But with expected -25°C I was really worried about my Great Wall of China Red Wine and Snow Crab Vodka! I was not going to find out if alcohol freezes in those temperatures! Therefore we dropped my suitcase off in the luggage storage at the train station. And yes, I can afford paying 2x RUB 200 because it was over night and payment did not cover 24 hrs, but was per day. The attendant there was very worried about that! Now my souvenirs would be safe and warm!
Next stop was the ski rental place. Anatoliy said, the favourite past time at the dacha in winter is cross country skiing. Well, I do know how to do it and I do have my own ski at home, but I had not done it in maybe 3 years or so … Never mind! Let’s go! The shoes and ski looked good and I had to pay RUB 1000. I was supposed to leave a drivers license or such (no passport!) as a deposit, but Anatoliy said maybe I would miss my train the next morning, if they did not open on time or traffic was bad. Oh no way! He fiddled and left somebody else’s drivers license there – But not his! He had to drive! – and would drop off the skis after I left.
Third stop was the supermarket to get provisions for the overnight stay at the dacha. I love supermarkets, I usually meditate in front of the vodka shelf …. OK, just a little bit! But supermarkets are just interesting and so different in every country.
The drive to the dacha some 40 km out of the city was nice. The weather got clearer the further we got out of the city and away from the not frozen river. Below the dam the river never freezes and therefore it is usually very foggy in the city in winter. The sun came out and it was about -11°C. The dacha was in the forest countryside in a dacha colony at the end of a slightly cleared road. Not many people seem to spend time here in winter, though. Anatoliy parked the car and from there we had to walk – or ski – another 300 m or so through knee deep snow to the dacha. I opted for walking. Camera bag on my back, the bag with my clothes – hey, you have to be prepared for all eventualities in this climate! – on the side I started out with the ski poles for balance. Anatoliy skied ahead and said to just follow his tracks. Yes, I will! There was a lot of snow and walking was not so easy, but I was in no hurry. If I did step next to the – for me sometimes imaginary – path, I sank into the snow up to my knees. But I put my ski poles to use and made it. After arriving at the nice dacha, Anatoliy went two more times up to the car to pick up stuff – food … and water … and my skis …. In the meantime I took in the beautiful scenery and the peace and quiet.
A dacha is a seasonal or year-round second home, often located beyond the suburbs of a city in Russia – we do have them in East Germany as well – it is an Eastern European phenomenon, maybe. It is usually a simple cottage without running water or electricity. They were initially intended only as recreation getaways of city dwellers and for growing small gardens for food.
In Anatoliy’s cute little dacha the temperature inside was the same as outside — today a balmy -8°C! Anatoliy did his manly survival stuff – I think he cleaned up possible winter resistant spiders and their webs and made fire.
I did what I usually never do …. I shoveled snow at the porch! Usually I am on vacation in warm countries when/if there is snow in Germany or we pay somebody to shovel snow …
Once Anatoliy had the fire going and the path to the outhouse was cleared – by me – we had tea and Vareniki with cottage cheese filling and sour cream on top for lunch. It was very good!
Then it was time to do cross country skiing! To start out I followed Anatoliy along a short round through the dacha. The track had been made a few days before and was quite easy. Nevertheless, my rental skis were very well waxed – my skis at home are not as smooth – mainly because I never wax them properly … So of course I took the first bath in the deep snow very soon! While I did cross country skiing before – and we did it a lot when we were kids – I cannot remember doing it in this deep powdery snow. Where is the prepared track I am used to from Germany? Is deep powder snow not something for downhill skiers? Oh well, I guess, in the middle of the Siberian taiga everything is different!
The sun was out and there was no wind, so it was very nice outside. Luckily I had put my ski pants on and had left everything behind in the dacha except my little camera which was attached to my jacket on a string. Nothing to lose in all that snow.
After successfully completing the first practice round, the second round we did was a little longer and more fun in more snow. Of course I landed in the deep snow again. This time I had stopped and was talking and all of a sudden … bang … the skis went out from under me and I was knee deep in the snow again. Good thing it never hurt, because the snow is soft. I was laughing so hard … which made getting up even more complicated. The end of the round was a long slope which was not too steep and good fun – a long slide down. Balancing to stay in the deep track was hard, though. And because this was so nice, we did the same round again a second time. I got the hang of that skiing again, but landed in the snow again! Getting up got easier with every fall, though, hahaha.
