September 9th, 2008 ~ Irkutsk, Siberia
A quick dispatch to report that we arrived in Irkutsk, Siberia, a couple of hours ago. We were met at the little airport by Elena Chubakova, director of the Great Baikal Trail Association, and her husband Roma. She's been involved with the trail project since its inception five years ago, and made us feel very welcome.
In addition to me, our group is composed of John Schubert from the US Forest Service and a long-time friend through the SCA; Suzanne Wilson from the Pacific Crest Trail Association, and John Griffith with the California Conservation Corps.
There's a scene in an old MASH episode where the doctors crash a golf tournament. When asked who they are, they reply, "We're the pros from Dover," and that gets them through the first holes of the event.
I feel a little bit like that right now. We've flown 80 percent of the way around the globe to get here. We're giddy with jet lag (again) and still a little stunned to have navigated the craziness of the Moscow airport. The international arrival terminal is a number of miles from the domestic departures terminal, and good luck figuring out how to get from one to another. A huge crush of people in the terminals, and not knowing Russian is definitely a bit of a drawback in getting from one place to another. But then we're the pros from Dover, and as long as we pretend that we belong here, we'll figure things out.
I did have pleasant visits with my seatmates on the long Aeoflot flight from Moscow to Irkutsk, even though most of the conversation was conducted with sign language and a few drawings of maps on napkins.
The Trail Association has a hostel on the 9th floor of a building here in town, with bunk beds in a couple of rooms, and a kitchen. People from many countries have been coming here to help with the trail work, using this place as a base when they arrive and before they leave. We'll be here a couple of days while we get our bearings, then head out for a long journey around much of Lake Baikal, seeing projects that have been completed and lending a hand where crews are still in the field.
The weather is very pleasant today--about 60 degrees, sunny. I'm looking out over a city that is calling to us to get out and walk around.
John Griffith had a great story about staying a few days in Moscow on his way here. His bag had not arrived with him, but he went on to his hotel. Early the next morning he got a call from the receptionist at the hotel. "The Egyptian has your bag," he told John. After much panic that his bag had been stolen and was on his way to Cairo, John and the receptionist finally clarified that "The reception has your bag."
In short, this is already about as much fun as we can stand, and we've barely arrived.
Bob