UPDATE 10JAN05 - HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope everyone had a great 2004 holiday season, and your collective new years are off to a great start! Mine sure is. Savanna is such a great baby...a real joy. I just have a minute to update this site and post the new family photo...hope everyone's feeling well and happy!
:) Lucy
UPDATE 30SEP04 � Well, it happened! Ron and I are parents! Our newest addition is a beautiful girl, Savanna Kimberly Barks. She blessed us on Sunday, 26 September, weighing in at 6 lbs 6 oz, and 20 inches long. She arrived nearly four weeks early, and everything is great! The whole event went really smoothly, with one bummer: Ron was up in Prudhoe and didn�t make it home in time for Savanna�s arrival! He arrived about 6 hours after she was born, but he called the hospital just in time and got to hear everything over the phone (�think he planned it that way?!).
Anyway, everything�s great at our house, hope all�s well at yours too!
:) Lucy
UPDATE 16SEP04 - Here's my big (fat) chance! I mean to sit on the couch and eat bon-bons, that is. I returned home from Russia this past Saturday, September 11th. On Monday the 13th I visited my prenatal caregiver, who said apparently the baby is as anxious to meet us as we are to meet him/her! An internal examination revealed I'm 1cm dilated, 80% effaced, and the baby is at minus 2 station. She told me to "take it easy" so the baby wouldn't be born too early (I'm at 34 weeks right now).
Apparently, my idea of "taking it easy" is different from hers! Tuesday morning, Ron and I were out in the woods around our place, scouting for moose, then we cleaned out a storage area here in the house. The nurse finally returned my call about exactly what kind of restrictions I might need to observe. I was thinking something along the lines of hunting in remote areas, or lifting heavy objects, etc. The nurse told me I'm on MODIFIED BED REST! I said the midwife hadn't mentioned the words BED REST at all the previous day, not even modified! I asked if it was a joke! The nurse assured me that no, it wasn't a joke, and that although I can be up and around the house, shower, etc., I should avoid laundry, shopping, vacuuming, etc. I can't believe it!
Now Ron left this morning (Thursday) to return to work up in Prudhoe, and I'm here all by myself...bored! Fortunately, Mom and I are having a combined birthday party here tomorrow night, so I'll have fun then. Meanwhile, I've got to concentrate on convincing this baby to stay put for another 2-3 weeks. We don't have TV (thank Goodness, I still say!), so I've been reading a lot and taking care of phone calls, paperwork, etc. that usually gets put on the back burner. Plus I got a couple of childbirth preparation videos I've watched. Hmmm...!
The great news preceding my return home is that Ron finally made it over to Russia! It was so good to have him there, see what my work life is like over there, introduce him to my friends/coworkers, Russia, etc. Then we flew back together. He said it's definitely different, and I guess I can't disagree. I was just so glad to have him over there and to get to spend time together, we could have been anywhere as far as I was concerned!
OK...I'm sure you'll all laugh at me about this: I put in my first bid on Ebay today! It was for an essential baby item that we really need and no Autumn baby should be without: a pumpkin costume! Meanwhile, we still don't have a crib, diaper bag, baby room, etc. but we've got a bid in on that cute pumpkin costume!!! You can see we've got it all figured out already! LOL
:) Lucy
UPDATE 31JUL04 - Well, I really thought I was going to do better at updating this web site, but as you can see it's been three months already since the last update. Geeze, time flies!
I'm already over 6 months along now in my pregnancy. It's also going faster than I expected. When I first found out I was pregnant, I thought 9 months would take forever! This baby is one active character--so much so that when Ron and I went for our ultrasound last time I was home, the doctor said it was impossible to determine the gender because the baby was so busy and active. I'm glad, because I don't want to know the gender. Ron says it's just another example of how I always get my way!
I'm in Seoul, South Korea on my way home for a short R&R. Just one week at home, then back to Sakhalin Island for one more rotation before I need to quit traveling.
I'm bummed about needing to curtail my traveling at 34 weeks gestation, because otherwise there's no reason to stop working until labor begins. So what on earth will I do at home? I guess I'll finally get the chance to sit on the couch and eat bon-bons!
:) Lucy
UPDATE 21APR04 - Hi All, you know I didn't mean for this to be updated only once a month, but it sure seems hard to get to it more frequently.
First Today - I want to extend my best wishes to Aliena Johnston this week. Aliena is participating in the State of Alaska Spelling Bee, and I just know she's going to do great!
Second - (this is almost as big as Aliena's Spelling Bee news) Ron and I are EXPECTING! Yeah! Baby is due October 24th. I'm just now three months along now, and feeling better all the time. I'll continue to work here in Russia until 34 weeks, then due to travel restrictions I'll head home.
Speaking of travel...traveling up north to the job site and back tomorrow. I'll be accompanying the head of Sakhalin's Ministry of Natural Resources. Still love my job and hope you're all doing great!
Sure hope to hear from you soon!
:) Lucy
UPDATE 20MAR04 - Darn it, I updated this site last week after I got back from my trip up north, but it didn't go through. Bummer! I relayed my hysterical trip back from Nogliki on the overnight train, where the bathrooms were locked every time I had the need!
Today I'm in Seoul, South Korea on my way back home for R&R (yay!). It's been a frustrating trip so far...I've been in travel status for exactly 48 hours now and I've only made it this far...but I'm still glad for it! I'm just glad to be out of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, because I have lots of connections options from here. Flights out of Yuzhno are pretty limited. So although I was supposed to arrive home on Thursday, 18MAR in the evening, I'll be happy when I arrive Saturday morning the 20th! It's already 1pm on the 20th here in Seoul. I'll leave here at 7pm, and arrive at 8am on the same day!
I'm here in Korean Airlines' Prestige Class lounge. I think I'll take advantage of their fully-appointed showers before I leave, but what I really need is a change of clothing! I've been wearing these clothes since 6pm Wednesday evening, Alaska time...time for a change! I could always buy something here in the airport--lots of shopping here--but I'm too cheap to pay airport prices!
OK, love to all, and I can't wait to get home!
:) Lucy
UPDATE 10MAR04 - Well, things are humming right along here in Yuzhno. As I said before, I really like ENL's regulatory group--we all work well together and solve lots of questions from the field. Speaking of the field, I'm heading back up north tomorrow for a few days, then I'll come back here to Yuzhno on Monday the 15th, and then I'll go HOME on Thursday the 18th of March! Sure looking forward to it!
Ron and I will arrive home on the same day--me from Russia and Ron from Prudhoe. After six weeks apart, it'll certainly be a happy and long-awaited reunion!
OK All - take good care and send me a line when you get a chance!
:) Lucy
UPDATE 19FEB04 - Hello from Russia! I did make it in safely and smoothly last week. I'm working in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the largest city on Sakhalin Island. I'm working in the ENL (ExxonmobilNeftegas Ltd) Regulatory group. The folks with whom I work are just great. Right now I'm up north at the Chayvo well site for a short, two-day visit. Wow, I'm surprised to see everything up here, there's so little snow this year! Last year we could barely keep the entry-ways open to the camps, now this year it's no big deal up here. Meanwhile, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is experiencing a heavy-snow winter (of course). It's a good thing I like snow! OK, take care to all and I'll write again soon.
:) Lucy
UPDATE 12FEB04 - Well, I've made it as far as Seoul, South Korea. I know I say this every time, but this is a really great airport! And this trip over I began flying "prestige class" and man, is there a big difference! Although I must say I've always been pleased with Korean Air. Their flight attendants are excruciatingly polite and helpful, eager, etc. So I guess the biggest difference in "prestige class" is the seats...they're like recliners at home! I slept the whole way (I know, that's nothing new!).
