Well, we have spent the past two days hanging out in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk - biding time until we need to start getting ready to move to the ship. On Tuesday or Wednesday, we will move all of our stuff to Korsakov, about 40 km south, where the Iskatel is now waiting for us. We haven't had any particular pressing tasks, except for Ben Fitzhugh, the project PI, who is busily trying to finish a journal article before we head out, so we've been amusing ourselves as best we can.
Misty Nikula, Shelby Anderson and Dani Plante killing time at the apartment near Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Misty Nikula, Shelby Anderson and Dani Plante killing time at the apartment near Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Yesterday, we headed into town on the bus. Shelby, Dani, Nick, James and Colby went in first, since with only one key to the apartment, we either need to all go together somewhere or someone needs to stay at the apartment at all times. They spent about 4 hours in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk doing errands including exchanging their money and some shopping. When they returned, Ben, Mike and I headed in to do our own errands. We exchanged our American money for rubles (about 25 rubles to the dollar), I stopped at the Internet Café to send my journals and pictures for the day before and we shopped at the Bazaar.
The bazaar is like a big swap meet, farmer's market and mini mall all rolled together. We managed to find some dried fruit and nuts for snacks while we are in the Kurils, some equipment that we need here in the apartment like a frying pan, a spatula, napkins and a cutting board, some cheap house shoes for Ben and Mike to wear around the apartment, a shirt for Mike and some more food for our pantry including bananas, a melon and some small frozen pierogis for dinner.
We returned to the apartment, made dinner and spent the evening relaxing - playing cards, reading, writing in journals, etc.
Colby Phillips and James Taylor cooking dinner in the kitchen of our apartment near Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Colby Phillips and James Taylor cooking dinner in the kitchen of our apartment near Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
This morning, we had a breakfast made by Mike of scrambled eggs, fried leftover pierogis and tomatoes - very yummy! At about 9 am, Ben got a call from Tatiana Roon, the director of the Sakhalin Museum. She wanted to invite us to a Russian picnic! Ben, James and Colby declined the invitation, since they needed to stay and do work, but the rest of us packed what we thought we might need for a day at the beach into our backpacks and waited for our ride. A little after 11 our driver for the day, Anton, showed up and the five of us - Nick, Shelby, Dani, Mike and I - piled into the car (a bit squishily in the back). Anton drove us to the apartment of Tatiana and her husband, Alexander Rybin, who is another of the scientists from the Institute of Marine Geology who will be going on the expedition. There we met up with Tatiana's brother, Alexander, and his wife, Rita, and we all headed in two cars toward the Sea of Okhotsk beach.
We spent the most amazing afternoon on the beach. It was lovely and sunny, not too warm and a light breeze. The water was FREEZING cold and we didn't spend much time in it, but Tatiana treated us to a wonderful picnic of a fish soup, with halibut and salmon, called "oha", bread, "shashlik" or Russian shish-kebob and a yummy dessert. We mostly just relaxed in the sun, watched the people fishing up and down the beach and enjoyed learning Russian and English phrases and words with our new friends.
The beach on the shores of the Sea of Okhotsk where we spent the day enjoying a Russian picnic
The beach on the shores of the Sea of Okhotsk where we spent the day enjoying a Russian picnic
Mike Etnier, Shelby Anderson and Nick Shankle enjoying the day on the shores of the Sea of Okhotsk
Mike Etnier, Shelby Anderson and Nick Shankle enjoying the day on the shores of the Sea of Okhotsk
Anton (last name unknown), Tatiana Roon and Alexander Rybin enjoying a day at the beach on the Sea of Okhotsk.
Anton (last name unknown), Tatiana Roon and Alexander Rybin enjoying a day at the beach on the Sea of Okhotsk.
In the late afternoon, early evening, before we headed back to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, we stopped briefly at a pleasant little lake and cooled off with a quick swim. It has been an extremely pleasant day - good food, good company and great weather.
Tomorrow we begin our preparations in earnest. Ben and I have an appointment in Alexander Rybin's office at the Institute of Marine Geology at 10 am. From there we will set off to get the satellite phones set up on the computers, inventory the gear that was left from last year that has been stored at the Museum and procure the rest of our the gear that we need (including hip boots for Ben).