Siberia - Day 4

Another restless night where I imagined being a ski jumper with all the sliding I did all night. I thought I was the last one up but when I got out of my tent I realised it was way too early as even the horsemen were still asleep.

​The Eskimo jacket Katya gave me for the night was definitely made in heaven and absolutely perfect for a cold morning.

I sat there for a good half an hour with 'Back', the dog, as my companion and the amazing view to enjoy. I believe that there is one thing that is perfect in life... 'A perfect moment'; every shape, colour and smell gets etched into your memory forever. The here and now is the only thing that is important, everything else just ..... disappears. It's an amazing and very liberating feeling, I'm sure Yoda and Buddha would agree :).

​Nobody seemed to be in a rush and everyone woke slowly. The campfire was set, and breakfast was prepared and eaten without any fuss. In the meantime, four groups, including a group of young children with massive backpacks, passed our camp at a leisurely pace. It was very close to midday before we broke camp and started walking. We knew it would be a forest walk so we all, except Gerret, went in long trousers, and it turned out to be a very smart choice. This place was Mecca for all the lovely insects that very rudely liked to nibble on every available skin surface. My super duper bug-repellent worked its magic but there were some mutant genius bugs that still managed to have their merry feast.

​The first section of our trek was quite comfortable and the first stop felt quite early but then we really started trekking. As luck had it I managed to slightly twist my ankle 2 minutes into the walk, GRRRR. I have to say I was a bit worried that this will put a dampener on my experience but you know what, I refused to let it. After a quick stop and a sports gel/sports tape administration by Christoph, nicknamed Dr Wood :) HAHA, I forced the pain away and moved on. I took extra care walking as there was no chance in hell I was leaving the glacier walk out.

​There were rough patches, small and big streams, old landslides and just simply muddy paths but it was great fun going through all of it. The river looked faster and angrier than ever before, but none of us had to be told to be cautious... it was pure self-preservation.

Another stop was a bit more memorable for two things: the view of snow-peaked mountains, gorgeous forests and a small but very clean mini lake; and the second thing was an apple. Somehow the 30 Ruble apple, bought by Gerret the day we left, survived and was shared like a bottle of precious champagne. Eating it at over 2,000m high was almost a religious experience. Can't explain it but even grass smells better out here.

My water purifying tablets were a waste of space, getting drinking water was like getting fresh air, you could drink out of any stream, waterfall or river without any worries, absolutely fantastic. ​At one of our 'water stops' we had a little giggle at Paul who was very much trying to seduce a butterfly for a photo shoot. I have to give it to him, he was persistent, it may have taken him a good part of 10 minutes but he got his butterfly and his picture. Svetlana on the other hand managed to score a different species with no effort whatsoever :) hence why she has been nicknamed the Fly Lady for a reason.

When we finally got to our, as I like to call them, 'lunch sites', Svetlana, Christoph and I went for a stroll to the river. Words can't describe it and pictures don't do it justice, the word WOW get's close but it's still not quite there yet. The area was stunning and scary, powerful and peaceful all at the same time. After the obvious posing and photo session we sat, talked and simply enjoyed. I thought I could multitask and try to get the swelling down on my ankle by putting my foot in the river. Bloody hell, it was beyond cold ... but then I did it again, and again. I was willing to do anything for the next walk. And wonder of wonders it did the job.

​We must have sat there for a good 20 minutes just chatting about everything and nothing but we most definitely missed lunch. Luckily the others left us something or I would have resorted to either violence or just honest begging.

​The last hike was a bit intense which mainly involved climbing and walking uphill until our calf muscles sang 'Hallelujah' but OMG was it worth it! It is difficult to describe or sometimes even show the true beauty of a place through pictures. The lake was as clear as the sky and as cold as ice. The snowy glaciers guarded the view with grandeur and the fresh air was cleaner than anything I have ever experienced. ​Our campsite was quite lovely. We had 'almost' private access to the lake, a table with 2 benches and FINALLY some even ground for our tents.

As soon as the tents were set up we headed towards the lake intending to swim. Boy Oh Boy were we mistaken. Have you ever felt cold that burned and your limbs actually got numb? Well imagine that and multiply it tenfold. It was like being stabbed by thousands of needles which got even worse when you got out of the water. With the philosophy 'When in Rome', we all ran in and then... we all ran out squeaking like children. I was very stubborn and I really wanted to have a 'proper' picture SOOOOO I gave my camera to Svetlana with strict orders to hold the button down AND than I went back in. I didn't think, I didn't hesitate and I didn't grimace, I smiled and posed; but OMG was I crying in my head for my Mommy! It was painful, refreshing and something to remember for a lifetime. It was amazing to hear that nobody used any kind of soap or chemicals in the lake, you could literally drink out of it. That's where the famous "Bania" came in. Imagine a room that was as hot as hell and as dark as a black hole where having a head torch was a requirement, not a request. ​It had 3 buckets of very cold water, a big bucket filled with boiling hot water and about 6 small empty pots with handles for personal use. It was amazing to wash in warm water and to feel clean again. Once we were done, and ready for a heatstroke, we were advised to go outside, and, in Russian fashion, have a quick dunk in the freezing lake. Oh, and NO it wasn't for the purpose of a heart attack, even though it felt like it at the time. ​OH MY GOD, the word 'freezing' didn't even come close; running back to the Bania for a quick warm-up was done at the speed of light. It was a brilliant experience and I'm sure the guys camping nearby, drooling like idiots, agreed.

​After a very delicious meal, thanks to Katya, who if I could, would Canonise, we had a lovely surprise. Several kids from the neighbouring camp came over to practice their English. They were the most charming bunch ever: questions included: 'Do we speak Russian?', 'Where are we from?' and 'Do we like the lake?'. We were all grinning from ear to ear. ​We all agreed we needed to return the favour with questions like: 'Do you speak English?', 'Where are you from?', 'What are you doing here?' and the biggie 'What is your favourite football team?'. Portugal and Barcelona were the winners.

What an amazing day :)