tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90858431586227821032024-03-14T16:01:32.158+08:00Wellesley-Байкал 2016Fieldwork for Wellesley College's Russian Area Studies/Environmental Studies 212 course, Summer 2016Wellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-30727480589077202892016-08-20T18:42:00.000+08:002016-08-20T18:43:00.900+08:00The adventure comes to a close<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimRkTv0iO6hIyvvLMRxa6_sm4zoySocuJUY-jra_D3rAWb7DiCmHXDEBqdX0XppHye70GI_DLMDUf6Jqd1LnpEHHx3B3Vrf34b8ngDIb2_QlJDhuMT-L2FCTfgfJ7StjImHoU1NZNYnSi/s1600/2016-08-14+17.42.13a-780902.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimRkTv0iO6hIyvvLMRxa6_sm4zoySocuJUY-jra_D3rAWb7DiCmHXDEBqdX0XppHye70GI_DLMDUf6Jqd1LnpEHHx3B3Vrf34b8ngDIb2_QlJDhuMT-L2FCTfgfJ7StjImHoU1NZNYnSi/s320/2016-08-14+17.42.13a-780902.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6320859482386714434" /></a></p><div dir="ltr">Yesterday evening at around 8:30, the entire Baikal team emerged from Customs at Logan airport and met up with family and friends, or continued to their final destinations. That concludes the 2016 Baikal course. Sincere thanks and best wishes to all the participants and to everyone who supported them on their adventure!<div>Tom<div><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><blockquote style="margin-right:0px" dir="ltr"><blockquote style="margin-right:0px" dir="ltr"><div><span style="font-size:12.8000001907349px"></span></div></blockquote></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div> </div></div> Wellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-24801045767584876492016-08-20T07:22:00.001+08:002016-08-20T07:22:24.653+08:00Landed safely at Logan Airport<p dir="ltr">We're in Boston, slowly approaching our gate.<br> Tom</p> Wellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-25288573267172969122016-08-19T23:06:00.001+08:002016-08-19T23:06:01.277+08:00Boarding final flight!We made it to Frankfurt fine and will board our Boston-bound flight in a minute. Should arrive at Logan around 8:00 pm.<div>Tom<span></span></div> Wellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-82792604353528056432016-08-19T18:09:00.001+08:002016-08-19T18:09:31.359+08:00Junk-food snacking on way out of Russia!<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUC_0uBU_YSmLbVGxPHG5CfF4BFHB2Gs0Lum-AfYwflyFadOX2phlmURgtmM_hJqP85GCfema-lUWqhRWs-HKHEhCLqqrTPEzOHHM3M-vcGS5X8W0c4Nx7cmWdT1JV6jc5hTEJvJA2pT6/s1600/20160819_130633-771360.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUC_0uBU_YSmLbVGxPHG5CfF4BFHB2Gs0Lum-AfYwflyFadOX2phlmURgtmM_hJqP85GCfema-lUWqhRWs-HKHEhCLqqrTPEzOHHM3M-vcGS5X8W0c4Nx7cmWdT1JV6jc5hTEJvJA2pT6/s320/20160819_130633-771360.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6320479761503949234" /></a></p> Wellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-86155510360486564522016-08-19T17:19:00.001+08:002016-08-19T17:19:03.830+08:00About to leave Moscow!<p dir="ltr">Flight from Irkutsk went great. We're about to go through security before we board our Moscow-Frankfurt flight, Lufthansa 1445. Everything's going fine and all are healthy and happy. Fingers crossed for no delays!<br> Tom</p> Wellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-64369782261296288662016-08-19T17:11:00.001+08:002016-08-19T17:11:07.043+08:00Made our Moscow flight just fine<p dir="ltr">Everyone's aboard our Moscow-bound flight out of Irkutsk. Next stop: Domodedovo Airport. So far, so good.<br> Tom</p> Wellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-31935081199289565572016-08-18T22:28:00.001+08:002016-08-18T22:28:42.095+08:00Sunset in Irkutsk...<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_HhtWENKwZNtxgZYV9WHsVZ5rLsWu9LldWvUQTOj9_6qC4udpRgPwdPMJEnW-FhRxXrATSA4F71or0m5o6MFAROMAMSJNpcaESsWwEl9PK-xsR3qDmkllDZPUMr3gR0OQU3JYptIdYm0W/s1600/2016-08-17+20.09.49a-722096.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_HhtWENKwZNtxgZYV9WHsVZ5rLsWu9LldWvUQTOj9_6qC4udpRgPwdPMJEnW-FhRxXrATSA4F71or0m5o6MFAROMAMSJNpcaESsWwEl9PK-xsR3qDmkllDZPUMr3gR0OQU3JYptIdYm0W/s320/2016-08-17+20.09.49a-722096.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6320175470511192658" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIddzibXaatktkPSUwdFVxmLlfFF74RqzaLWJv0RJ_liNOKTmg5EV4sMX_-95EHccrSpQ7juQIlgT4ny4KJtRFW_IFMohu9IkAZ0QelibuOGHGEOy6Y8eUdk7Lg_jLUXD0-pl28e3fGg-/s1600/2016-08-18+21.17.00a-723196.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIddzibXaatktkPSUwdFVxmLlfFF74RqzaLWJv0RJ_liNOKTmg5EV4sMX_-95EHccrSpQ7juQIlgT4ny4KJtRFW_IFMohu9IkAZ0QelibuOGHGEOy6Y8eUdk7Lg_jLUXD0-pl28e3fGg-/s320/2016-08-18+21.17.00a-723196.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6320175471386793906" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX56q9Pu8xiDd6hX1xRoj-l_pRng6sWv38r8LXUzEyHlRwaQ6FjB1_qLiwKusnaCLbdycaRgMXRy8oD_XGPz_UkpxZdOZ34bIuLNDgtcVDN_PZYBx8cs2-RrUue4BM6m8vOr0bHIt0Hoah/s1600/2016-08-18+21.39.38a-723797.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX56q9Pu8xiDd6hX1xRoj-l_pRng6sWv38r8LXUzEyHlRwaQ6FjB1_qLiwKusnaCLbdycaRgMXRy8oD_XGPz_UkpxZdOZ34bIuLNDgtcVDN_PZYBx8cs2-RrUue4BM6m8vOr0bHIt0Hoah/s320/2016-08-18+21.39.38a-723797.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6320175477906141954" /></a></p><div dir="ltr">Today we said a fond farewell to the beautiful city of Irkutsk. It was a day of shopping, strolling, and leave-taking. After our farewell dinner, students and instructors celebrated at the Bochka Tavern in the city center. Helena handed out "Most Likely to..." awards to all participants, and the translators (Kolya, Dima, and special guest Vitya) gave special Buryat gifts to all of us. Tomorrow we leave our hotel at 7:00 a.m. for the airport. We'll do our best to update the blog as we progress westward on a very long Friday!<div>Tom Hodge</div></div> Wellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-9489438973298910912016-08-17T20:21:00.000+08:002016-08-17T20:22:07.883+08:00Bye-kal<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpz1Z1XkhmJ-QKhiTS4XiT7wlj-6kSowiCmqYs3EDYxKAMKCRUyh5p4PFz2j6tsKYUcSz0kHoDixSIRMSpq1hlilQq5Y_dyNh_3G8AQ2e_lu2u-Gl9xcEzApfd6Kyjtn1n4Zf7LmZZZK77/s1600/20160817_090033a-727883.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpz1Z1XkhmJ-QKhiTS4XiT7wlj-6kSowiCmqYs3EDYxKAMKCRUyh5p4PFz2j6tsKYUcSz0kHoDixSIRMSpq1hlilQq5Y_dyNh_3G8AQ2e_lu2u-Gl9xcEzApfd6Kyjtn1n4Zf7LmZZZK77/s320/20160817_090033a-727883.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6319771766086373362" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOWmqee02umQ3QiBX5mOJxK41zUouxnfpROE32hOwY15-4tg-27ZELhOL8Yjlp7olfOr1iusiz0X4pnX98WQsXLL_mAV6xZBvioNZW-l8Y8aO3hs4hZg0X8Kr9l5ctnIWnvY40iBUMvc0/s1600/DSCN1242a-728989.