It sure was hard to leave home last night (atcually, it was the night of 10FEB)...I have really enjoyed being home. I still can't believe I was home for three months!
Ron and I got all our stuff turned in for our taxes, and we got all our apartments rented out, so we can breathe a sigh of relief on that front for sure. Now we'll get back to the 6 million other projects we had waiting for us!
OK, I'll close for now...going up to check out the "prestige class" lounge!
:) Lucy
UPDATE 09FEB04 - Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I updated my web site...sorry! Anyway, I've been home since mid-November. It sure doesn't feel like I've been home three months...it feels more like three weeks! It was sure nice to be home for the holidays, and Ron and I spent all our time together. We really needed it! Ron's still working two weeks on, two weeks off up in Prudhoe Bay oil field, so we only got to see each other for half of my time home.
While I was home I incorporated my environmental consulting business, and I'm heading back over to Russia. But this time I'm working for MYSELF! Yep, that's right, and I KNOW the company organization will be better than my previous employer!
I incorporated as an S Corporation: Pioneer Consulting, Inc. I'm President and CEO, and Ron's CSO and President of Operations.
OK, I've got to get busy and pack up my stuff--I'm leaving TOMORROW to return to Russia! Oh, life in the fast lane is so...hectic! The whole time I was home I was always in a hurry, so who has time for work?! LOL
'Till next time (I promise it won't be so long between updates this time)!
:) Lucy
UPDATE 06NOV03 - Hey, guess what: I'M COMING HOME! I leave here on Saturday 08NOV at 9:50am, and I arrive in ANC at 8:10am the same day! Yay! I can't wait! As I believe I mentioned earlier, my company has lost its contract for this project. All field operations will be shut down by November 20th. When I heard that, I said, "Send me home now!"
Ron's at home right now through November 13th, so we'll have a few days together before he heads up north to Prudhoe. I think we're planning to go camping in our new rig, or something fun like that. Who cares, so long as we're together?!
:) Lucy
UPDATE 21OCT03 - OK, now I've arrived in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the Anchorage-sized city on the south end of Sakhalin Island. While I was on R&R I received word I'd work here in Yuzhno, but now I'm hearing maybe I'll return up to the job site. I'll let everyone know as soon as I find out. You all know I love field work, but it's also nice to have reliable running water (even hot water!) and fresh produce! So I can handle either location. Yesterday evening after I arrived I took a walk around my hotel. It's on the outskirts of town, and there are several kilometers of nature trails around it. It was a really nice evening, and also nice to see so many friends here in the office today.
I'm not sure if I mentioned this already, but my employer (ABB Lummus Global, Inc.) has lost its contract for this project and so people are in the process of moving to other projects, other employers, etc. It's certainly interesting!
:) Lucy
UPDATE 20OCT03 - Geeze, Louise, how time flies! I'm in Seoul, South Korea on my way back to Russia. It's been really nutty since my last update! I was home in August for 10 days, then my sister Melissa and I went down to California for my girlfriend Susan's wedding (it was so great to be there for Susan's wedding and also to have fun with Melissa!). Then I spent two days in Seattle with my friends Marnie and Dennis Hopkins while I was getting my Russian travel visa renewed, then back to Sakhalin Island for 5 weeks.
My rotation last time was short due to a court deposition for which I was required back in Alaska. Fortunately, the case was settled out of court and my deposition wasn't needed, so I got a nice 2.75-week R&R! Ron and I had just over two weeks together, and we spent almost every minute together enjoying Alaska and each other. We do have one piece of big news--while I was home I bought a new rig...a Ford EXCURSION! Yeah, I know, a significant departure from my prior Toyota loyalty, but we drove the Toyota Sequoia and were disappointed in the creature comforts. And our Excursion is a 6.0 liter, V-8 Powerstroke diesel, so we get better fuel economy than the Toyota Sequoia or even my Toyota pickup! So Toyota has some work to do to regain my loyalty...in creature comforts, fuel economy, or something! Ron and I took a drive up to Glenallen to visit our friends the Falkners to break in our rig. It was a nice trip! We found about 1,000 ways to be comfortable with those power-adjustable seats!
OK, everyone take care and I promise to update more frequently!
:) Lucy
UPDATE 11JUL03 - Hello and warm greetings to all! Again today I only have a second to update the photo links to the right, but I wanted to get these pictures posted to the site. Check them out! You'll see the weather and terrain are very similar to AK. :) Lucy
UPDATE 04JUL03 - HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! I only have time to update one of the links to the right tonight. I've created a new photo page with job pictures. Check it out! :) Lucy
UPDATE 30JUN03 - Gosh, I've been here just over a week now, and it seems like I should only have a couple of weeks before I go home. Bummer, I still have over 6 weeks left! Here on our job site we've cleared quite a lot of land for construction. When the wind blows it kicks up so much sand we can barely see! When I came to Sakhalin Island, I never thought it would be like living in the desert! I remember a project in southwest Alaska (Dutch Harbor, for those of you in the know) where we would/could never leave our apartment windows open during the day, because inevitably it would get really windy and rainy and you'd come home to a cold, wet apartment. Well, it's similar to that here--never leave your window open while you're gone!
I'm living in our 100-person pioneer camp (Atco trailers, built by Arctic Camps of Alaska, for those of those in the know). Yesterday, since it was Sunday, I left the office early for my big day. I wash my hair every Sunday whether I need it or not! So anyway, I left the office early in hopes of getting some hot water in the shower. I turned on the water and was treated to a nice, warm shower for ONE MINUTE! Then it got cool for about 2-3 minutes, and then FREEZING COLD for the final fast and furious minutes of my shower. It's hard to rinse conditioner out of your hair when there are ice crystals piling up on your head! I do have a single status room, so other than sharing the bathroom, I have private accommodations. The camp is the beginnings of an 840-person camp we're building at the on-shore processing facility site.
OK, more later - I must be running out of things to talk about, if I've spent the last few paragraphs talking about my shower facilities!
:) Lucy
UPDATE 23JUN03 - OK, I made it up to the job site after a LONG train ride and a LONG day of driving to get here! It was great to see Priscilla here. She leaves me tomorrow! Bummer for me, but she's anxious to get home to Hana (her dog), and I know who's more important...Hana or me!
Today I will travel over to our on-shore processing facility construction area over on the mainland part of the island. It's a mere 4 miles as the crow flies, but we are still in the process of building a bridge across Chayvo Bay and so we must drive up north and around the Bay...approximately a 2 hour four-wheel drive trip.
Last night here in camp I showed my video from Africa - everyone was interested in seeing it, but I don't think everyone was as interested in watching all 30 minutes of giraffe footage as I was! And even the lions drew a collective snore after watching them sleep and yawn! Looks like I need to edit the video to keep only the most interesting parts!
Best wishes to all! :) Lucy
UPDATE 20JUN03 - I've made it as far as Yuzhno, the largest city on Sakhalin Island, and this evening I will take the overnight train up to Nogliki. From the train I'll take a four-wheel drive vehicle up to the job site, about four hours of driving. I'll be staying at the well site for a few days (it's out on a spit), then I'll move back over to the mainland of the island on Monday. When I left, we had just gotten internet access up at the job site, so I should still be able to update this site from there...but one never knows how it will turn out! Until next time, my best wishes to all! :) Lucy
UPDATE 19JUN03 - Hi All - we made it back to Alaska, home sweet home. And now I'm already in Seoul, South Korea on my way back to Russia! Ron's and my return trip from South Africa was smooth and much more comfortable, as we were able to get exit row seats for the flight from Johannesburg to Atlanta. We had a 10-hr layover in Atlanta, where we got a hotel room for the day and were able to get cleaned up and take a nap. Nice!
