Magadan, Magadan Oblast, Russian FederationANOTHER GLORIOUS DAY IN MAGADAN
A Good Idea...
We had been so lucky on this trip with weather. Once again we awoke to a stunning cool, crisp but beautifully clear sunny morning. A perfect day for what was now a familiar trip to Valentina and Misha's Magtur Tourist Base Camp on the gorgeous coast of the Sea of Okhotsk.
I was excited about re-visiting our old haunts. Alan on the other hand was not quite as enthusiastic, soberly recalling his accident in March where he rolled his snow mobile, badly breaking three of his ribs. Amused at my enthusiasm, he reminded me of how I had come to similar grief on my dog sled, hitting a tree stump before catapulting off into the deep snow. I was more fortunate than Alan. I only pulled a muscle in my thigh.... Well, he was right. It had not been a visit without its accidents and incidents.... But this trip I reminded him was in the warm season of autumn and "it was a trip just for sightseeing"....
And over a relaxed breakfast Alan had a good idea. "Why don't we take Valentina, Misha and Alexei to dinner tonight? The restaurant here at our hotel is good and it will be a small thank you for all their efforts in looking after us on this trip. And as they have an apartment in town, they won't have to drive all the way home to their base camp that evening". Alexei on the other hand lived in Magadan and would have no problems getting home.
I thought it was a great idea. After all Valentina had insisted on hosting our day trip to her base camp which was a considerable distance of a 240 kilometer return trip. We had suggested for their sake that we keep our travels to somewhere closer to the city but Valentina looked disappointed saying she was very keen that we see some lakes on our way to her base camp which were in her opinion, very special. It sounded good to me. I love the coastline of Okhostk. But as you know, I love everything about Magadan!
TO MAGTUR BASE CAMP
A Familiar Journey - But Without the Snow....
Valentina and Alexei arrived early to pick us up. I thought I saw the faintest flicker of concern on Valentina's face when Alexei explained we would like to take them to dinner. But nothing fazed our Valentina and if she had any issues they were well and truly momentary. Alexei looked delighted.
Our trip along the coastal road brought back some exciting memories; our first trip in the summer of 2017 and our March 2018 wild snowy adventures. The difference in the surrounding landscape between the two seasons was night and day; the road being almost indistinguishable from the snow blasted day in March when we were held up for hours when a van had jammed itself in the ice tunnel made by road workers to keep the passage clear. In the blinding blizzard, Valentina had single-handedly endeavoured to free the van, and all but succeeded when a Russian Uaz (the sturdiest of all Russian 4WD vehicle) finally came to the rescue.
It was an incident we will never forget and a time when we realised that our valiant Valentina was indeed a super heroine. It seemed that nothing could daunt this mega tough woman. But I guess in this environment, such resilience is merely survival. Refer link: http://v2.travelark.org/travel-blog-entry/crowdywendy/9/1526201622
But this day the weather was sublime, the sea shone a dazzling lazuline blue and the brilliant autumn tonings of the trees were truly stunning. And there were definitely no accidents and incidents!
Not far into our journey, Valentina and Alexei pointed out on the side of our road what looked like a container made into a small hut. And that is exactly what it was - a small self contained unit to temporarily house people in instances of winter emergencies. For people who live in a moderate climate it is all too easy for us to forget that a broken down vehicle in Magadan's harsh winter is often lethal. Once a car engine stops and there is no heating, a person can die of hypothermia within a very short space of time.
On previous visits we had witnessed truck tyres strewn along the road. We were told that in an emergency, they could be set alight for heating, with the added advantage of the thick torrid smoke acting as a beacon for help from other road travellers.
If we thought that simple idea was clever, then the container hut was ingenious. Equipped with numerous solar panels and a satellite dish, the huts were able to act both as warm shelter and as a communications means. A sign on the outside of the hut said there was cell phone coverage within; a vital requirement on what can become a treacherous road in winter with almost non-existent phone coverage.
After another ten minutes drive we reached a familiar lookout over the lovely mountain surrounds of the Sea of Okhotsk. Blessed by glorious sunshine, the views were magnificent. Again, it was such a vast difference from our winter experience in March. And of course it was a good opportunity to stop for our mandatory photo opportunities and group shot.
We could well understand why Valentina loved the place as she did. As she had explained before, she was passionate about the excellent tourist potential she believed the region held in summer for hiking, boating, fishing and beach activities and for skiing and snow boarding in winter.
Valentina was to meet with the Governor of Magadan Oblast the following week about tourist opportunities and possible funding. She was full of ideas and ambitions; perhaps dreams.... She told us she had done a lot of preparation for the coming meeting and we wished her well. If anyone deserved to succeed, it was the forever hard working Valentina and Misha. Developing tourism is Far East Russia is far from easy....
Salt Lake
About an hour into our travels and at the foot of a low mountain range, we stopped at a pretty triangular shaped inlet known as Salt Lake. Separated from the ocean by a broad pebbly spit, the water according to Valentina was usually fresh; the name being derived from often brackish conditions caused by overflow from the sea during storms and strong tides.