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOWmqee02umQ3QiBX5mOJxK41zUouxnfpROE32hOwY15-4tg-27ZELhOL8Yjlp7olfOr1iusiz0X4pnX98WQsXLL_mAV6xZBvioNZW-l8Y8aO3hs4hZg0X8Kr9l5ctnIWnvY40iBUMvc0/s320/DSCN1242a-728989.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6319771773210090338" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RNNZha6VE6064t-vyqSB2JsOqF69UnFR_De3danusUhgaRSlFFNC8KpDAQpMbIB5d3Bl2FFefAsFnYAU8NPc_wZyQjBp65xWQJ26XMy_ofQb1JnJtNywHtib5kVW0uOt8eOOKD88uNTV/s1600/DSCN1250a-729759.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RNNZha6VE6064t-vyqSB2JsOqF69UnFR_De3danusUhgaRSlFFNC8KpDAQpMbIB5d3Bl2FFefAsFnYAU8NPc_wZyQjBp65xWQJ26XMy_ofQb1JnJtNywHtib5kVW0uOt8eOOKD88uNTV/s320/DSCN1250a-729759.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6319771770385253762" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxHUUDaM6EUsMjDj-SjLbNpm2ign6ZkesynkV5KYq5w-ZUsDGjDuPFavx8D1DBQoJmhHoKR2cbIrOPZ-wynhbgLEpjdlnVKSdBvcoR1qc3iJ70-gumQj5Y2qsMGZUKcA4Frvq-s-91fJS/s1600/DSCN1272a-730469.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxHUUDaM6EUsMjDj-SjLbNpm2ign6ZkesynkV5KYq5w-ZUsDGjDuPFavx8D1DBQoJmhHoKR2cbIrOPZ-wynhbgLEpjdlnVKSdBvcoR1qc3iJ70-gumQj5Y2qsMGZUKcA4Frvq-s-91fJS/s320/DSCN1272a-730469.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6319771777630226418" /></a></p><div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal">Our last morning at the Bol'shie Koty biostation was rainy -- the perfect weather for angsty last walks on the beach. The sun came out in time for us to say goodbye to beloved biostation staff and the captain and mate of the <i>Kozhov</i> before we boarded the hydrofoil for Listvyanka. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">We were especially sad to leave Olga, our cleaning lady, who we at first just knew as "Super Nice Lady," until she became our mom in Bol'shie Koty. Olga always made sure we sat on cloths instead of the cold ground, scolded us for our messes, told us to hang garlic in our living room to keep away evil spirits, and gave us endless nicknames (little dogs, raspberries, baby goats…) </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Our next stop was Tal'tsy, where we visited the Museum of Wooden Architecture. We toured various traditional Siberian houses, which had been relocated and preserved from areas flooded by the construction of the Bratsk Dam and other reservoirs. Our guide conducted the tour in a leopard print jumpsuit and six inch platform heels with hiking treads. It was awesome. Some of our group let loose and played on old Cossack-style swings, while others watched sedately from afar. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">We're writing now from our old hotel in Irkutsk, where the wifi is spotty, and the mayonnaise is plentiful. We all deeply miss the delicious cooking at Baikal; also Internet access is way less fun than we thought it was a month ago.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Tomorrow is our last day in Russia before we depart, so this will be the last time you hear from your favorite bloggers at the end of the alphabet (t'fu t'fu t'fu). </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yours still and always in squad formation,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Evan and Zoe</p></div> Wellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-42372412734697270082016-08-16T21:04:00.001+08:002016-08-16T21:04:46.276+08:00Last day in Bol'shie Koty<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsN2JJGi5HF-KILwDRtlX39FtxcE0pzQk9dnqtTjXEbYYEx1Ctdu129IwTCy3bxJCJTXeeBBzQJbZsRw9rn-sZyNFtXQURXMoc-r20MTMMU6Shd9w4rWjylBuw36HuIMuthr3ntgmOabx/s1600/20160816_173835a-786277.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsN2JJGi5HF-KILwDRtlX39FtxcE0pzQk9dnqtTjXEbYYEx1Ctdu129IwTCy3bxJCJTXeeBBzQJbZsRw9rn-sZyNFtXQURXMoc-r20MTMMU6Shd9w4rWjylBuw36HuIMuthr3ntgmOabx/s320/20160816_173835a-786277.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6319411667471663090" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEyEONTo8B9YVhxUR6P10Moo91GLBghmdEHN0ytO6iiq1Wwd6oDMjX84Iy4g2S0IMm4Pe5vChp8OKYB7N5RW5H_laf9FF9CerLjD416kg3EA2yHGv6d3BWv6HnOMj1ETedZ_LY8yUDpls/s1600/20160816_125053b-787223.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEyEONTo8B9YVhxUR6P10Moo91GLBghmdEHN0ytO6iiq1Wwd6oDMjX84Iy4g2S0IMm4Pe5vChp8OKYB7N5RW5H_laf9FF9CerLjD416kg3EA2yHGv6d3BWv6HnOMj1ETedZ_LY8yUDpls/s320/20160816_125053b-787223.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6319411674047167138" /></a></p>The entire Wellesley team had a bittersweet last full day at the
<br>biostation today, and I'm posting a short entry myself to give them a
<br>break from blogging as they enjoy their final evening here together.
<br>Some people packed, others took hikes, and all of us gathered for a
<br>farewell dinner at which we thanked the wonderful staffers who made
<br>this visit a great success.
<br>Birding note: We've been seeing and hearing lots of Eurasian Hobbies
<br>(Falco subbuteo) around Baikal, and today I finally got a decent shot
<br>of one perched. Sorry about the poor resolution.
<br>Fungus note: Our Station Manager, Elena Shipitsina, gathered a huge
<br>number of edible mushrooms today, including -- as you can see in the
<br>photo -- the species most prized by Russians: Boletus edulis, which
<br>they call the "white mushroom." Italians call them porcini, Germans --
<br>Steinpilz, the French -- cèpe. Delicious in any language!
<br>Tom Hodge, Co-InstructorWellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-70119250819135069162016-08-15T19:33:00.001+08:002016-08-15T19:33:17.436+08:00Walks of Life<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rSOoVnrSbNHe-xa7tmcYyIHWxBo5tqm80Vbv6wm5cnFCToXMo8ymQ0dVbd3Rf8Sb2scf81cRYqZwFPTqXFIoOjLBdWkLOwXI8XJN5wP2mIb3Rb8trYouByTzfx3P9OfdJvbGCHOyJYgj/s1600/20160815_112336a-797437.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rSOoVnrSbNHe-xa7tmcYyIHWxBo5tqm80Vbv6wm5cnFCToXMo8ymQ0dVbd3Rf8Sb2scf81cRYqZwFPTqXFIoOjLBdWkLOwXI8XJN5wP2mIb3Rb8trYouByTzfx3P9OfdJvbGCHOyJYgj/s320/20160815_112336a-797437.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6319017010732607154" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw995e2JT8ECpcp0N_xvlTR7J4pKkElO7DI0bEAcbb9LlQrEViTwaWD5EisbwTCarWKGyEfW2xBaNL8jQHQvFYlku67jqXDU3NA9Zeq7LzlW3sP5Vu6c0bcRbeC1CEfLDZCFG8nQYdXKDc/s1600/20160815_121310a-798467.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw995e2JT8ECpcp0N_xvlTR7J4pKkElO7DI0bEAcbb9LlQrEViTwaWD5EisbwTCarWKGyEfW2xBaNL8jQHQvFYlku67jqXDU3NA9Zeq7LzlW3sP5Vu6c0bcRbeC1CEfLDZCFG8nQYdXKDc/s320/20160815_121310a-798467.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6319017013842750866" /></a></p>Today we regained our land-legs in dramatic fashion -- half of us went
<br>on a beautiful forest valley walk, while the other half hiked up the
<br>side of a mountain.