We arrived home in the wee hours of Monday morning, June 16. Our place looks so great! Thanks to Dad, Bonnie, and Josh for all your work at our place--what a joy to come home to! Thanks Mom, for your continued help with appointments, mail, business, and everything in between! Melissa, a big thanks to you too for squeezing in numerous favors amongst work, friends, family and SCHOOL! We really appreciate all the help we get to make our crazy schedules work. We couldn't do it without you all as part of our team!
Tuesday evening we had a really nice get-together at a Mexican restaurant in Wasilla. It was so nice to see everyone, if only for a couple of hours. Then later Tuesday night Ron brought me back to the airport and dumped me out! He told me not to come home until I could afford another safari! Ha ha, just kidding. This hitch will be 7.5 weeks--much better than the last hitch of 10 weeks!
Best wishes to all! :) Lucy
UPDATE 14JUN03 - Today is our last day in South Africa. On our game drive this morning we saw a herd of nearly 300 cape buffalo, a bull elephant, giraffe, and a pile of sleeping lions!
We also saw a small water hole writhing with fish. They are the "barbel" fish, actually the sharp-toothed catfish. As the water holes dry up, the fish are forced to live in more and more cramped quarters. A person could literally walk across the water hole on the backs of these fish! Apparently as the water hole dries up to nothing, they burrow themselves in the mud underneath, up to one meter deep. Then when the rains come and the water hole fills, they come up out of the mud! The locals say their meat tastes like mud too, not surprising.
On last night's game drive, I was treated to a close encounter with a camileon (sp?). It was so great! Our tracker spotted him in a tree at night, and I got to hold him and have him climb up my arm. It was really fun--he was so cute!
Also yesterday our game truck was false-charged by a white rhino! I've got it on video! In fact, I have quite a lot of our trip on video, as I have FIVE HOURS of video footage! Actually, lots of it probably needs to be edited out, but it'll be fun to watch it all again anyway.
Although we have loved our time here in South Africa, beginning our journey home is also a relief for Ron and me. We decided we're tired of relaxing! I know it sounds crazy, but neither of us has ever been on vacation for a month before! We've been so spoiled on this trip we won't know what to do with ourselves when we get home!
:) Lucy
UPDATE 13JUN03 - Wow, we've transfered up to the Kruger National Park area, and it's just fantastic. We stayed at a private game reserve adjacent to Kruger (no fences) called Leopard Hills. WOW! It was so awesome! Each room is a luxury chalet (thatched roof construction). The lodge is on a hill overlooking a waterhole, which affords fantastic game viewing right from the dining deck. Our room (chalet) was so great! We had our own private deck, private pool, and my favorite: an INDOOR/OUTDOOR SHOWER (yes, I had the good company of lizards during my outdoor showers)! The bed is fully enclosed in mosquito netting, and the whole side of the chalet is glass to allow game viewing from bed! There are no fences to keep out the wildlife...one night we saw an elephant just outside our room. A few weeks back, one of the guests had an elephant drinking from her private pool, and spraying the windows with water! We wished and wished for that ourselves, but we had to settle for...a FIVE LEOPARD SITING! We've been told it's incredibly unusual, and we're really lucky to have seen them. What made the scene even more exciting is that the leopards had a bushbuck kill up in a tree, and two hyena were impatiently waiting under the tree for some scraps to drop to the ground for them! It was really great.
Also during our stay at Leopard Hills we saw a herd of about 80 elephants, beautiful lion, cheetah, and FANTASTIC weather! It's about 75-80 Fahrenheit, 25-30 Celcius up in this area. So nice! I've been getting some sun during the mid-days.
On Thursday we transfered from Leopard Hills via small bush airplane to a lodge called King's Camp, also adjacent to Kruger National Park. When we took off from Leopard Hills' bush air strip, my favorite animal friend came to see us off: a baby giraffe!
Our rooms here at King's Camp are also thatched-roof style chalets, and very nice (there's also an indoor/outdoor shower, my new standard for accommodation reviews). The food at ALL the places we've stayed has been...decadent. We've been trying not to overeat, but it's so hard to resist!
On Thursday as we were picked up from the bush air strip, we saw our first cape buffalo. We hadn't even been here five minutes yet! That was great. We had just 30 seconds before told our guide that we hadn't yet seen any buffalo, and we'd sure like to see one. And then today about noon, there was another one just outside of our room!
At all the lodges adjacent to Kruger (again, no fences), we have to be escorted to our rooms after dark. So when we come to dinner, and back to our rooms after dinner, etc. we have to call up to reception in the main building and have a night watchman (armed with a mighty flashlight!) come and escort us!
Before we came up to the Kruger area we turned in our rental car and flew up here from Port Elizabeth. Ron and I were both relieved to bring the rental car chapter of our trip to a successful and uneventful close! One cute comment heard in our car on the last day, after we'd successfully maneuvered our first major interchange in Port Elizabeth was the following: "Hey, we did it--first time!" I got a big laugh out of that...especially remembering trying to make our way around Port Elizabeth the first couple of times.
We are both relieved and reluctant to be leaving South Africa. Both of us are anxious to be getting back to work, but on the other hand we just love it down here and have even considered buying property down here. The people are so friendly, the pace of life so enjoyable!
Good wishes to all! :) Lucy
UPDATE 09JUN03 - WE GOT TO RIDE ELEPHANTS! It was so awesome! Believe me, Ron did NOT have to pedal his elephant like the time we went horseback riding! We also visited a primate sanctuary, and saw some primates I had never even heard of before. The weather has been pretty rainy and cool here in the Tsitsikamma area. Neither Ron nor I ever expected to come to Africa and find mud puddles, pouring rain, and lush, green vegetation! I'm convinced a person could grow any crop imaginable here. Right now it's winter here, and I see the same garden crops we grow in Alaska's summertime. I see the same AK summer flowers too--astilbe, petunia, foxglove, chrysanthemum, spirea, etc. I also saw a poinsettia bush, growing outside! It was about 12 feet tall and just full of blooms. And they grow and export ferns for the world-wide floral industry here too. Yesterday Ron and I went for a nice walk along ancient ELEPHANT trails! It was so cool to imagine the elephants still here. One funny thing happened (well, actually two funny things). The former elephant trail is sort of a trough, about 1-2 feet deep at its deepest points. And over the years of no use, it has become partly filled in with leaves, sticks, etc. As Ron and I were walking on this very springy, spongy bed of leaves, etc. I realized that there are snakes in this area that hide in the wintertime. So I stepped out of the trough and said casually to Ron, "You know, one of the reasons I'm not really afraid of snakes is that I'm not used to dealing with them..." and before I had the word "SNAKES" out of my mouth, Ron had done a little dance in the trough and hopped out! He said as soon as I uttered the word, the leaves all felt like they were squirming and slithering! It was so funny to see him! The other funny thing is that is poured down rain on us...I mean poured cats and dogs! Oh well, we're always in the mood for an adventure!
By the way, I'm getting the hang of driving on the left side of the road! Ron hasn't left any fingernail marks on the dash for at least 3-4 days!