We took a break then and Anatoliy said we could manage going another circuit, a longer one of approx. 5 km …. Really? 5 km in this much snow? He said, there was no track yet … but it should be OK ….. and I could do it. Well, I guess, there is not much else to do in the dacha otherwise and it did not look too complicated on the map.
Off we went the track up to the car first … a little uphill … Those skis always wanted to go downhill, though. Of course Anatoliy was way up ahead … Yes, I am coming! Up on the road there was a dog welcoming me and staring at me. Looked like a wolf to me. But apparently it was a dog from down the road.
The first part of the round was following a road which was easy enough. Hard packed snow all along, only a few cars passed here anyway. After a bit Anatoliy turned into a path between the dachas and the forest. Here was a snowed over snowmobile track, so it was sort of a track. But it went downhill a bit and around a bent. Anatoliy went always ahead scouting and said – Just go slow! – Yeah right! Downhill and slow! Hahaha! Somehow I managed without falling on my bum, though. Slowly, slowly! No rush! Just do not made ski tip salad! Eventually I reached Anatoliy who waited around a bend – Where were you? Did you fall? – Hahaha! NO! This time I did not fall, I just went slow!
From there the track through the forest was beautiful. The sun stood low, the light was perfect. I wished for my good camera. There were no tracks in the forest, not even animal tracks on the fresh snow. We passed a small frozen lake as well. It was very quiet as well. Anatoliy was always way ahead – like WAY ahead – of me. Yes, I am coming!
Skiing got easier, but still felt like plowing through the deep end. I could never actually see my skis … However, I finally had time to actually enjoy the scenery. It was beautiful! Siberia as I imagined it!
Eventually we reached dachas again and had to turn into the forest to skirt around. No track there! You sure we have to go this way? – Yes, there is no other way. It is not far, just over to the next alley between the dachas. – OK, if you say so!
There was no track this way and there was a lot of snow! Anatoliy went ahead and tried to make a track by going back and forth, because I was so slow. With every ski step I sank in the snow. Maybe I am just too fat and heavy… It was so slow going. I am sure the snow was like 1.5 m deep at least. While so far I was still happy and enjoying myself, slowly my spirits turned sour… But what the heck, no way was I going to turn around. I sat in the snow so often on this part, I think I swore in every language I know! I did not scream … yet! I was still having fun … sort of… I mean, that adventure would be a story to tell!
It sure was not a very long section through the forest, but deep powder snow. One more time I fell and sat in the snow and Anatoliy wanted to help me by having me hold on to his ski pole and trying to pull me out. The result was, I sank even deeper into the white abyss… I could not only not see my skis, but I could not feel them anymore! Where the heck, were they? I need to feel them to make a battle plan to get up again. My power was almost gone, but Anatoliy sure could not help me anymore, he just said – Use your ski poles! We are almost there by the alley! – and went off. I think, by now I scared him and he choose to get out of my way, hahaha… He did not even dare to take a photo of me anymore, even though it would probably have been very funny to see me stuck in the snow… Maybe I should just sit here until spring comes and the snow melts? The powder snow was in all of my pockets and up my shoes. My camera in my jacket pocket was still there but the snow had frozen on it. It still worked, though. By that time I had not only packed my sun glasses away, but also my spectacles, no way was I am going to lose those in the snow!
With all my might I pushed again on the poles, held on to a tree trunk and somehow managed to find my still attached skis and somehow lined them up again without breaking them. Not far ahead I heard Anatoliy saying – Here we turn out of the forest! You made it! – Did I? Damn, you better have lots and lots of Vodka in that dacha of yours! Because after this I sure deserve a bottle! Yes!
We had reached the alley between the dachas, YEAH! – Opps ….. – where was it? The wind had blown it over with snow and even the fences could hardly be seen. Really? We just managed to dig our way through like 300 m of deep snow forest and now THIS? – You said it will get easier along the alley! – Well, we could always turn around and go back the same way… – Ahhhh, NO! I do not think so! Let’s go!
The first snow wave was almost making me rethink my decision. I am standing ankle deep in powdery snow and ahead of me is a 2 m high snow wave with Anatoliy on top of it.
You can do it! – He said – just come up here sideways like on stairs. – Ahhh, yeah, sure …. like on stairs …. sinking in the snow up to my knees with every try …. Ahh, maybe we can just stay the night in that dacha here on our left? – Oh no, our dacha is much more comfortable! – At the moment I do not really care! I think we can manage to make a fire in this dacha as well! – No, you can make it up here! – Yeah, I can make it! And if you do not have any Vodka in that dacha of your …. – Just get on with it, hold on to my sky pole I pull you up! – That did not work the last time we tried! – It will work this time! – What if I fall over that fence? Maybe I just wait here for spring? – Now hold on and step up! – OK OK! I am coming!