<br>The valley walk consisted primarily of two things: avoiding ants, and
<br>spotting birds. Professor Rodenhouse showed us firsthand how formic
<br>acid from an ant hill can act as insect repellent by rubbing his hand
<br>on an ant hill very nearly as tall as he is. Literal hand. Yikes. On a
<br>less terrifying note, we spotted a Great Spotted Woodpecker, listened
<br>to the creaking of the birch trees, and marveled at the swiftness and
<br>water volume of the streams after the storm.
<br>The mountain hikers went north along Baikal to a set of crags known as
<br>"Skriper." It was a delightfully steep climb, with multiple high view
<br>points looking out over the lake and surrounding forests. We ate
<br>lunches kindly packed for us by the kitchen staff, took naps on the
<br>beach, and then hiked back to the Biostation in time for hot showers
<br>and dinner. Highlights of the trip included viewing fog patterns
<br>caused by the recent cold upwelling in the waters of the lake, and
<br>eating hard boiled eggs on a precarious bluff. Low points included
<br>ants. So many ants.
<br>We are all safely back at the Biostation now, about to spend the
<br>evening catching up on journaling while watching a movie called "The
<br>Way Back," in which Baikal plays a significant role.
<br>Rosamond and AbbyWellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-8536028673653778302016-08-14T21:08:00.001+08:002016-08-14T21:08:56.305+08:00Embracing our inner Bol’shie Koty (Big Cats)<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFd3Sg-D0yrGW_mZ_aNZ5Vo4qsXkN9TapMz8TcGJlAMNEswRECDHNuUA5IMtlHmkQYVtHKlEs2s_kChy9lq5q5q6XzAPPv-fA_vuQSYhG1w1pUHLE1oDVm6MfSUqgEh4IoG5WwwYrlK3A/s1600/20160814_090736a-736306.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFd3Sg-D0yrGW_mZ_aNZ5Vo4qsXkN9TapMz8TcGJlAMNEswRECDHNuUA5IMtlHmkQYVtHKlEs2s_kChy9lq5q5q6XzAPPv-fA_vuQSYhG1w1pUHLE1oDVm6MfSUqgEh4IoG5WwwYrlK3A/s320/20160814_090736a-736306.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6318670578114074498" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4gj7gMts_vdOXZESt334K6Ed_MUoGcNKvPI3Wb1WxK07JpZqq1ZW-6polUkf5yqPR6oR4iDmb4IQdbymtaSs7UuMpOS6fv-YckzoOWFF9xNQ9DnimBbnetHVyyFTF6gb4xxE2VPbBZ1-1/s1600/20160814_194352a-738223.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4gj7gMts_vdOXZESt334K6Ed_MUoGcNKvPI3Wb1WxK07JpZqq1ZW-6polUkf5yqPR6oR4iDmb4IQdbymtaSs7UuMpOS6fv-YckzoOWFF9xNQ9DnimBbnetHVyyFTF6gb4xxE2VPbBZ1-1/s320/20160814_194352a-738223.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6318670580509164514" /></a></p>After a night of camping out on the boat deck, watching the sun rise
<br>in our sleeping bags was the perfect beginning to our final day of the
<br>expedition. On our way back to Bol'shie Koty, we stopped by a cliff
<br>side near Sagan-Zaba Bay to see if we could make out the ancient
<br>petroglyphs (about 4,500 years old). The modern graffiti tags made
<br>searching for the petroglyphs a challenge, but with the help of our
<br>trusty binoculars we caught a glimpse of the triangular people and
<br>geese. Afterward, the group on the Kozhov enjoyed structured bonding
<br>over tea, while those on the Vershina took turns steering the cutter.
<br>In the final stretch, we alternated cat-napping with packing and
<br>arrived at Bol'shie Koty before we knew it -- around 7:00 p.m.
<br>Lyuba and HayleyWellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-5358136288190661872016-08-14T17:02:00.001+08:002016-08-14T17:02:20.401+08:00Update: Almost back to Bol'shie Koty<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBst7yflA7zs2zSPVNOoq7Fc_PBU-2DO88Py3EvHR3e_pxU1t_GUWorJjv9tcHSxvKieC6ZQAQ9fnVXSWjq5OKznihz85EnqhK_D6qOKsLQ5eOkMCNtpr39Br-C1ZseMmQuJCNWN4ybqSt/s1600/20160814_095200a-740403.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBst7yflA7zs2zSPVNOoq7Fc_PBU-2DO88Py3EvHR3e_pxU1t_GUWorJjv9tcHSxvKieC6ZQAQ9fnVXSWjq5OKznihz85EnqhK_D6qOKsLQ5eOkMCNtpr39Br-C1ZseMmQuJCNWN4ybqSt/s320/20160814_095200a-740403.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6318607027025291058" /></a></p>As the Kozhov and Vershina steam southward along Baikal's western
<br>shore, I'm taking advantage of the cell towers of Bol'shoe Goloustnoe
<br>to let our followers know that we've made great time and are about 2
<br>hours from Bol'shie Koty, our home away from home. A full blog post is
<br>forthcoming later this evening.
<br>Tom Hodge, Co-InstructorWellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-64296275212476532312016-08-14T06:56:00.001+08:002016-08-14T06:56:35.815+08:00On Ol'khon Island<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZHxU1bu5xY0-n2O8p1ZHc3hYEoY1Eh4ZtJ2g2h0xLzsQLywrOg_e2NZKTcVwjM_o4_N_kMIc_3k0xloxedorjig_Ypji52AgPluxH2FSXExqvc-lA1UvczgmHxaW-k_1EjBfZVOkv2PO/s1600/portholea-795816.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZHxU1bu5xY0-n2O8p1ZHc3hYEoY1Eh4ZtJ2g2h0xLzsQLywrOg_e2NZKTcVwjM_o4_N_kMIc_3k0xloxedorjig_Ypji52AgPluxH2FSXExqvc-lA1UvczgmHxaW-k_1EjBfZVOkv2PO/s320/portholea-795816.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6318450928326339218" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhchOpjlTKceolZyhCecisngyOgB5cZn2BhCv2AtmsatGwv8aax0a669SNbRKFG6-vhfGSRwIe4qi4w_NrLDaLVHsigs_6_V0nV4l2PgBOe2u2iVDi5SljyQ_nqWWbt9ztzm_qKUCY_v4/s1600/Stupaa-797089.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhchOpjlTKceolZyhCecisngyOgB5cZn2BhCv2AtmsatGwv8aax0a669SNbRKFG6-vhfGSRwIe4qi4w_NrLDaLVHsigs_6_V0nV4l2PgBOe2u2iVDi5SljyQ_nqWWbt9ztzm_qKUCY_v4/s320/Stupaa-797089.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6318450932994686674" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXWv1e7fQ2srGCXKDb-9RffyysdZ8DI6hNUuE0ssJuwZmHvl4XTZRNCyDAQfFmhTd6JW9wnoBJHx9xJgLs-2q2yNBdF_MOaz5hPXpFPQRohqDqRMPHO5xIy5kVJ-w0j2mUnTluYhjuZxJ/s1600/Rock+at+Khuzhira-797779.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXWv1e7fQ2srGCXKDb-9RffyysdZ8DI6hNUuE0ssJuwZmHvl4XTZRNCyDAQfFmhTd6JW9wnoBJHx9xJgLs-2q2yNBdF_MOaz5hPXpFPQRohqDqRMPHO5xIy5kVJ-w0j2mUnTluYhjuZxJ/s320/Rock+at+Khuzhira-797779.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6318450938410689954" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpklrzbZwaDMhayOalhj9aiw4-DHX-2n1n0QlsQnFiIMEkxiESIRV-PE8Mgq-t_dx4AeEOb3SDqXbFD0BnhrXc-naAtnuij1IrMe7ulRAnbcb8i-xvwi4KTEybJGxV9jmHYVkq94gG-dx/s1600/20160813_161911a-798793.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpklrzbZwaDMhayOalhj9aiw4-DHX-2n1n0QlsQnFiIMEkxiESIRV-PE8Mgq-t_dx4AeEOb3SDqXbFD0BnhrXc-naAtnuij1IrMe7ulRAnbcb8i-xvwi4KTEybJGxV9jmHYVkq94gG-dx/s320/20160813_161911a-798793.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6318450936993342114" /></a></p>Some of us started our day very early (about 5:45) to go on a sunrise
<br>hike. By the time that group got back, Sergei Sergeevich and Aleksei
<br>had pulled in their gillnet. They caught roughly a hundred perch, five
<br>pike, and one whitefish. Students from both boats pitched in to pick
<br>the fish out of the net and clean them so that we could get underway
<br>(the fish are now drying on a line at the top of the Kozhov).