Along the gravel road grew tufts of flowering plants which looked very much like what we know in Australia as Gaura. Surrounding broad fields were sown with lush crops of oats. When we expressed surprise at seeing oat crops so close to a coastal zone, Valentina explained that the grain was used by the military for their horses.
This seemed even more bizarre; the military was still using horses? And how would horses cope with the harsh winter conditions of Magadan? But then again tell tale manure was evidence there were a lot of horses around although we did not see any during our visit.
Against the back drop of soft misty mauve mountains and a sea of luxuriant oat crops, Salt Lake was undeniably beautiful; serene and remote.
Along the spit road we stopped at a very familiar looking religious triple cross bearing a plaque engraved with the name of "Alexey Vladimirovich Opalatenko 21.04.1977 - 23.07.2000". It was a memorial to a fisherman who drowned here in 2000. Only 23 years of age, his boat had apparently been carried out to sea by the prevailing very strong currents which are so typical of this area. Sadly, his body was never found.
Lake Glukhoye - Deaf Lake
After crossing the Arman Bridge, the second lake we visited on our way to the base camp was Lake Glukoye or "Deaf Lake". Curious about the unusual name, Valentina told us that the term "deaf" in Russian is synonymous with "remote" or "impassable". Named in the early 20th century, it is entirely understandable that at the time this region was absolutely impassable. Even today, there is only one road from Magadan along the coastline of the Sea Okhotsk.
Like Salt Lake, shallow clear Lake Glokhoye was tranquil and very beautiful. A major breeding site for migratory birds such as geese and swans, the fresh lake also supports a limited fish species such as Greyling and Trout.
Valentina was right. Both lakes were very special.
After another half an hour drive, our road took us right along the flat coastline of the Sea of Okhotsk. On a now sparkling clear day, the coast was absolutely beautiful; iridescent azure seas and shimmering, white lacy wavelets lapping against chocolate pebble-sand beaches. In the distance, we could just glimpse far away uninhabited headlands and remote islands. Apart from the difference in sand colour (our sand is golden), we could well have been on our own secluded beach at Crowdy Head, on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia. No wonder we feel totally at home in Magadan....
AN AFTERNOON AT MAGTUR BASE CAMP
Re-Uniting with the "Family", Re-Visiting Our March Adventures and a Sumptuous Lunch
Arriving at the base camp we were warmly greeted by Misha and a heap of their beloved Siberian Huskies. Magtur camp is Valentina's and Misha's permanent home, as well as a base offering tourist facilities for guests. Wonderfully located right opposite the beach on the Sea of Okhostk, it comprises a series of free standing cabins, a communal kitchen and dining room, and a sauna.
We had stayed at the base for three days during our snowy March visit, and when temperatures were well below minus 22 degrees C. But despite the cabins being basic, we were warm and comfortable - thanks to the ever attentive Misha who constantly fussed over us making sure we had enough kerosine for heating and that the generator was working.
During our last visit, Valentina and Misha had explained how they came to establish their business in Magadan. Both were of Ukrainian heritage, originally from Soviet Kazakhstan where they had met as students. And both are qualified engineers with a host of other associated higher degree qualifications. Since building their home and base camp some eight years ago, the couple has since put a huge amount of personal effort into establishing the tourist facility on land they lease from a government agency which we guess it is something like our Lands Department back home.
Our hosts explained that tight environmental controls have posed severe restrictions on what they could build and how they operated. They have only been allowed to erect "temporary homes", with no bathrooms or toilets and there is no on-line power or town water (there are outside toilets only which makes it just a bit difficult in sub 20 degrees C temperatures!). In such an extreme environment, it has been really tough going for this pair to build and maintain a tourism business. But their tenacity and sheer strength of mind is formidable. If anyone can make a go out of tourism in Magadan, Valentina and Misha certainly can.
The couple also breed Siberian Huskies and Maine Coon cats, a commercial enterprise which Valentina says is often more lucrative than their tourism business! And they sure are animal tragics....
So our first visit was to the dogs and cats, all of whom are kept in enclosures or in the case of the cats, in roomy "houses". I think at the time Valentina and Misha had some 28 dogs and around eight cats; all of whom were in splendid condition and very friendly. Being the cat tragic I am, it was not hard for me to fall in love with Laura, a young white well bred Maine Coon cat from whom Valentina was going to breed the following year.
Since then Laura has had a litter of divine white kittens. Valentina has kindly offered one to me. I would love one of Laura's kittens but unfortunately it is all too hard being in Australia where we have some of the strictest animal import laws in the world. To bring in an animal from Russia would mean keeping it in mandatory quarantine for many months. Not only would it be unfair on the kitten, it would cost an arm and a leg.
