Cape to Cape Expedition

Providenya -  Russia (Провидения)

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3rd M   

16th June 2008

The weekend over but yesterday the airport was fog bound. Today it is clear but Lavrentia is fog bound. We spend the days walking round Providenya or at the airport which is very small and although does have a waiting room its quite cold there! We measured how far we walked one day and it was 10.6km. So what with that and a diet of pasta made with out-of-date pasta sauces we are not gaining weight !

To drink we haven't had any vodka yet (although it is Steve's birthday tomorrow!) but prefer Dr Diesel beer The weather is improving and we are hopeful about flying tomorrow.

12th June 2008

Today is Independence Day all over Russia, so obviously the airport is shut despite the weather being better. Here in Providenya the celebration extended to an event outside the cultural centre. Speeches, some singing and dancing; mostly traditional Eskimo but a few Cossack like dances too. People seemed to be enjoying it all. Then they even had RUNNING!!!! A competition up and down the street - it was quite obvious after 50m that no training had been undertaken before attempting to run !

The ship that arrived yesterday (the navigation is officially open) has been partially unloaded so the shops are all replenished. Everybody is walking about with trays of eggs - obviously no chickens survive the cold. Also in the shops now are fruit and vegetables - its quite a frenzy. I'm not sure when the shops last had fresh produce.

Dan has rigged up a battery charger for the satellite phone from some paper clips (the man's a genius - or slightly mad!) so we will have a go sending some pictures through - see below....

11th June 2008

Well it was all go this morning - 9am Igor came rushing in "helicopter coming" so off to the airport we dashed. Waited around all day and the helicopter stayed on the runway! Now we think its going tomorrow so fingers crossed. Dmitry has organised all the preparations for our departure with customs / immigration. Nikolai is joining us on the 18th June so until then we just have to wait for a flight to Lavrentia then to Uelen. We have little battery on the sat phone so cannot send pictures!

9th June 2008

There's not a lot happening here. We were told a plane was coming  in and going to Lavrentia but when it landed it simply taxied round and took off straight away again. There might be a helicopter going on Wednesday.

Breakfast is back to bread, cheese and gherkins! Nicky had sent a "food parcel" with Dan and we had a Crunchie out of it yesterday.

We have managed to send a couple of photos. Although there it is still cold and there is ice on the Strait it melts very quickly once there is a warm day.

6th June 2008

Dan and I flew in about lunchtime on Thursday and so lost a day making it Friday in Siberia (I can't keep track of this time difference thing!).

Customs were fine about all our equipment - GPS, computer, phones etc. Igor Sudakov has arranged an apartment for us and it looks like we will be here about a week. The weather is quite cold but dry.

10th April 2008

We have spent most of the day in the cafe - where we are like family now. Tonight was chicken legs and very nice. Thanks go to Igor who has been helping us around town. We have been able to charge the mobile phone by using other peoples chargers but not the laptop and so cannot send more pictures back. Bering Air are flying in tomorrow morning (Friday 11th here) to collect us however we will arrive in the U.S on Thursday 10th and so have two Thursday 10th's in our lifetime!

Simon and I having lunch with Natalie and Oxana. The Baringia National Park AGM where we gave a talk on our travels through the park.

9th April 2008

Not a lot happening - more waiting around. We were sending pictures using the laptop when it ran out of battery and so we are trying to charge it up. This morning we had a meeting with Oxana and Natelie from Beringia - the nature / ethnic park which stretches over the eastern part of Chukotka. They have rangers in most of the villages who record the wildlife and weather. We have been asked to attend a meeting on Thursday to talk about our travels through their park and our experiences of people, wildlife and weather influences. They work very closely with the schools and were keen to provide me with email addresses of the schools in order that they might be able to link back to schools in the U.K.

We have also been for a walk and met a man fishing for what he said was sea cucumber - but I don't think it can be what we think of as sea cucumber.

Man fishing and Steve, Simon, Natelie and Oxana from Beringia

Providenya

8th April 2008

We are here. We arrived about 2pm and were met on the helicopter steps by immigration. I think they were a bit surprised by our arrival. We had to answer lots of questions and because Nikolai was not with us (heving caught the cargo plane from Lavrentia to Anadya) this took some time. Everything is ok though. We are not allowed to take pictures which is a shame as its a really pleasant town. I'm going to contact Dmitry and see if we can get some permissions so that we can do so.

We have had a guided tour of Lavrentia and have been allocated a private home stay as there aren't any hotels here. We have also contacted Bering Air and found out that the flight is actually Thurs 10th U.S date making it Friday 11th Russia time so we are here a few days !

We have got mobile connection and so have sent the photos through of Lavrentia  and Uelen

Photos of the helicopter flight to Providenya:

Providenya from the air