<br>Our next stop was a Tibetan Buddhist Stupa on Ogoi Island. Stupas are
<br>abstract monuments meant to look like Buddha meditating. At a Stupa,
<br>it is traditional to walk around the monument clockwise, wishing
<br>happiness to all beings. The many visitors had left coins and pieces
<br>of cloth as offerings at the Stupa.
<br>After that we went to Khuzhir, a town with a rich history in the
<br>fishing industry. We moored to a rusted-out shipping vessel and while
<br>overlooking the beautiful cliffs of Shaman Rock, we enjoyed Vera's
<br>delicious borshch (with a healthy dollop of sour cream), salad, pork,
<br>buckwheat, and the perch we had caught and cleaned that morning.
<br>In Soviet times, Khuzhir was a huge government-funded fish-canning
<br>center, which is no longer in operation. We visited a local museum
<br>whose eclectic collection included minerals, taxidermy, children's art
<br>commemorating the victory of World War 2, folk arts and crafts, huge
<br>cans of omul (the best known fish in Baikal), and other artifacts of
<br>local history. After that, we explored the town and did some shopping.
<br>As of this writing, we are sitting on the deck of the Vershina as we
<br>head back to Olkhon, where we will stay the night. Since we finally
<br>have blue skies, we're hoping to sleep outside, under the stars.
<br>Helena and RebeccaWellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-77396133721996777422016-08-12T20:48:00.001+08:002016-08-12T20:49:00.010+08:00The storm cleared for Lyuba!<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWIf9hLbNId2KowOYbOm9qS0gldb03QO6L0ZhA4nXcK5bBh_Or07BjWz-F0nXxGZKsr_6CpLmXrpUZWhRg98YSDHC16sKc8uuaRinuI2STp1SDh8F9Majsswpe002JCoRzTm8woFJpHNt/s1600/20160812_151653a-740011.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWIf9hLbNId2KowOYbOm9qS0gldb03QO6L0ZhA4nXcK5bBh_Or07BjWz-F0nXxGZKsr_6CpLmXrpUZWhRg98YSDHC16sKc8uuaRinuI2STp1SDh8F9Majsswpe002JCoRzTm8woFJpHNt/s320/20160812_151653a-740011.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6317923267578915266" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNx13f0bjdLCtHvXqLa3Lkiqp0cJimoVM9Ey2s_5XZvinf821J8kLiB001K-JZkbu-IvZAE5MgqowKYhjusqfVzO398WO2bs64v2RJhoB0JA8EPTdoViZHFwulsmNWTB8Lv1pVOxZ890Pv/s1600/20160812_174857a-741978.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNx13f0bjdLCtHvXqLa3Lkiqp0cJimoVM9Ey2s_5XZvinf821J8kLiB001K-JZkbu-IvZAE5MgqowKYhjusqfVzO398WO2bs64v2RJhoB0JA8EPTdoViZHFwulsmNWTB8Lv1pVOxZ890Pv/s320/20160812_174857a-741978.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6317923272319138162" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25ML9WxSj83zR1hkIzoR0rxiMpNAUtUnEURaaUMVeNgNuFSb5TeMJg8uGR59zgIvtvOGXv9mbjA-3amt9f54xiy_1P4Q38Xo-8crq5nRjJI4XX7VNf75jxf33hIYCTBQEc_OykphEaAJm/s1600/20160812_194529a-743798.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25ML9WxSj83zR1hkIzoR0rxiMpNAUtUnEURaaUMVeNgNuFSb5TeMJg8uGR59zgIvtvOGXv9mbjA-3amt9f54xiy_1P4Q38Xo-8crq5nRjJI4XX7VNf75jxf33hIYCTBQEc_OykphEaAJm/s320/20160812_194529a-743798.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6317923282645805810" /></a></p>Early this morning the storm wind changed and our captains were forced
<br>leave the bay before we were blown into the coast. Once out in the
<br>open water, they found that the weather wasn't too bad. It was decided
<br>that we would attempt to dash up to Ol'khon Island. After 7 hours of
<br>travel we finally made it to Maloe More (The Little Sea), on Ol'khon,
<br>where we were set free to explore the steppe environment.
<br>After our exploration, we all returned to begin festivities for
<br>Lyuba's birthday. Vera, our unbelievable cook, made an amazing spread
<br>filled with fruits, cake, and even bananas! Finally, after what seems
<br>like an eternity, we could eat and celebrate together in the open air
<br>and out of the cramped quarters of the boats.
<br>Selina and SarahWellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-7377081822807421952016-08-12T17:09:00.001+08:002016-08-12T20:54:23.088+08:00Safe and sound on Ol'khon IslandUpdate Friday 8/12/16:
<br />
Early this morning the wind changed direction and our two ships set
<br />
out from Bukhta Peschanaia before first light and steamed northward
<br />
over heavy swells, but everyone did fine. Halfway through the day, the
<br />
waves calmed down. We made it safe and sound to a quiet bay at the
<br />
southern tip of Ol'khon Island -- precisely where we should have been
<br />
about 48 hours ago, if not for the storm. We'll send a fuller entry,
<br />
with photos, soon. For now, the students have fanned out over the
<br />
stunning steppe country and are drinking in dramatic vistas over the
<br />
Maloe More (Little Sea).