Take care to all! :) Lucy
UPDATE 04JUN03: Greetings from Port Elizabeth, South Africa! Well, we've finished up our hunting portion of our trip, and we're on to game-viewing and sight seeing. During the hunting safari, Ron bagged ELEVEN animals! He took gemsbok, mountain reed buck, springbok, zebra, black wildebeest, kudu, eland, impala, blue wildebeest, blesbok, and a WARTHOG! A guy who saw Ron's warthog just after he'd shot it said, "Hey, nice warts." I thought I would crack up!
Speaking of cracking up, you should see me driving on the left side of the road! Oh my gosh, it's so hard to remember to stay on the left side. And of course our rental car is a stick shift (which is no problem, but...) and the gear shift is on the LEFT hand side of the steering column! Bizarre! When I first started the car, collected my thoughts and took a deep breath, I first realized it was a stick shift. No problem, I can drive stick just fine ("AND remember to drive on the left side of the road?" I thought to myself). So when I started to put it into gear, I nearly rolled down my window instead (because, of course, I was accustomed to using my right hand to shift!). Funny! Now I think I've got the hang of it.
OK, anyway, on to the wildlife! Yesterday and today we went on game drives, and we saw several animals we hadn't seen yet. So far we've seen (of course, in addition to all the animals Ron's hunted above): elephant, black and white rhino, cheetah, lion, hippos, red hartebeest, a million kinds of beautiful birds, and so many wild flowers I can't even begin to know how many! I have recognized a few of them though.
Today we're heading to the tsitsikamma national park, where we'll do some hiking, and go on a tree-top canopy tour. I'm looking forward to getting more exercise then we've gotten so far...and I think we'll find it at tsitsikama!
We went horseback riding on the Sunshine Coast last week. It was so beautiful! Nice weather too. The white sand beach, and sand dunes were something we'd never seen before. Ron's legs were longer than his horse's, so he had to pedal his horse!
We head up to Kruger Park on June 10th--we're looking forward to that too!
We'll try to update again if we get the chance. Hello to everyone!
:) Lucy
UPDATE 27MAY03: Greetings from South Africa! Today Ron and I are in Grahamstown, South Africa for a day in town - to develop film, pick up a few things, etc. It's pouring rain today, and all the animals have taken cover in the bushes so we decided it's a great day to come into town. South Africa is FANTASTIC! The people are a beautiful, progressive, hard-working people. Forward-thinking on environmental issues, I might add! Anyway, we've been here a week today. DON'T ASK about our travel here! It was absolutely AWFUL! Added to my trip from Russia, I traveled every day for a week solid, and I was practically basket case by the time we actually arrived on site. Ron, poor thing, nearly broke the airplane seat just getting into it, and then was stuck for TWENTY HOURS from Atlanta to Johannesburg. It was an ordeal, to say the least. But we're here, and it's INCREDIBLE! In our first three full days on site, Ron took the following animals: gemsbok, mountain reedbuck, springbok, zebra, and black wildebeest. Then we had two days of photo safari, and yesterday Ron bagged a kudu - my favorite! The terrain is expansive...unending. Rolling hills as far as the eye can see (yes, I'm wearing my glasses!). We're staying at a place called Lalibela Reserve- that's where we're based. Some of our hunts are on other game preserves or ranches. Something we've found different is that all the property here is privately owned. It's a big change from Alaska, where less than one percent of the property is privately owned! The temperatures have been really pleasant: 70-75F (20-23C) during the day, and about 50F (10C) at night. NICE! We went to another game ranch last week, that was originally a military outpost for the British. It was built in the 1860s, and had been in this family for many generations. It was great! We'll be focused mostly on hunting until June 2, after which we'll have two weeks of sightseeing and other activities. I figured better let Ron hunt first, otherwise his mind would be on hunting the whole time! Regarding hunting...boy-it's not like hunting in Alaska! Ron and I are not accustomed to hunting where you come home to a nice room and a hot dinner every night! Speaking of a nice room, Lalibela Reserve lodge and guest rooms are thatch-roof huts. Really cool and nice. OK, I've got to go, and I'll write more if I get the opportunity. Take care to all! :) Lucy
UPDATE 17MAY03: OK - I (finally!) arrived in Anchorage yesterday on my way home from Russia, and I already satisfied my craving for Mexican food! Tomorrow Ron and I head off on our African safari huntingmoon...so lots of things still to do. I'll post updates as often as possible during our huntingmoon, but I'm not sure how often I'll be able to access the internet, seeing as how it is, after all, a safari! Hope you're all well and happy! :) Lucy
UPDATE #2 15MAY03 (USA): Wow - I've only been in the US for a couple of hours, and I've already enjoyed a veggie burger and a chai with extra whipped cream from Starbucks! I love this country! My favorite food in Russia is soup--they do great soups! But after 10 weeks with no veggie burgers, I sure had a craving. When I get home I'll be looking forward to some good Mexican food. Heck, I'll even settle for bad Mexican food! :) Lucy
UPDATE 15MAY03 (USA): Hi All - I'm in Los Angeles! Re-routed my flight so I'd arrive home a few hours earlier. With only 1.5 days at home prior to departure for Africa, a few hours makes a big difference! :) Lucy
UPDATE 15MAY03 (Russia): OK, wow, I'm really on my way now...I've arrived via overnight train to Yuzhno. I'll work a few hours in our project office here, pick up my ticket (VERY IMPORTANT!), and then I'm outa here to Seoul! It was nice to board the train in wintertime (up north) and arrive in springtime over night. :) Lucy
UPDATE 13MAY03: YIPEE! WAHOO! YAHOO! We just got internet access TODAY at our job site! It's painfully slow, but it WORKS! And even better news...yesterday I started my journey home, by moving to a camp 2 hours south of the job site (Nogliki). I'll stay there again tonight, and then tomorrow night I'll really be on my way by riding the overnight train down south to Yuzhno. Thursday I fly to Seoul, South Korea and stay the night there. Then Friday I arrive in ANC! :) Lucy
UPDATE 08MAY03: As you probably guessed, I've been without internet connection for over a month now. But the good news is I'll be coming home in one week (leave Russia 15MAY03), and heading off to Ron's and my HUNTINGMOON! To sum up how things are going over here: we received about 1 foot of new snow last night accompanied by high winds, which resulted in the roads and camp being completely snowed in...again. Meanwhile Ron said my perennials are up about 4 inches out of the ground! I can't wait to get home! :) Lucy
UPDATE 08-MAR-03: What is it with me and Sapporo, Japan?? I`m stuck here again! This time I was asked to stay to accompany a co-worker who became violently ill and needed a friendly face in the ambulance and Japanese hospital. He`s OK, but will be travelling back to the US tomorrow, and I`ll head on up to Sakhalin. Fortunately, Priscilla will accompany him back to Houston. It`s just one exciting thing after another! :) Lucy
UDATE 07-MAR-03: I`ve made it to Sapporo, Japan on my way back to Sakhalin Island. What I forgot to mention below about getting to Seoul is that I was sitting in a middle seat...next to a man who needed two seats to himself! Further, he snored so loud I thought he surely must be injuring himself! I was certainly glad to get off that plane in Seoul. And here in Sapporo the airport is great, except they allow smoking nearly everywhere. Yucky. I will have a great treat tonight--my good friend Priscilla, whom I met in Houston this summer, will arrive this evening and we`ll travel together on the Exxon charter tomorrow up to Sakhalin. Yay! I hope you`re all happy and well! :) Lucy
UPDATE 06-MAR-03: Wow, two weeks of R&R FLEW by! I'm in Seoul, South Korea on my way back to Sakhalin Island. This airport is very nice, and includes toilets with automatic seat covers! :) Lucy
UPDATE 20-FEB-03: Wow! I can't believe how fast 6 weeks can fly by! I'm already done with the hitch begun below and now I'm back home! Yay! I did develop some text to upload to this site...as soon as I can find where I filed it I'll update with it! :) Lucy
