May 24 Kamchatka. We have arrived!

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is ringed by volcanoes

After almost three years, the long-awaited helicopter flight over Kamchatka's volcanoes is just one sleep away IF the weather behaves. All we can do is wait and hope. In the meantime we are being semi-immersed in Russian hospitality. We had the real deal Russian borscht (which actually originated in Ukraine) for lunch - with Spanish wine .... oh dear never let it be said we are not global in our tastes. Our hotel is basic early-1950s but is adequate and the staff are very patient with us helpless, monolingual English-speaking visitors. I practice saying the simplest of words of greeting and gratitude and am pretty tongue tied, but I have found a practice buddy. The doorman is trying to learn English so we set about having a bizarre 'conversation' via our respective phrase books (the same one the kids and I used back in the 80s!). I have to practice a few words before going down to dinner tonight. After I get some washing done! Our clothes could walk to the bathroom on their own - our journey to date has been a bit warm and we've done a bit of walking too. That topped off with 'sleeping' in the same things a few nights.

The two delightful Alexs who fed and looked out for us

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (PK) is a frontier town of 250,000 people. A fair bit of building going on but it is struggling economically and it really shows. The township we haven't explored as yet but the surrounding countryside is wonderful. Snow-capped mountains ring the town overlooked by a few towering volcanoes looming monstrous on the horizon and in the foreground, white-barked Birch trees are just starting to show some green. It looks a bit like an Ansell Adam's dramatic black-and-white photo albeit with smudges of pale green here and there.

A room with a view! Koryaksky volcano (L) towers over PK

It is 2 degrees outside at the moment but we are toasty. What a contrast to the last couple of days sweltering in 30 degree humidity in HK. It will be a holiday of contrasts - and that's precisely how we like it. From the humidity of Honk Kong we were about to fly over snow-encrusted volcanies to the Valley of Geysers where the geothermal heat keeps the valley free of snow year-round. 

St Peter and St Paul

Everywhere in Russia and former Soviet countries massive statues of Lenin tower of town squares

Prior to lift off for the Valley of Geysers, we were treated to a tour of Petropavlovsk (PK) which gets its name from its two patron saints - St Peter and St Paul. The origin of the name Kamchatka is not so clear. Some say it was named by the early exploring Cossacks because the mountains looked like folds of rich brightly-coloured velvet (when in their autumn colours). Others say it is based on an aboriginal word the meaning of which I don't recall exactly, but something like 'people from this place'. Regardless it is a quite special part of the world. It is the eastern defence-line of Russia both nationally and politically, but it is geographically astonishing and stunningly beautiful. It attracts the world's top volcanologists, biologists and geologists as well as snow-sport enthusiasts, serious hikers, whitewater rafters, birdwatchers and and and .....  The provence attracts 40-50,000 tourists each year half of whom are Russian. 

More anon, do svidaniya