<br />
Tom Hodge, Co-InstructorWellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-65681733256265029202016-08-12T17:04:00.001+08:002016-08-12T17:04:25.711+08:00Stranded but not shipwrecked<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_kVH4MQPpM3uOsD2qkH3Rthjf2wbOHvUfAXVMQm-5wL9vmtNzfRccFnOjWAy0mAhZbukRuISTqYLWk3J61EAM9_oTRSCVNN2oVF2EJuopdJMM3KBquXVQfAnoaOSeNiOpYSwU2YGN-It/s1600/20160811_115020a-765712.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_kVH4MQPpM3uOsD2qkH3Rthjf2wbOHvUfAXVMQm-5wL9vmtNzfRccFnOjWAy0mAhZbukRuISTqYLWk3J61EAM9_oTRSCVNN2oVF2EJuopdJMM3KBquXVQfAnoaOSeNiOpYSwU2YGN-It/s320/20160811_115020a-765712.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6317865395345971426" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrqJXHGZgV6JiLNbDhsrxVeDMKV3jypMhEpD46N1D7jbdNXfxBlhfbIFSFczsOhpjAMKPWMCWsCIcwgLGj14R2kBJOmCQ_pbd6cCycuhR2kIFVYEXoC0bbxDDGFsF8lz7HgReeFwY6WZi/s1600/20160811_111936a-766817.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrqJXHGZgV6JiLNbDhsrxVeDMKV3jypMhEpD46N1D7jbdNXfxBlhfbIFSFczsOhpjAMKPWMCWsCIcwgLGj14R2kBJOmCQ_pbd6cCycuhR2kIFVYEXoC0bbxDDGFsF8lz7HgReeFwY6WZi/s320/20160811_111936a-766817.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6317865395313460594" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVIryr7QuNAANWxrsfZx4zAnVUYak1ZfWdbXkY2ZQTRjS1f7buLU371gZoCHXOzBN2GpaQgOy2iTtN3cQd6bJ6O46lma3nmwxpSWgQXAcMsNnn3CZXQFFW6_a47HizYXjhjUGnxR4uqnVq/s1600/20160811_113530a-768015.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVIryr7QuNAANWxrsfZx4zAnVUYak1ZfWdbXkY2ZQTRjS1f7buLU371gZoCHXOzBN2GpaQgOy2iTtN3cQd6bJ6O46lma3nmwxpSWgQXAcMsNnn3CZXQFFW6_a47HizYXjhjUGnxR4uqnVq/s320/20160811_113530a-768015.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6317865405082970322" /></a></p>Thursday, 8/11/16: Stranded but not shipwrecked
<br>We spent a stormy night on the boats listening to the screeching of
<br>the tires tethered to the sides of the boats scraping against the
<br>dock, which was shedding chunks of wood at regular intervals. Nobody
<br>fell out of their bed, but we woke up to the news that we would have
<br>to spend the whole day at Bukhta Peschanaia waiting for the storm to
<br>subside. At the time of writing, the wind is still gusting at up to 25
<br>meters per second and the waves on Baikal are too high to safely leave
<br>shore. Professor Rodenhouse took wind speed measurements with
<br>enthusiasm: max. 27 m/sec.
<br>Not wanting to be stuck on the boats all day, most of the group went
<br>on a hike to Granddaughter's Cove (right next to Grandmother's Cove),
<br>led by Vera, who it seems is not only an amazing cook, but also a
<br>skilled trail guide and an avid polar plunger. She and Kolya inspired
<br>four students to jump in the lake as well. It was freezing, but again,
<br>no hypothermia. The rest of the group held down the fort on the Kozhov
<br>and the Vershina, staying cozy with tea and journaling.
<br>Professor Hodge is currently DJ-ing a pre-lunch hangout in the "Man
<br>Hold" onboard the Kozhov. He will not let us report on his choice of
<br>music. Later this afternoon we all plan on heading to the banya to
<br>warm up and make the best of our storm stranding by experiencing some
<br>Siberian culture. We are also excited to get clean in the interest of
<br>maintaining friendships in the close quarters onboard.
<br>We're hoping that the storm will end in the wee hours of the morning,
<br>so we can be on our way. #Pray4Us
<br>Yours in squad formation,
<br>Evan and ZoeWellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-33511515950835827032016-08-12T16:57:00.001+08:002016-08-12T20:58:44.483+08:00Storm on Baikal<div class="mobile-photo">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDKqfEAwFvq_NZXTvv3NSPU40MFHHYjrn9u3r8zyQhxcaW4OZOJLWyFBXURUXXwDLcfyMB8QXamcTKSxkA3wxuH1XiDtwOyG8jJX2p_zbm37ZAmu64fAKI04FUfsD9qM3v0QD3RgkVuSt/s1600/20160810_123030a-756011.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6317863633696937010" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDKqfEAwFvq_NZXTvv3NSPU40MFHHYjrn9u3r8zyQhxcaW4OZOJLWyFBXURUXXwDLcfyMB8QXamcTKSxkA3wxuH1XiDtwOyG8jJX2p_zbm37ZAmu64fAKI04FUfsD9qM3v0QD3RgkVuSt/s320/20160810_123030a-756011.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="mobile-photo">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3E4emWBh8nuyMTAdIG9jxwS5ojohbQhnF7a1PtFbsGpZcAjaHpdaDsp98xxbfIBQ6pIdaYk0m4k4h3205lVwFKDT6oDM5eV7QwS9Cd1ikZdR7XszBG0DgdMlQ0Guw6htS-EV03wFqVE5/s1600/20160810_182802a-757937.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6317863641618717682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3E4emWBh8nuyMTAdIG9jxwS5ojohbQhnF7a1PtFbsGpZcAjaHpdaDsp98xxbfIBQ6pIdaYk0m4k4h3205lVwFKDT6oDM5eV7QwS9Cd1ikZdR7XszBG0DgdMlQ0Guw6htS-EV03wFqVE5/s320/20160810_182802a-757937.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8bwFhrBbOJDVvCrE7gap9uwdxGUArH4oPxUUIZDaUKwtTlQYgGvIPD1RPtiXONB19SrZi79szARAkiMMayyWeGo0__4J79NQixzq9hz4lifMndhY6tdmZWpL7bxCb61nG5HKCUz3dXEiZ/s1600/20160810_131502a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8bwFhrBbOJDVvCrE7gap9uwdxGUArH4oPxUUIZDaUKwtTlQYgGvIPD1RPtiXONB19SrZi79szARAkiMMayyWeGo0__4J79NQixzq9hz4lifMndhY6tdmZWpL7bxCb61nG5HKCUz3dXEiZ/s320/20160810_131502a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Wednesday, 8/10/16:
<br />
Today we left for our five-day adventure on the lake. Our group is
<br />
split into two boats, the Kozhov and the Vershina -- both boats made
<br />
their way from Bolshie Koty up the Western coast to Bukhta Peschanaia
<br />
(Sandy Cove). We pulled over for lunch and to shelter from the storm
<br />
that was starting around midday. We wound up staying here through the
<br />
night, waiting out what turned out to be a major wind storm (the wind
<br />
is called Nagornaia, and reached a windspeed of 22 meters per second
<br />
today). Our two youngest crew members realized that these conditions
<br />
were perfect for body surfing. Don't worry, though—we are now cozy in
<br />
our boats, eating great food made by our indomitable cook Vera, and
<br />
making hypothetical wrestling brackets. Other boats on the lake also
<br />
camped out here for the night. We're staying here at least through the
<br />
morning, and if the weather breaks we'll continue on our journey
<br />
tomorrow to Olkhon Island!