Somehow we managed balancing along the crest of that snow wave without me falling in the snow again. The road was really only some 150 m away and …. Hallelujah!… Here we were! Anatoliy said, we would turn right along the road and then go across again. Please, no more deep snow now! – OK, we go and see if there is a track, if not we take the road, but it is longer … – No problem, as long it is a track and no deep snow! According to the map we only had managed half the round so far, but it was late already and quite frankly, I was kaputt! In the end we turned around on the road and went the long way around through the dacha colony and eventually met the wolf/dog from before again (Anatoliy said it is actually guarding one of the dachas) …. Yeah, our dacha is near! Anatoliy choose a shortcut along the second round we did before and in no time we were back at base camp – of course he reached the dacha about 10 min before me, hahaha. Because I could not finish without taking a last snow bath! Hahaha, I guess, that was the lap of honor! By now the getting up was a piece of cake!
I think, we reached the dacha by 18:00 or so. Anatoliy went in to check on the fire and things, I just managed to take the skis off, stick them in the snow pile, checked if nothing was lost – sun glasses, spectacles, camera, watches … all here! – and collapse at the bench. OK, I did not collapse per se, but l laid down on the bench to meditate and cool down and relax. I was sweating like hell after those all in all 4 hrs of hard work in the snow, but damn, it felt good! The sun was setting and the temperature dropped, however. At some point Anatoliy called me in, because laying out in the cold for too long is probably not such a good idea.
But I did it! I never gave up! Damn, I deserve that vodka tonight!
Good thing I packed all that extra clothes in my bag. I changed all 3 layers completely – I brought 3 extra layers! We hung the wet clothes on a string under the ceiling and it dried fairly quickly. Even my wooly hat and gloves were soaking wet. I did have to crawl into bed for a little bit to warm up again, though. The ever active Anatoliy however was running around and preparing dinner … outside! OK, he was preparing the barbeque outside. He asked me to prepare the salad … yeah, I can do that. I do live on a cruise ship and never have to cook…. but I can cut salad. So I did.
Outside it was down to -20°C by now and the chicken wings on the barbeque looked good. But I did not spend too much time outside and rather continued to cut the salad inside. Dinner was excellent after this day – chicken wings, salad and bake potatoes!
And FINALLY Anatoliy found the vodka! Shesh, I was already thinking, I had to dig out my emergency medicinal vodka ration … And no, I did not take a photo of dinner, because I was so focused on food and vodka, I plainly forgot! It was a great evening, eating, drinking and talking! That might have been the quintessential Russian dacha adventure! And after the food was almost finished and the vodka, too, we even managed to move the table aside to set the second bed and I put all the layers of clothes back on again to take a quick excursion to the outhouse before bed.
Good night! I sure will sleep fantastic tonight!
05.03.2018
I woke up about 03:00 am because nature called. The weather app said -26°C …. No, I think I skip the excursion to the outhouse and rather practice meditation … meditating it away … it worked! Funnily enough, Anatoliy had fallen asleep with his head light on and mobile in hand. This addiction to being online …
The alarm clock went off at 06:30 I think … Do we have to get up? – Yes! Your train does not wait! – OK! Getting ready was quick enough. Skipped breakfast … porridge is pretty much the only thing I do not eat … apart from worms, spiders and things like that… So tea it was and off we went.
The sun came up just as we were leaving the dacha. – 27°C it was this morning! I did walk up to the car again. Anatoliy skied and he had to go twice today. We started out at the same time and I was about half way up by the time he passed me on his way down again. I did stop to take photos, though. The rising sun was beautiful and the ice on the trees as well. The light and ice was fantastic. The crowning glory of a great dacha adventure in snowy Siberia!
I did not dare to dig out my big camera or get closer to the trees. Better not leave the track, otherwise I might sink in the snow and never be found again until spring! Hahaha!
Anatoliy had this funny gadget to start the car remotely as well, so it was already warming up when we got in. We left at 08:11 with only 11 min delay to the original plan. It was sunny with blue skies on the drive back to the city and we even saw a red fox on one of the fields along the road. We reached the train station perfectly in time for me to be able to take a photo of the mosaic in front and to pick up my suitcase.
До свидания, Анатоли, и спасибо за большое приключение!