UPDATE 09-JAN-03: Hi All--I've made it to Seoul, South Korea on my way back to work after two weeks' R&R. Ron and I decided that this hitch, R&R stood for "rat race" instead of the usual rest & recuperation. I arrived home just before Christmas. It was strange to go from the job site, where every day is just that--another day, to getting plopped down in the climax of the Christmas season. It was strange! But Ron had prepared the house for me, knowing I would arrive before him. He actually touched Christmas ornaments with his BARE HANDS! What a sweetie. Just after Christmas Ron and I flew down to Arizona to visit his two younger brothers, Will and Niels. His mom Karen was also visiting them, so it was fun to get to see everyone together! We went up to Sedona for a nice day in the snow. Then on New Year's Day, Ron, Karen, Niels and I flew up to Colorado. Ron, Niels and I stayed with their dad in Las Animas. We had fun enjoying that part of the country. While we were in CO, Karen put together an open house/reception for us to visit with lots of family friends, Ron's friends, etc. It was really nice! Then on Monday, 06JAN, Ron, Niels, and I flew back down to AZ, and Ron and I made it back to AK late Tuesday night. We had one day left at home, and about a million things to do. Our time together is so short! On Thursday Ron and I both took off for work, looking forward to seeing each other again in late February. I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday season, and your new year is off to a great start! :) Lucy
UPDATE 29-NOV-02: I'm here in the Nogliki camp taking a course in Russian labor law. Interesting! Anyway, yesterday for Thanksgiving we had turkey dinner with all the usual trimmings...you know, cooked cabbage, cabbage soup, etc. Camp food Russian style. I can't wait to see what we have for Russian holidays! Hope your Thanksgivings are warm and happy! :) Lucy
UPDATE 27-NOV-02: I can't believe it--I forgot to mention the camp conditions! We have a camp at Chayvo (the well site), Piltun (a temporary camp while we get things developed at the well site), and Nogliki. The Nogliki camp is not ours...it belongs to another project. We're just leasing space in it temporarily. Nogliki is about a two-hour drive from our closest job site (the Chayvo OPF, or Onshore Processing Facility), and about 2.5 hours from Piltun. Then Piltun is about 1.5 hours from our well site at Chayvo, down a beach road along a long spit.
OK, so anyway, the came up at Piltun is somewhat...hmmm...lacking in luxuries. The rooms are four-person rooms, approximately 8x10 ft in size. There are two men's showers and two women's showers for approximately 100 people, and you have to shower at about 3-4am to get hot water. The dining room holds a maximum of 35 people if EVERY chair is taken. There are no communications at the camp save one satellite phone each in the clinic and in the camp manager's office. So anyway, you can imagine the pissing and whining about the camp conditions at Piltun. Well, let me assure you the complaining only comes from the ex-pats! By the way, we foreigners on the project are called "ex-pats," short for ex-patriots. The term is extremely unbecoming and flat out not true according to Webster's, but that's how we'referred to on these types of projects. OK, so anyway, back to the camp. The locals we have employed and housed in the Piltun camp are thrilled to be housed in such a luxurious camp! And they are so thankful to be working in an environment where their safety actually matters!
Last week we had a tremendous snow storm, depositing about 2 feet of snow with some significant drifts. We have a subcontractor drilling our water wells for the project. For three days after the snow storm, mine were the only tracks in or out of their camp, about 0.5 miles off the main project road. They had received no food, water or fuel supplies in nearly a week. They were able to contact their company by satellite phone (called "Sputnik telephone" in Russian, of course!) regarding their supplies situation. The boss replied, "I bought your supplies--they're in Nogliki." Meanwhile, the crew was in camp without a single form of transportation, and no one had brought their supplies. Let me describe their "camp."
Their living quarters are two each � train cars, approximately 7 ft wide by about 16 feet long. Inside these train cars live SEVEN employees, complete with cooking, cleaning, and sleeping areas and a wood stove for heat. Now...just because I said cleaning areas doesn't mean there's running water! There is no running water in their "camp." The boss' train car is really luxurious...he only has three people in his 7x16 ft trailer.
Our surveyor subcontractor's camp was a pole-type structure with tar paper walls and visqueen windows with a dirt floor. Hey, at least they had a wood stove, and thank goodness they finished up before it got super cold!
Speaking of cold, it's been about 10-15 below zero (Farenheit, about -25C) the last few days. It's warmed up today...a typhoon has arrived which has raised the temps to nearly 30F (-2C) and the winds to about 20pmh. I like the warmer temps (makes trips to the job-site outhouse much more enjoyable!), but the wind whips the snow in my face and it stings! :) Lucy
UPDATE 24-NOV-02: OK, I'm up at our job site again. Again, sorry for the lapse in updates. What I'll do is keep updates on my laptop computer, and then when I get the opportunity to post to the web site, they'll already be prepared and ready to go. Right now I'm staying in Nogliki, a town of about 4000-6000 people. Nogliki really has nothing to do with our project, other than there's already a camp here for another project and so we have taken up housing, communications, etc. here while we're developing our infrastructure up north. Nogliki is the northern-most town of notable size on Sakhalin Island, and as you can see I have a hot link to Nogliki's weather to the right.
Things have certainly progressed since I was last here. More dirt pushed around. More people. More projects going all at once! I need to be everywhere all the time, and as you can imagine, I'm having a hard time of it! Our project well site out on the beach is running 24-hour operations trying to get our barges offloaded before the Sea of Okhotsk becomes too dangerous to manage.
Last night I stayed up at our camp in Piltun, a small village of about 200 people. It's a 2-hr ride from Nogliki. The camp is adequate, but not as clean as the Nogliki camp, and much more crowded. I shared a room with two Russian ladies, where here in Nogliki I have my own room with a bathroom (luxury camp!). I rather enjoyed sharing the room up in Piltun, because it forces me to use my Russian.
For instance, when I came in to the room to turn in for the night, one of the ladies had the space heater plugged in to an outlet on the wall on the other side of her bed, so the cord ran over her body at about the thigh area. I asked in Russian, "Is that OK?" She replied (in Russian, of course), "Yes, I sleep with it like this every night." The language differences continue to be a source of amusement and frustration! The other day one of the environmental monitors who works for me was talking about something in English, and I just couldn't figure out what he was saying. Arctic foul? Artifact? Arctic fox? Finally, ACTIVE FAULT!
Speaking of folks who work for me, I just can't speak highly enough of the Russian nationals we work with and meet on this project. I have found the Russians to be eager, competent, incredibly resourceful, and diligent. We are fortunate to have such a skilled and motivated workforce, and we all appreciate all the new friends we're making! :) Lucy
UPDATE 19-NOV-02: Hi All - I made it to Yuzhno, the Anchorage-sized city on the southern end of Sakhalin Island. Now I'm trying to get back up to our job site up north, but poor weather has forced cancellation of the Exxon charter so I'll try to get on the overnight train. It takes about 13 hours to travel approximately 400 miles. A real speed demon! The good news is, it goes so slow that when they have accidents there are relatively few injuries. Ha ha! :) Lucy
UPDATE 14-NOV-02: Hi All - I know it's been forever since I updated this web site! When I was up at our job site on Sakhalin Island, I had no access to internet and was unable to update. Then I got to go HOME for two weeks--YAY! So now I'm in Seoul, Korea on my way back to Russia. In my defense, I must say I tried to post an update from home, but was unsuccessful! I'll write more from Sapporo, Japan later on today! :) Lucy
UPDATE 15-OCT-02: Busy, busy, BUSY! Lots of work to do...progress is tough. About one day/week the power goes out in our office building, and the backup generator is unreliable. We have lots of safety gear ordered from the US. It's here in the country, but we can't have it. It's held up in customs--all the customs employees except one guy have quit because they've not been paid! Progress is tough.