<br />
Maddy and AnnieWellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-59199319836127487812016-08-12T09:52:00.001+08:002016-08-12T09:52:45.154+08:00All well: 2 day storm delay<p dir="ltr">Greetings! A severe storm on Baikal forced us to hunker down in port for two days at Bukhta Peschanaia (Sandy Cove), where we hiked, ate great food, and steamed in the banya. Everyone is fine! Will try to do full blog entries this evening, but cell reception is hard to come by.<br> Tom Hodge, Co-Instructor</p> Wellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-38455957009888428142016-08-09T19:40:00.000+08:002016-08-09T19:41:01.234+08:00IMPORTANT: Spotty internet access next 5 days<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLwcTQ03ZguWkCHexopgGsrRHMW3NmAWycpOf5dZeTvWJgtOCiAcNZEZBxtBrYrDxgi1aue8yODoki5b5LbajvgclSlc9T0EsHQSHb5TkRoecelbKpdAxZVw7G5izLr3dhSxDJmVYGUh3w/s1600/20160806_153024a-761234.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLwcTQ03ZguWkCHexopgGsrRHMW3NmAWycpOf5dZeTvWJgtOCiAcNZEZBxtBrYrDxgi1aue8yODoki5b5LbajvgclSlc9T0EsHQSHb5TkRoecelbKpdAxZVw7G5izLr3dhSxDJmVYGUh3w/s320/20160806_153024a-761234.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6316792490595543138" /></a></p>Faithful followers of the 2016 Baikal blog:
<br>Please be aware that tomorrow (Wed. 8/10) at 8:00 a.m. we leave on two
<br>cutter ships, the Kozhov and the Vershina, for our five-day expedition
<br>to the north basin of Lake Baikal, via Ol'khon Island, Chivyrkuiskii
<br>Bay, and the Ushkan'i Islands, returning on Mon. 8/15. It's possible
<br>that our cellular network access will be shaky and that we won't be
<br>able to post blog entries daily. Please be assured that all is well
<br>and we'll post when we can. Thanks,
<br>Tom Hodge, Co-InstructorWellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-13048514949339696662016-08-09T19:34:00.001+08:002016-08-09T21:06:19.655+08:00Points of (Inter)view<div class="mobile-photo">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_vBid5xXxh_W6cjypECmBLyg7y09YkAiMOkb418U5aevkYYywXYybBgzkoOe8amLZqI8LldC0QJ_Mxdach-vUhEOdRxiFNpdSPStrxcxF9bErRIExq1VnjGz8Yz9G9-Q-Omc9RnYtYRq/s1600/20160809_111204a-775472.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6316790833291520338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_vBid5xXxh_W6cjypECmBLyg7y09YkAiMOkb418U5aevkYYywXYybBgzkoOe8amLZqI8LldC0QJ_Mxdach-vUhEOdRxiFNpdSPStrxcxF9bErRIExq1VnjGz8Yz9G9-Q-Omc9RnYtYRq/s320/20160809_111204a-775472.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="mobile-photo">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDyHYu8T2nzVwRnoqVL-MJnTm2_l-2ishWSSjIUf12l4am-bRheXbMa5Wz6ykybjl4wXKV99zEgjCJREXXXc3S3lX4grXlWpvx0zlPA6x2cUw9DEySojChVnT8Hn0fY2hCR4FOvZ52dU0/s1600/20160809_124206a-776671.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6316790836216940322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDyHYu8T2nzVwRnoqVL-MJnTm2_l-2ishWSSjIUf12l4am-bRheXbMa5Wz6ykybjl4wXKV99zEgjCJREXXXc3S3lX4grXlWpvx0zlPA6x2cUw9DEySojChVnT8Hn0fY2hCR4FOvZ52dU0/s320/20160809_124206a-776671.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="mobile-photo">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFq_Ta4-P8SSLEUSmnQx7OHSu2n0NaYCqEDCANyOliZKxy-jIlCTeaXAgyDeJQ4bYraljFZWYTSZYxUPfp1MF6864aBp9qBhgSnl1GisZxDd-SBuZCqzWf4NjRlm05RFnMPIxMVlDgbji/s1600/DSCN0971a-777508.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6316790843041625938" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFq_Ta4-P8SSLEUSmnQx7OHSu2n0NaYCqEDCANyOliZKxy-jIlCTeaXAgyDeJQ4bYraljFZWYTSZYxUPfp1MF6864aBp9qBhgSnl1GisZxDd-SBuZCqzWf4NjRlm05RFnMPIxMVlDgbji/s320/DSCN0971a-777508.jpg" /></a></div>
An update which you will be glad to read: thanks to the intervention
<br />
of several friendly, garden-owning residents of Bol'shie Koty, our
<br />
stomachs are full of smoked grayling, fresh raspberries and currents,
<br />
and zhuchki ("little beetles" -- actually small and tasty pastries),
<br />
while our living room is empty of evil spirits (we hung up a head of
<br />
fresh garlic, as instructed, above the window). Our heads, meanwhile,
<br />
are full of new information. We had the pleasure today of interviewing
<br />
local researchers, technicians, gardeners and cooks -- they told us
<br />
stories of how their families came to Baikal, of what the lake means
<br />
to them, and of cyclical seal population data; they even gave some of
<br />
us relationship advice. In the photo, that's Zoe and Evan interviewing
<br />
our beloved Liudmila Nikolaevna Riapenko.
<br />
In the afternoon, we were visited by Svetlana Dobrynina, the head of
<br />
the Ecological Enlightenment Bureau for Baikalo-Lenskii Reserve.
<br />
She presented some facts and figures (as well as some amusing
<br />
anecdotes) about the history of the Russian National Park system. A
<br />
group favorite factoid: Baikalo-Lenskii Reserve is home to
<br />
Russia's largest population of bears. Park rangers, in an effort to
<br />
not disturb the environment, do not engage the bears in any way.
<br />
Instead, they hide from the bears in their huts and allow them to
<br />
wreak what havoc they will.
<br />
We even had time today to engage in one of our favorite past times at
<br />
the Biostation: entertaining eight-year-old Diana. In the photos, you
<br />
can see us playing rambunctious card games with her.
<br />
Tomorrow we depart on our five-day expedition by cutter to several of
<br />
the most famous islands of Lake Baikal. Preparations are (s)well
<br />
underway, and we are aboat ready to go. Sea you later!
<br />
Rosamond and Abby
<br />
<br />
P.S.: Evan would like to wish a happy anniversary to her parents :).
<br />
Apologies for being one day late… I got distracted yesterday by
<br />
climbing a mountain. Typical. Also, happy birthday today to my lil
<br />
bro! Thanks for 20 years of big sister status. Can't wait to compare
<br />
boat stories when I get back. Sending much love from Siberia.Wellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-77933987230770104642016-08-08T20:36:00.001+08:002016-08-08T20:36:32.412+08:00The day we made friends (of the four-legged variety)<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xsuSrx-RT6ug5HOaFB-69PgjiD3hMrEBiG6rNNtqMYKWv7KakzZ-A_01b2xZvcJMpevS74lboSwJSatBwTGe8kV5NEtH2v2aRhkpIPpzUv3gFtg2fNWb0cRWStx0L9O0Elf8e0WTdg1B/s1600/20160808_090013a-792413.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xsuSrx-RT6ug5HOaFB-69PgjiD3hMrEBiG6rNNtqMYKWv7KakzZ-A_01b2xZvcJMpevS74lboSwJSatBwTGe8kV5NEtH2v2aRhkpIPpzUv3gFtg2fNWb0cRWStx0L9O0Elf8e0WTdg1B/s320/20160808_090013a-792413.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6316435718682503122" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKrrYcEWWxrqbTxDeOqL1NKPOYr2I3Kd42JStrQ0p3ec3JXXlZYldDUJ7OUn1AknryuY5iAmb0268T5uebv4-Mf8fWsbLNg2olz1-VUiWOgsNLHHimub-rE2LoNWaNJ2syBZ4bzey9uubU/s1600/20160808_143335a-794410.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKrrYcEWWxrqbTxDeOqL1NKPOYr2I3Kd42JStrQ0p3ec3JXXlZYldDUJ7OUn1AknryuY5iAmb0268T5uebv4-Mf8fWsbLNg2olz1-VUiWOgsNLHHimub-rE2LoNWaNJ2syBZ4bzey9uubU/s320/20160808_143335a-794410.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6316435724573173010" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZx8wAeF1K6FBB9cueFKhH1_JGjDTAa3Fv7nwqJTeNVpDyzTOdsK3IQC4CYgPO39mjzKw3U-TtF1pO2E4Lzfmgn0uAQDzOdwY4ue558MOI9DMl0z2_SipiiazSTukoxnOEsDV-LlMlUaoP/s1600/20160808_152456a-796144.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZx8wAeF1K6FBB9cueFKhH1_JGjDTAa3Fv7nwqJTeNVpDyzTOdsK3IQC4CYgPO39mjzKw3U-TtF1pO2E4Lzfmgn0uAQDzOdwY4ue558MOI9DMl0z2_SipiiazSTukoxnOEsDV-LlMlUaoP/s320/20160808_152456a-796144.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6316435727580861266" /></a></p>In comparison to the last few days, this morning felt like a much
<br>needed break. We sprawled around the biostation catching up on our
<br>daily journals without any real sense of urgency, glancing up at the
<br>mountains whenever we needed a boost of inspiration. Lunch came and
<br>went. We soon set out to visit a local farm in the village of Bol'shie
<br>Koty. A lovely woman named Irina greeted us and gave us a small tour
<br>of her animals and garden. We didn't really know what to expect -- but
<br>as soon as the first cat showed up, everyone was completely at peace.
