Lasīt tālāk
09.Sep
6TH LETTER FROM MĀRIS OLTE
04 Sep
- 2008 -
Author
Māris Olte
Here Maris Olte, your right hand. This morning during the light rain we took down our camp and already around noon we arrived at the village named Grayling. By the river bank we saw cases from the boats, rain was soaking cardboard boxes, but our mission was to find school. We werelooking for a library in the school and here I am, first from the team, writing my memories on the twenty-sixth day on the river (still eighteen days left to go). People here are friendly and willing to help how they can, even offering some local weed.
This wild plant for locals does much better job than United Nations officers in every village would. Drunk native americans are agressive and frustrated, but after smoking pot they sit by the campfire and wonder how beautiful it is that colourful canoes are passing by the river and cosy and warm campfires are set up in the evening for people to sit and have a good talk to each other.
It is smart to spend the night outside the villages and just in the morning visit it, when everything is open and all anxious inhabitants are still sleeping. If you stay overnight in village you will find out that quad bikes are buzzing around tents and you feel yourself like an exhibit at a modern art gallery. Everyone wants to set eyes on us but you never know what they think of us – it is a mystery. At the moment we have arrived at a small village and it is 525 km to the Bering sea. So close yet so far. Team is reasoning how to get through tidal changes and how to survive strong winds. We are ready to overcome what Jukona will arrange for us.
We were experiencing two really fabulous indian summer days on the river. Sun is shining and in complete stillness surrounding landscape is coloured in autumn tones. Temperature is around 17 degrees after celsius – idyl, that is a bit spoiled by the flies. Most of midge generation are slowly drowning in the river, but some of them know how to come and bite. On both my arms (wait I will count) are ten itchy bitten spots and it is a real challenge not to scratch them.
One week autumn on the river has not started yet. Even on a such wide territory everything happens simultaneously and while we are traveling towards South, autumn is on the same wave as we. Soon after 100 km river will make its last turn on the way to the sea and then we will go towards North.
And now about one of our biggest fright. Nice was our meeting with shiny eyes during last night. Long story short, someone around midnight started to reorganise our stuff. It is known that the only wild creature that loves human food is bear. I do not understand why, but locals say that brown bear should not be shot when foundt eating human food, but when the black bear has it on his mind it will not back up so it must be shot. But we were sitting in the tent and heard that 30 metres from firedamp someone is making noises around our belongings!! Then Janis took his rifle and went to scare invader away. When he pointed flashlight towards where noise came from, he saw eyes. Animal did not seem very big, but anyway Janis did some shooting. I do not know where that bear disappeared, but we found dead fox Reynard. Rest in peace his lurking spirit.
Today we finished fried fish stocks. I am pleased to say that we did some fishing. There are plenty fish in these waters and it is easy to catch them. Our favorite was salmon, especially Coho salmon, team loved Coho salmon spawn. On the second place I would put fried chum salmon, but third – the only predator whitefish Shefish. I have fulfilled my dream to catch it. Now I have to work on the size of the trophy.
Andis caught his first salmon too. And during the next day Janis caught fair fish to. Many were released back. Nowhere else it is as possible to enjoy nature and experience its power as in small rivers where only few people have ever been.
