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| Today we were heading inland to explore the hot springs of Itirup Island |
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| We landed at a pretty desolate looking beach but were welcomed very warmly (no photos allowed) |
Today we went inland with a packed lunch to visit the hot springs of Itirup Island. Once we had beached our zodiacs, we were loaded into 3 monstrous 4WD buses and taken to the mountains to visit the hot springs. On the way we drove through a few villages which gave us the opportunity to see how the local people live - we had local schoolteachers as translators so we were able to ask a few questions. Fishing is the main, perhaps the only, industry that keeps the villages ticking. There is little tourism apart from the occasional 'expedition' ship like ours so we had an opportunity to see things exactly as they are.
We drove up and up through forest, across rivers and through ravines with the patches of snow increasing as we went. For us, who rarely see snow in winter, seeing it in summer was a little bizarre. The air was filled with the smell of pine trees and the sounds of masses of small birds chirruping away from the scrub, trees and bamboo thickets - the wild variety of bamboo that grows on the islands is not tall (and there are no pandas!!). The buses stopped for us to wander a little - it was heavenly!
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| Similar to the Aussie outback 'touring' buses |
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| While the birders were off 'birding', I tramped through the 'scrub' looking at intereting plants |
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| Then we hit THE 'challenging' road downhill |
The road down to the hot springs was steep and covered in snow in sections and we reached a point where the lead-driver pulled up and refused to go any further. So out we clambered to tackle the rest of the way on foot, but after checking out the decline I reckoned it was too steep and slippery to climb back up comfortably - if the snow trucks weren't going there? Well! Lindsay and I retraced our steps to a level place and sat on a rock to have our picnic lunch and to wait for the others to return - keeping a watchful eye open for bears. Were we worried? .... weellll not hugely, I'm not sure why as bears are know to be in the area, but here we were!
We were surrounded by silence as we picnicked alone in that beautiful little piece of wilderness! But our tranquility was soon shattered by the return of the trucks which had gone back a ways to park (maybe for lunch?). The long and short if it was that eventually when our lovely driver, the man with the golden smile (all his front teeth were entirely gold - it's a Russian thing!) discovered that I was afraid I couldn't make it to the springs, he set off walking down the track, even after his fellow driver had done the same reconnoitre and put the kibosh on it. He obviously wanted to check the road conditions for himself. When he came back all smiles, he piled me and Lins and another person into his truck and literally 'walked' it down the slope and then guided us on foot down the last little steep stretch to the hot springs and waterfall. At one stage he actually had to reverse down the slope. What can you say in the face of such kindness? He was obviously keen for us to share the beauty of his island. We felt very privileged (particularly as he didn't go back for a few others who were similarly concerned like me). The only explanation I can think of is that people are very responsive when you try to communicate with them in their own language - believe me I can speak very few words of Russian, but those few combined with sign language and many 'thank yous' and smiles carry you a long way. Maybe I reminded hom of his babushka!
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| Picking our way down the hill to the hot springs |
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| Rather idyllic |
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| Pale milky-blue warm water captured a few brave dippers! |
It was really worth the effort of gettng down there and I felt very grateful to my man with the 'golden smile' (sadly I wasn't allowed to photograph him). There perched on the side of a very steep mountain was a cascading 'waterfall' of pale blue warm water trapped for a spell in a couple of shallow pools surrounded by rocks and crossed by a wooden bridge. Quite lovely! We didn't have time foe a swim but I at least managed to have a bit of a paddle. Yay!
Driving back up that slope in our monstrous bus was a challenge for Mr 'Golden Smile' but we made it! All I could do was thank my man's hand and say a heart-felt "spa-see-ba" . He had made my day. In the short time we have spent in Far East Russia, we have been treated so generously and with genuine kindness from so many of the Russians we have met. It has been quite humbling.
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| A memorable view looking towards the towering Kudriavy volcano on Itirup Island |
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| "Spa-see-ba" Mr Golden Smile (the man on the right of the small person in pale-blue parka) |
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