<br>The cat named Sonia was as old as some in our group, coming in at 19
<br>years young. It's no surprise, since only the strong survive Siberian
<br>winters. We also got to meet some of the other residents, including a
<br>bunch of friendly goats, a flock of turkeys, a family of hares, and
<br>one incredibly tiny dog named Jack. Irina treated us to some fresh,
<br>delicious goat's milk and showed us some of her handcrafted souvenirs
<br>inspired by Bol'shie Koty (because everyone needs a hobby to pass the
<br>time in the winter here). Irina's estate felt like a beautiful,
<br>isolated world away from the rest of the village. Around every corner,
<br>there was some kind of fruit tree, vegetable patch, or animal. The
<br>rest of the afternoon, our group split up to either hike, to catch up
<br>on some laundry, or to do some recreational reading near the shore of
<br>Baikal. We could definitely get used to a life like this.
<br>Hayley and LyubaWellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-62650171528386597322016-08-07T21:48:00.001+08:002016-08-07T21:48:14.017+08:00Writing up our results, steeping in Buryat culture<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6nU6K4rGnkF8yDtBWdvzufdmD0LkfX_9OdCKMYv7toa8cYe4cgHcllYoOVLNGoy818GxvVEvUJupBvlSTV0KPxn0X18mqsrL6Vj6z38wo_-fg7De-y2E4wjikZLf9TNgHgmHo0FnCuPN0/s1600/20160807_085607a-794018.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6nU6K4rGnkF8yDtBWdvzufdmD0LkfX_9OdCKMYv7toa8cYe4cgHcllYoOVLNGoy818GxvVEvUJupBvlSTV0KPxn0X18mqsrL6Vj6z38wo_-fg7De-y2E4wjikZLf9TNgHgmHo0FnCuPN0/s320/20160807_085607a-794018.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6316083103024331010" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvQ0r8Q5oH36-Gpx3fYjayz0t91EJ00gmxp3DsKPjXqsXCtccqImGKCgenXT0kqUeNUYFru0xnPL8-tBQSLGIdhreLxucKl7DRJeVN9tmAd8oNDqi4RAxGrfF6-eVQ0UKJ1uy30nSQ-se/s1600/20160807_113540a-796030.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvQ0r8Q5oH36-Gpx3fYjayz0t91EJ00gmxp3DsKPjXqsXCtccqImGKCgenXT0kqUeNUYFru0xnPL8-tBQSLGIdhreLxucKl7DRJeVN9tmAd8oNDqi4RAxGrfF6-eVQ0UKJ1uy30nSQ-se/s320/20160807_113540a-796030.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6316083114390501042" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXsYcc0DdbbRgCxMQQiaoE_Rw6VnkOIKFwBN68XPVcSwFEAsN4ElJ2ulavLf9_AHXEUbLpQTrXVR-hNqNAgob-faKfQPZ0ExI_NBGTWSte6ZHhk5pvaOEAAPqVHhAt-dNGIdS_S4NCVYQ/s1600/butterflya-797663.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXsYcc0DdbbRgCxMQQiaoE_Rw6VnkOIKFwBN68XPVcSwFEAsN4ElJ2ulavLf9_AHXEUbLpQTrXVR-hNqNAgob-faKfQPZ0ExI_NBGTWSte6ZHhk5pvaOEAAPqVHhAt-dNGIdS_S4NCVYQ/s320/butterflya-797663.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6316083120008462882" /></a></p>The day was occupied with a mad dash to write up the findings of our
<br>experiments. Since Abby and Helena's experiment is more long-term and
<br>they do not have their data yet, they have been organizing our work
<br>into a cohesive whole (thanks Helena and Abby!). As of this moment,
<br>at 9:15 pm, the race is still on. Some of us occasionally took breaks
<br>to play Frisbee, consume copious amounts of caffeine, and sprint into
<br>the lake. The super nice cleaning lady brought a butterfly into the
<br>lab to lift our spirits. It died.
<br>From 4:00 to 6:00, we had a real treat: Vladimir Munkhanov came to
<br>speak with us. Munkhanov is a Buryat, a member of an indigenous
<br>Siberian community, a great friend to the course, and the uncle of our
<br>interpreter, Vitya. Our group first met Munkhanov over skype during
<br>the school year, but what a blast to finally meet him in the flesh!
<br>Today he taught us about Buryat culture, history, and religion, and
<br>accompanied Professor Hodge on a truly scenic hike up the Malaia
<br>Kotynka creek. We asked Professor Hodge to rate the fun of his hike on
<br>a scale of 1-10 and he said a 9 (would have been a 10 if not for the
<br>pestering flies). We're all jealous and already planning our own
<br>excursions (of course after all of our work is done)!
<br>Rebecca and SarahWellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-14896521551978042982016-08-06T21:29:00.001+08:002016-08-06T21:29:02.659+08:00Plants and Ants<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Y-wp74WMKnNZLNXmSktmDu1B0VcDJGxMgMK2Zp2n_7djRKEHudbv9AMyTZQyesJl1wI4N_SBrxbhOzOo74ptnEH6jOmKRPlq1gxi1X3PNPBRJOBXUK8um7H5A2zk2OsgAIhh2OboEmAQ/s1600/20160806_132909a-742660.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Y-wp74WMKnNZLNXmSktmDu1B0VcDJGxMgMK2Zp2n_7djRKEHudbv9AMyTZQyesJl1wI4N_SBrxbhOzOo74ptnEH6jOmKRPlq1gxi1X3PNPBRJOBXUK8um7H5A2zk2OsgAIhh2OboEmAQ/s320/20160806_132909a-742660.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6315707074871224498" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaS8hyphenhyphenxbMRUA-8KkKzH1TFZ-cgN64V5VlgAWFkWIvMlkrptAUF6BI5DS85iHu6obiZWYqQLZgnL9CBJagcYegGV3UlAsMnrDu9LmBGdFLk1kqnT6IBB00dC7FRAgTvgX-WGlGKiyErIU2l/s1600/20160806_145338a-743850.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaS8hyphenhyphenxbMRUA-8KkKzH1TFZ-cgN64V5VlgAWFkWIvMlkrptAUF6BI5DS85iHu6obiZWYqQLZgnL9CBJagcYegGV3UlAsMnrDu9LmBGdFLk1kqnT6IBB00dC7FRAgTvgX-WGlGKiyErIU2l/s320/20160806_145338a-743850.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6315707074367539330" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhywwI0UolLuwl1Q-EMk5s7Ha6fwzTcaBNEM1fXbyy_au8C9morhU7Y6aPnrqlc-ZQ2EuZA-3v90vC5V5dIxVmCK615qYPJOxnnasnHU16hX4nffzVnokzQeNyUPcA6W7EjHXh5otZ8rUM/s1600/20160806_170117a-744710.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhywwI0UolLuwl1Q-EMk5s7Ha6fwzTcaBNEM1fXbyy_au8C9morhU7Y6aPnrqlc-ZQ2EuZA-3v90vC5V5dIxVmCK615qYPJOxnnasnHU16hX4nffzVnokzQeNyUPcA6W7EjHXh5otZ8rUM/s320/20160806_170117a-744710.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6315707081192986962" /></a></p>Today we traveled on the Kozhov to a Zona pokoia (a "quiet zone"
<br>within Pribaikal'skii National Park) north of Bolsh'ie Koty. Here,
<br>Andrei Lishtva and Sergei Kaliuzhnyi -- botanists from Irkutsk State
<br>University -- gave us a tour of the local flora and fauna. It was a
<br>beautiful hike along the lake through fields teaming with local
<br>flowers. Selina's favorite was the yellow aconite. Aconite produces a
<br>deadly alkaloid poison that is hard to trace. I (Sarah) am concerned
<br>for our team's safety. If any of us mysteriously die, you know who to
<br>look to.