On the other hand, this is still an exciting project and I'm glad to be here! I'm still expecting to head up to the job site some time this week. I can't wait! :) Lucy
UPDATE 12-OCT-02: I've really gotten a kick out of translated text and such. Here's one of the funnier messages. Last week a new sign appeared in the women's rest room. The first day it read, "Please, do not be placing paper into the lavatory pan!" What really confused me is the sign was in the toilet room, and not where the sink is ("...and who would put paper towels in the sink anyway," I thought to myself). So after some discussion, a new sign appeared. "Please do not flash paper!" I haven't had the heart to mention it, I think it's so cute. Of course, what is intended is that we refrain from flushing toilet paper in the toilet. The toilet tissue is the texture of regular office paper, and apparently it's bad for the plumbing, which is about as sturdy as a thatch hut.
Other news: We aren't allowed to drive here--we have company drivers and we have a contract with the local cab company. I've found the food to be more satisfying than in Japan...the hotel I'm in has a nice breakfast buffet with lots of veggies. And I love borsch, the famous Russian beet soup.
Right now I'm planning to head up to the job site on Tuesday or Wednesday. The train is a 13-hour train ride overnight. It should be interesting! Once I get up there I don't think I'll have email capability, so I'll make sure to update before I leave.
I usually walk home from the office to the hotel in the evening, and you'll get a kick out of this--I pass the car wash on my way home. The car wash is the CREEK I pass along the way! Yep, people park on or near the small bridge and use buckets to haul water from the creek up to wash their car. I think it's pretty smart!
Hey, yesterday I went to lunch across the street at the university cafeteria. My whole lunch was less than 20 Rubles, which amounts to about $0.75! I was thrilled! I was bummed to find out they're not open on the weekends, otherwise I'd eat there every day! I had borsch, two pieces of bread, cabbage casserole, buckwheat, a Russian meat pie (like a pirogi, it's ground beef(?) and rice in a baked bread pocket) and juice all for less than a buck! :) Lucy
UPDATE 6-OCT-02: Hi All, well I've really made it to Sakhalin Island, off Russia's east coast. It's gorgeous here, much like BC or southeastern AK, but with breath-taking maples too. I flew in on the ExxonMobil charter flight last week. The plane's called a "Yak-40." It doesn't conjure up an air-worthy image, I know! I read the safety card, which said that in the event of emergency, toss out the emergency exit door, toss out a rope with knots, and climb out using the knots! Needless to say, I was glad to arrive, typhoon and all.
Since I've been here I've hardly been out of the hotel or the office. Yesterday for lunch I went with a couple people from the office to a market nearby. One guy got three bananas for a total of about $.15, and I got two grapefruit and two pears for about $1.50. Nice prices compared to Japan! Oh geeze, and the food in general is much more to my liking than in Japan...although at the hotel there are about 5 entries on the menu beginning with "tongue." I still haven't figured out what kind of tongue it is.
Friday night I worked late here in the office. A young Russian computer tech worked late too. We decided we'd order pizza. I told him if he'd order, I'd buy (expecting it to be $15-20). I was really looking forward to this pizza, because I still hadn't gotten my fill of "comfortable" foods! I told him to get whatever kind he wanted, that I just love pizza, and I could always pick off anything I didn't like. First, the price: the medium (US medium, Russian large) pizza, DELIVERED, was a total of $6, including the tip! What a country! That was before I figured out what was on the pizza. First, I could tell it was a pizza because it was a flat, round piece of bread with cheese on it. Well, turns out the cheese was Swiss. Ever heard of Swiss cheese on pizza? And guess what, I don't like Swiss cheese anyway! Next, there was NO tomato sauce of any kind on the pizza. There were onions, mushrooms, green bell peppers, and pineapple. An interesting combination. Most notably, the meat on the pizza was RAW BACON! Yep, that's right, raw bacon. I have lots of experience picking of undesired items off of pizzas, but this one was by far my most interesting one! So yes, I picked the raw bacon off my piece, ate my Swiss cheese pizza, and emphatically insisted the computer tech take the rest home with him! The hotel where I'm staying here in Yuzhno has a nice breakfast buffet, with lots of vegetables. And yummy Russian breads! Unfortunately for me, they also normally have a nice selection of cakes on the buffet. :) Lucy
UPDATE 10/3/02: Made it to Sakhalin--finally! Will update with details as time allows. :) Lucy
UPDATE 10/2/02 AFTERNOON: You won't believe it...or maybe you will! Our flight has been postponed or possibly cancelled due to a typhoon in the area. WHAT NEXT?! What an adventure! I'll update as soon as I know more. :) Lucy
UPDATE 10/2/02: Today I'm scheduled to fly up to Sakhalin Island on the ExxonMobil charter. I'm all packed up and ready to go. "Have visa, will travel!" I'll update from Russia to let everyone know I've made it. :) Lucy
UPDATE 10/1/02: I didn't really get out exploring out of the airport area today. In preparation for leaving tomorrow, I realize I have quite a bit to do. As you can imagine, with all my adventures of leaving early and arriving late, my bags are in a state of complete disarray, and I wanted to get my expense voucher paperwork in order before heading to Sakhalin.
I did go to the market in the airport and buy a few things and shipped them home. I bought some chocolates that apparently require refrigeration, so I had to eat them myself. Also, I bought two small bottles of Japanese wine to enclose, only to find out at the post office that I couldn't send the wine. I was forced to drink it myself! I'm glad I bought the good stuff! I've been told the reason this (expensive) market here in the airport is so popular is that it's WAY cheaper than Tokyo! I can't even imagine! These ExxonMobil guys who came through the other day said while working in the Philippines, they met lots of Japanese folks who'd fly in from Tokyo, buy all their vacation wear, golf clubs, etc. and then GIVE IT AWAY at the end of their trip because they had no storage at home in Tokyo and compared to buying stuff in Tokyo the Philippine price was paltry! Hey, I forgot to mention a funny about the guys in that story. I asked them if they were as impressed as I was by all the flowers in the airport here...had they seen all the flowers just everywhere, etc. They said they hadn't really noticed any flowers. Since I hadn't been out and about in the airport for several days I assumed the flowers were for some special occasion I just happened to see. Well, next time I went out into the airport, there they were, millions of beautiful, BRILLIANT flowers! The guys simply had not noticed them (although I don't see how!).
Oh, I can't believe I haven't talked about the Japanese people! They are such a polite, non-confrontational group. Nothing like the Mexicans Priscilla and I encountered in Puerto Vallarta last month! Although shy, I've found everyone to be really helpful...once I ask for help. And 99% of the people say no when I ask if they speak English. But their few words of English, my few words of Japanese, mixed with lots of hand gestures and me flipping through my English-Japanese dictionary has almost always resulted in success...it just takes a LOT longer than at home. Our languages are so different in pronunciation that most people find it helpful to write down what we're trying to say.