<br>At the end of our hike was a grouping of stromatolites that are 2.7
<br>BILLION YEARS OLD! That's many times older than Lake Baikal! These
<br>stromatolites are a fossilized grouping of cyanobacteria whose
<br>chemosynthesis helped create our original atmosphere.
<br>Moving on from the ancient plants to modern, not fossilized plants, we
<br>also took transects of local plants. We were attempting to test out
<br>our new found plant identification abilities. Thankfully, Andrei and
<br>Sergei were there to help facilitate our efforts. One group found 18
<br>species in just one square meter! Biodiversity in the National Park is
<br>amazing!
<br>In addition to learning the flora of the local area we also adventured
<br>around a small valley. The botanists led us up a very steep slope to a
<br>large cave, where many of us braved our claustrophobia to find a huge
<br>limestone cavern with stalagmites inside. The cave was a hard hike;
<br>after we were tired, hungry, and covered in ants (we don't want to
<br>talk about it). In an attempt to clean and rejuvenate ourselves we
<br>decided to go for a dip in the lake. A cool and cleansing swim was a
<br>great end to the day. Afterwards we were all so tired we fell asleep
<br>on the deck of the Kozhov on our way back to the biostation.
<br>Much love,
<br>(A very tired) Selina and SarahWellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-5632335079985007972016-08-05T20:45:00.001+08:002016-08-05T20:45:23.506+08:00The Paradox of the Hairless Homo Sapiens<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZqvOS2x9shElHv_Q4Nd4bzmQ5EkVa2ILu0qklLpakE_XE-qGs4HjFfzX863sOFpbzD8o5vGNzJiozMAuFkk79ZcYimfyuXt6H4CrM-8XkZmmY_arq48uG9PKonB2PSC61QgyMNPGcz1M/s1600/20160805_120217a-723508.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZqvOS2x9shElHv_Q4Nd4bzmQ5EkVa2ILu0qklLpakE_XE-qGs4HjFfzX863sOFpbzD8o5vGNzJiozMAuFkk79ZcYimfyuXt6H4CrM-8XkZmmY_arq48uG9PKonB2PSC61QgyMNPGcz1M/s320/20160805_120217a-723508.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6315324736506465506" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Tn_W9oL0EWHI8-PDIA_vrqXqHA9sUNvZ4sQOgYOnFlYeJVRJoG1ptG5gmiqcNbIfh3fGHR0sBdpz595X0lN9blxNh4ZYty0tmhyphenhyphenueVrqBPZS2J2NFxw-BDoOUjx-0IjFlwg0XNdmt9E0/s1600/20160805_123229a-724614.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Tn_W9oL0EWHI8-PDIA_vrqXqHA9sUNvZ4sQOgYOnFlYeJVRJoG1ptG5gmiqcNbIfh3fGHR0sBdpz595X0lN9blxNh4ZYty0tmhyphenhyphenueVrqBPZS2J2NFxw-BDoOUjx-0IjFlwg0XNdmt9E0/s320/20160805_123229a-724614.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6315324742873632146" /></a></p>On our third day of rainy weather, we finally got to stay dry. No cold
<br>water wading or swimming today. We analyzed data from our fieldwork
<br>and prepared presentations for our classmates, professors, and three
<br>visiting Ph.D. students from the Irkutsk State University Limnological
<br>Institute.
<br>Unfortunately just before lunch we had to say goodbye to Vitya, one of
<br>our translators. It's okay though: he's promised to follow us all on
<br>Instagram. Vitya has been succeeded by Dima, a young but brave soul
<br>who has been a good sport about being interrogated by 12 Wellesley
<br>Women.
<br>After lunch we presented our preliminary research findings to the
<br>Russian grad students and then said goodbye to them as well. We worked
<br>off the academic exhaustion with a trip to the kiosk in Bol'shie Koty,
<br>followed by a Canadian documentary about the migration of early
<br>Siberians to America. The documentary's special effects were
<br>objectively horrible, but we had a great time heckling the angsty
<br>narrator.
<br>Yours in squad formation,
<br>Zoe and EvanWellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085843158622782103.post-16480624633072988462016-08-04T20:09:00.001+08:002016-08-04T20:09:18.443+08:00Lichen and Algae and Water Bears, Oh My!<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53v0bFAii_9kVsDLHhKr14Ou6yt-HWliJWZEihi_qNNMDgX88G_WceRtz-2CyQMYtDWKI3dQi9iwZg6gBYT1MAw51DMyOn06UlurU0Qgwuk51hU7iS_DaxHP4AuATjP96Zq3z20AtFDbs/s1600/20160804_142438a-758444.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53v0bFAii_9kVsDLHhKr14Ou6yt-HWliJWZEihi_qNNMDgX88G_WceRtz-2CyQMYtDWKI3dQi9iwZg6gBYT1MAw51DMyOn06UlurU0Qgwuk51hU7iS_DaxHP4AuATjP96Zq3z20AtFDbs/s320/20160804_142438a-758444.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6314944355615262706" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3KTkhKfXeZq2sgpBtcQVP6wRAsUzRP50syBnS132cqYLGlZrAqpmE17U6wDFRao-SLmf_zavEdR_h7oo_kO9vrctITv8aBEEiZzc8O45e22S4g6aBtbc6_6__K1ndWBUty-cyZ2GiI8VW/s1600/20160804_111517a-759880.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3KTkhKfXeZq2sgpBtcQVP6wRAsUzRP50syBnS132cqYLGlZrAqpmE17U6wDFRao-SLmf_zavEdR_h7oo_kO9vrctITv8aBEEiZzc8O45e22S4g6aBtbc6_6__K1ndWBUty-cyZ2GiI8VW/s320/20160804_111517a-759880.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6314944364322060354" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoFbcvOJiqs4NbNQfheqjsTHEGaQ1BULe2yEn6vvxRVivPYI4X9ylxv2jSxRiq-KrIVqbSwsBtDXYno7jyZH2BUQC2WcJi2H-_UcnhXsIF7V-FI2noTM7HRT9lATNSMYQjsZGl3zXUBJf6/s1600/20160804_180922a-760958.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoFbcvOJiqs4NbNQfheqjsTHEGaQ1BULe2yEn6vvxRVivPYI4X9ylxv2jSxRiq-KrIVqbSwsBtDXYno7jyZH2BUQC2WcJi2H-_UcnhXsIF7V-FI2noTM7HRT9lATNSMYQjsZGl3zXUBJf6/s320/20160804_180922a-760958.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6314944366372395506" /></a></p>Today was another very busy day -- Professor Timoshkin's three
<br>excellent graduate students, Yulia, Olya, and Katya, each presented on
<br>their fields of research. Afterward, they lead us out to the field for
<br>first-hand experience on their sampling methods. After collecting
<br>samples we brought them back to the lab and looked at what we found,
<br>including the famous tardigrade, or "water bear" (see picture, above,
<br>through microscope, but also look them up! They're so cool!)! We
<br>looked at several different species and life stages of algae and worms
<br>as well. In the afternoon, we got more of our own data collection and
<br>analysis done for our field projects. Tonight we will build a bonfire
<br>to relax after a long day of work and share some time with our friend
<br>and translator, Vitya, who will leave us tomorrow to go to Moscow.
<br>Annie sends her love to her family! Maddy does as well, and wants the
<br>fam to know she is alive and well, just missing Italian food (but
<br>Russian food is great too). Annie misses sriracha but other than that
<br>she's doing great.
<br>Maddy and AnnieWellesley Baikal Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04820734276110225601noreply@blogger.com2