Hey, I've got that second small bottle of wine to finish, and lots of packing to do! :) Lucy
UPDATE 9/30/02 evening: I took the train up to Otaru today, after getting a leisurely start this morning. I forgot to mention this previously: eating breakfast here at the hotel (buffet) has become increasingly important to me, as I have come to understand this will be the only meal of the day I will know what I'm getting! Yesterday prior to boarding the train I stopped at a bakery here in the airport and got two pastries, one with what looked like cheese and onions, and the other was a big bun with what looked like raisins baked in. I love raisins, so I picked the one with the most raisins visible. Later on the train, I was glad I had gotten smart enough to buy food at a bakery (and avoid restaurants pretty much altogether) to bring with me on my trips. I expectantly bit into the raisin bun, only to find out the brown chunks were DATES! I hate dates! Wouldn't you know it, but I like dates a whole lot better than seafood, so I ate the date bun. Today prior to boarding the train I got another one of the cheese and onion pastries and a sweet-roll thing kind of like a cinnamon roll but with a blue jelly swirled in instead of cinnamon. It was OK, but tomorrow I think I'll just get two of the cheese and onion pastries!
Anyway, I went up to Otaru today, to the aquarium. It's built right on the Sea of Japan, and many of the larger animals` pens are built right into the sea. I've never seen a walrus show before! They also had a penguin, sea lion, seal, and dolphin shows. And lots of critters in aquariums indoors.
I want you all to know I feel right at home in the Japanese countryside, because there are lots of old buildings with blazo can roofing and siding shingles. And, that most ubiquitous of building materials, the BLUE TARP! They are absolutely everywhere.
I meant to describe the hotel rooms here...at least these in the airport hotel. They're tiny! Certainly adequate, but much like a dorm room. And everything is short! I know Ron wouldn't be able to stand up in the shower...I only have about 6-8 inches of clearance myself. And the room comes with a pair of slippers to be worn and left in the room. And of course, it comes with a kimono-like housecoat with tie belt.
TRAVEL STATUS: I received my valid Russian travel visa today, and I am scheduled to fly out on Wednesday on the ExxonMobil charter.
UPDATE 9/30/02: I had a GREAT day yesterday! Having no clue where to go or what to do, I resorted to checking out the INFORMATION DESK in the airport. Novel idea, I know. The very nice young woman at the info desk recommended, instead of going to Otaru as I was inquiring about, that I go to Noboribetsu, an Alps-like spa resort town instead. I had read about it in one of the pamphlets I'd previously received, and who was I to argue? So I took the train to Noboribetsu. Check out the link to Noboribetsu on the right (I REMOVED THIS LINK SO I COULD POST MORE PERTINENT ONES...SORRY). I went out on the exact walkway shown in the picture! I also walked all the way up the hill to the crater lake (in my braided leather shoes, of course, which were a slight improvement over my patent leathers of 25 years ago).
Speaking of braided leather shoes, I keep forgetting to comment on how nicely everyone (especially women) dress, even for casual stuff like visiting an outdoor national park on a rainy day. I felt overdressed because I was wearing shoes instead of my hiking boots. There were women out there in high (I mean really high!) heeled shoes, cashmere sweaters, and EVERYONE has Louis-Vitton (sp?) baggage such as purse, large purse, men's purse, cell phone case, etc. And this stuff is outrageously expensive! You'd think, at the very least, it wouldn't be worn or taken to the park, on rainy days.
Anyway, I collected a couple of leaf specimens...I couldn't resist! A special kind of oak tree grows there, in Shikotsu-Toya National Park. I thought it was alder at first, with its serrated-edge leaves. Then I noticed acorns dangling from it! I also couldn't help but collect a leaf from a tall shrub/small tree that resembles our elderberry bush. These bushes/trees were the most incredible red I can even imagine. Backed against deep greens, the grey clouds of the day, and the drab unvegetated areas of the former volcanic eruption, they painted a breath-taking scene. Yes, of course it was raining! The only sunny days since I've been here were the days I didn't venture from the airport area! But the misty rain was really enjoyable during my visit to the outdoor hot springs in Noboribetsu. The resorts in Noboribetsu have the hot springs water piped in to their resorts for both indoor and outdoor spas. The routine is the same as the previous day's, where you SCRUB prior to entering the spa. This one was HUGE compared to the one I went to a couple of days ago, and lots more people (it was a weekend, too), and this one had outdoor pools. After going to spas for two days, I am really envious of the Japanese women! They are so slim and lean! On the other hand, I walked away feeling tall and voluptuous.
Hey, a couple of things I've forgotten to mention. One thing that cracks me up every time I go to the train station here at the airport: on the table where the full book of railway schedules is kept, there are a pair of reading glasses for general use, tied to the table with fishing line. It's so cute!
And another thing - I experienced my first Japanese earthquake here on Friday. It felt just like our Alaskan earthquakes.
OK, I've added another web site link to the right (I REMOVED TO MAKE ROOM FOR PROJECT LINKS), it's the New Chitose Airport web cam site. Check it out; the lower picture is the same view I see from my hotel room (my hotel is right here in the airport--it's SO convenient!). Also, when you get to that site, check out another web cam, "JR Sapporo Station." That's the train station in Sapporo (JR stands for Japan Rail), and I've been right where that picture's taken!
OK, MY TRAVEL STATUS: the news I set up this site for! My multi-entry Russian travel visa is supposed to arrive here today via DHL, and the next charter up to Yuzhno is Wednesday, Oct 2. So I'll have had a full week here before I get to Russia.
I'll keep you posted on today's activities! :) Lucy
UPDATE 9/28/02: I can't believe I forgot to talk about the TOILETS! There are basically two styles, Japanese style and "Western" style. The Japanese style is kind of like a urinal, except it's flush with the ground, I assume you squat over it, similar to going pee in the woods. I'm just not sure if I was facing the right direction or not. I think I was, because there was a small sign (in Japanese, of course) right in front of my face when I was crouched facing the flushing end (deep end). The "Western" style resembles a cross between an American toilet and an easy-chair recliner! It has arm rests (who knows, maybe I have it all wrong?) with electronic controls of the bidet system. So far, I have not tried the bidet system...how do you dry off after getting all wet? With toilet paper or what? Maybe some of those electronic controls are for a booty-drier.
Anyway, in Hakodate today I went to a Japanese indoor spa ("onsen"). Now, when you go to the spa, you scrub-a-dub, and I mean SCRUB! Before getting in the hot water pool, you soap up and clean your entire body. Then you scrub all over again with a wash cloth, really scrubbing! Then, unless you are a nit-wit American lacking the proper accessories, you loofah yourself all over. And over, and over! Once you are clean and red-skinned, you get in the hot water pool, then the cold, then hot, then sauna, hot, cold, hot, sauna, etc. Then you get dressed and leave. By the way, I did not see any women there shaving during this routine.
I was surprised to see NO other Westerners today. That's right...not ONE! In one small store, I had little kids following me, giggling at seeing an American in their neighborhood store! I checked, I didn't have toilet paper hanging out of my pants.
So after taking the train to Hakodate and then getting on a "street train" (like a bus on the streets, but runs on tracks) to the station indicated by the information agent, I had quite an experience finding the onsen. Turns out, the identifier on my map (in Japanese, of course) that I was pointing to and asking for directions for, actually indicated an area, such as "mid-town" or something like that. Not the name of the hotel with the onsen, as I thought. Finally, through the highly refined art of hand gestures, I was informed this IS (whatever the name of the area was). Ah! When I turned over my map and pointed to the hotel name, the very nice lady walked me out of her shop and pointed right to the hotel. Finally! The hotel onsen attendant was very helpful...she took me through the spa and showed me what was for what. You sit on these little footstools while you SCRUB yourself...these pans are for dousing yourself with the hot/cold water before getting in...etc.
Regarding restaurants today: I WISH I LIKED SEAFOOD! I was so hungry at one point I ended up going into a movie theater and got a small bag of popcorn and a diet soda till I could find a bakery, where I got quiche. I know, it's almost like going to the McDonald's or KFC (both of which can be found in the city centers)...but not quite as bad!
It ended up pouring rain and driving wind, so I took an earlier train back than I had planned. I'm really glad because I got home at about 8:30pm, which is long enough after being outside in the driving rain, walking around outside!
Not sure yet what I'll do tomorrow, but I notice things don't really up and running at any of the destinations until 10-11 am, so there's no need for me to head out as early as I have been. My unlimited use rail pass is good through tomorrow, so I'll probably go somewhere by train.
Until next time! Oh, I forgot to mention the hydrangeas...they grow everywhere here, and although they're mostly spent at this time of year, they're still pretty. Cosmos grows really well here too. And their "state" flower is Lilly of the Valley. :) Lucy
UPDATE 9/27/02: Today was my first day of big adventure...I took the Japanese fast train to Sapporo. I even took the subway in town and went to the zoo. After having been to the San Diego Zoo, all others pale in comparison and this one was particularly disappointing...it really looked like an animal jail. But I got a kick out of the scores of kids there on school trips. The school kids wear uniforms, and they're just adorable. I have learned another thing about Japanese restaurants. EVERY Japanese restaurant is a seafood restaurant! Today I had breakfast here at the hotel (buffet, you know) and I got lunch at an up-ity hotel in downtown Sapporo that had a European-style bakery. I had salmon in cream sauce with potatoes and onions, all on top of a piece of bread. I got it to go and ate in Odori Park...a beautiful park! There are flowers everywhere, many of the same ones we have in AK--marigold, foxglove, nasturtium, salvia, and I can't remember what else...I was going to write some down! The trees are beautiful too...hemlock, cedar, many different maples, mtn. ash, a couple of varieties of pine, etc. In fact, it was really fun to walk to the zoo from the subway line--I went through a big park with a gorgeous boardwalk trail through the forest.
Perhaps more interesting than the zoo today was shopping. I'm not looking for anything, I just want to see the scene...so I went in this large dept store which was apparently undergoing an enormous sale. Did I mention the prices are outrageous? I found some fancy flip-flops (I doubt that's how they're referred to here) for approximately $280, and a designer matching flip-flops and purse set for $3,000! What's noticeable to me is that in all the thousands of people I encountered today, I only saw TWO other westerners besides myself. I figured there'd be a few more foreigners. At the zoo the school kids were even staring at me! With charming curiosity, of course. While watching the lions I moved over so the little kids could get a better look. Their teacher lost no opportunity to have them speak to me in English, to say "Thank you very much." It was so cute, and in fact those 5-year-olds had the best English I've heard since I've been here. I wanted to hire the whole class as tour guides. Imagine all the fun stuff I'd get to see and do!
More tomorrow, I'm going down south to Hakodate. It's a 3-hr train ride each way, so I'm leaving early in the morning.
Hope this note brings all of you a little cheer...I know you would all crack up if you could see me trying to negotiate the public transit, laundry here at the hotel, ordering food, etc. Let's just say I have a new appreciation for the family dog who's trying to convince the owner of something in particular. I look a lot like that! :) Lucy
UPDATE 9/26/02: I'm stuck in Sapporo, Japan while my multiple-entry Russian travel visa gets sent DHL to me! I was inadvertently issued my expired, one-time visa for this trip. Fortunately, it was discovered here in Sapporo and not in Russia! Apparently I have a long weekend here, Thursday-Tuesday of next week to check out Sapporo, then on to Yuzhno as soon as my correct visa arrives.
So far, I've only seen the Sapporo airport area, which is far-removed from any other town. The airport is beautiful--flowers EVERYWHERE! And there's this shopping center here in the airport where a person can buy just about anything imaginable, including cantaloupe for $30. It's pretty expensive here, but the cantaloupe is really interesting. The locals have cantaloupe everything...jelly, cake, jello, cheesecake, chocolate, etc. I'm anxious to check prices elsewhere as compared to here...because people seem to really be shopping here, complete with grocery lists, unlike American airports, where stuff is too expensive except for a few convenience items.
One of my favorite observations is that it's really clean here. My least favorite is that lots of people smoke...anywhere! I'm hoping to get out and about today, and will have more adventures to report later.
So far, my adventures have been confined to trying to order something palatable to eat. I love the buffets, because I can see what I'm putting on my plate. Ordering off the menu is much trickier! Yesterday afternoon I actually had to send something back. I ordered "spaghetti," thinking I would be familiar with the dish they brought out. WRONG! It was some kind of icky, grody seafood thing with spaghetti noodles. I couldn't even try it (I don't eat seafood). So I finally communicated that I didn't want any meat, and was brought a plate of plain spaghetti noodles saut�ed with onions and mushrooms. Since I don't like mushrooms, I was glad to pick them off and eat the plain noodles with soy sauce!
More later...send me an email to let me know what YOU'RE up to!
UPDATE 9/26/02 EVENING: Well, I didn't do as much exploring as I had planned, because by the time I got out of the airport it was nearly lunchtime...still settling issues like availability here at the hotel, etc. But I DID purchase a 3-day rail pass starting tomorrow. They don't give those things away ($160 for the 3-day pass)! That's another reason I decided to wait until tomorrow to really get out...so I can make full use of the day.
I'm heading into Sapporo tomorrow, taking the first train in the morning and the last one back tomorrow night. Not sure what I'll do yet, I notice there;s a zoo, which I love, and there are hot springs spas, which I also love!
I did get out and about around the airport property this afternoon. On my walk I was pleasantly surprised at how many plants I could identify. Mostly I know the weeds! I noted they battle dandelions here too. The airport is new (I think I mentioned that already?) and is experiencing limited success with their landscaping. A near total loss on the Douglas fir plantings, and not much better showing from the white spruce. The mountain ash, of course, are looking healthy and beautiful with fall colors.
I have really come to appreciate the plastic food restaurants display in front of the restaurant. The plastic food is like the pictures on our boxes of food...they make it look as good as possible. So the take home lesson is that if nothing looks good in the window of plastic food, nothing will look good when it arrives on your plate!
The weather has been sunny and beautiful every day so far. Hopefully my adventures outside the airport area will be met with similarly cooperative weather.
Yesterday and today I've made the mistake of taking a nap at about 4pm. Yesterday I woke up at 8:30pm, and today I set the alarm to get up at 6pm so I can get on a more normal schedule in preparation for my trip tomorrow. Those of you who have traveled with me know I'll be asleep on the train anyway...I should just plan on it.
Saturday I'm going into Hakodate, a 3-hour train ride each way. Adventure on the high seas! I'll be looking for interesting things to see/do down there too.
Well, my Japanese vocabulary expanded by about 100% today, when I learned to say, "Ki nn, E nn" for "non-smoking." I carry a piece of paper with my key phrases...which looks a lot better than my fake-smoking and then making a face accompanied by "NO." You get the picture...I look pretty ridiculous! Thank goodness for internationally recognized hand motions, facial expressions, and general human nature!
More tomorrow! :) Lucy