After viewing the animals we climbed up the steepest imaginable stairway to the top of the ridge above the camp and where we went snow mobiling, and for me dog sledding in March. Looking at the rugged terrain and fallen timber it was I thought, no wonder we both came to grief. The vegetation which was about half a meter in height had been covered by only around a meter of snow making it all too easy for a snow mobile to hit a hidden snow drift. Which is exactly what Alan did. And from all the dead and cut timber it was a miracle I only hit one tree stump on my dog sled.
The climb down the ladder to the camp was bad enough in good weather. Alexei and I laughed about how we weren't able to even find it on that fateful late afternoon after I had fallen off my sled, and Misha had to come to our aid to help us down. And then for me having to skid down the snow covered stairway on my bottom with a pulled thigh muscle was nothing short of agonising. Even on that fine day, Misha had to help Alexei and Alan down to the bottom.
If there is one thing in abundance along the Sea of Okhotsk it is seafood. And Valentina is a very adept fish cook. Her preparation of fish however is quite different from that which I cook at home. She simply cuts her fish horizontally into cutlets, coats them with seasoned flour and then deep fries them. On this occasion, a woman Valentina employed to help with her tourism business prepared our lunch of soup, salads and fish. And as usual, the food was abundant and delicious.
For the afternoon we were to go fishing on the beach. Misha had apparently set up nets in which Valentina was hoping to trap some salmon. Knowing how much I adored caviar, she wanted to make me her own "five minute version". On a lovely warm afternoon, even the fishing-phobic Alan didn't seem to mind. And Alexei? Well, he just seemed to be happy to tag along with everyone.
Practising My Russian and an Afternoon of Beach Fishing
As mentioned earlier, Alexei was an excellent interpreter, and as I was to find a very patient teacher of Russian language. Valentina had told me she was learning English and so with my few words of Russian, Alexei tried to have us converse in both languages.
It was very amusing. Valentina was streets ahead of me with her English but I did manage a few words and to learn several more. "Эtо море (Eto more - this is the sea)" said Valentina pointing at the ocean. That seemed easy enough. Stirring her cup of coffee, she explained that holding the cup was "депжать (derzyat - hold)" and that stirring was "мешать (meshat - stir)". It was surprisingly a lot easier to learn with Alexei and Valentina pointing out the meaning of the words than learning "parrot fashion" as I was doing at home. It was of course why it is almost impossible to learn a language properly unless you are living or staying in the country.
Misha and Valentina had bought a new vehicle for their business, a robust looking van painted in a sort of crazy "snow camouflage". It was they said to take tourists along the notorious Kolyma Highway or "Road of Bones" from Magadan to Yakutsk, a new tourist route for them. The van was to be trialed on the road the following week*.
*The 2,013 kilometer Kolyma Highway otherwise known as The Road of Bones, was constructed during the Soviet's Stalinist era from 1932 to 1953 by the forced labour of gulag inmates. Its name was derived from the notion that the road was built on the bones of the prisoners. The exact number of prisoners who died during its construction is unknown but it estimated that at least twenty five people died on the road construction each day. It is known as the "biggest cemetery in the world". Even today we are told that human bones continue to emerge from the sides of the road. We travelled on some 600 kilometers of the highway during our first visit to Magadan in 2017. Refer "The Bitter Beauty of the Kolyma" http://v2.travelark.org/travel-blog-entry/crowdywendy/8/1496994054
Somehow we all piled into the van and took off for the beach. On a glorious afternoon, it was quite delightful just to sit on the pebbly shore and look out along the remote coastline - and poor Misha who as usual had the lion's share of work in rowing out to drag in the fishing nets. There was no doubt about Misha. From what we saw during our various visits to Magadan, I don't think I have ever seen anyone work harder than he did. And he never complained. Well, at least not in front of us.....
We were in luck. Misha pulled in four large fat King Salmon while I hate to say we all sat there watching, before shamefully having our photos taken with the salmon.... I should add here that both Valentina and I are keen fishers but on this afternoon, Misha would hear nothing us of trying to help him....
As we were about to drive back to the base camp we encountered a slight hiccup. Our van had broken down. And what do you do on a remote beach hundreds of kilometers from the nearest village with no roadside assistance, we wondered? With his body immersed in the engine cavity of the vehicle, even the ever resourceful Misha had no success in finding what the problem was.
Fortunately, within a short space of time however Misha managed to walk down to the main road to flag down a passing vehicle. Friendly and helpful, the two young men in no time had Misha's van started and we were back off to the base camp. We had witnessed such unconditional assistance before from local people in remote regions such as this. In the Magadan's winter season, breaking down can be a matter of life and death.
Three of the salmon contained caviar roe which Valentina prepared for us in no time. Caviar is an expensive addiction for a person living in Australia and we thoroughly enjoyed our simple afternoon tea of thickly buttered bread topped with mega generous layers of fresh salmon roe.
Journey Back to Magadan
Earlier that afternoon Valentina had said that Misha would not be able to make our dinner that evening. There were animals to care for back at the base and two of the female Huskies were due to whelp. Of course we totally understood. Misha was a very shy and reserved person and we would have understood if he just wanted to stay home for the evening. But just before we left for our trip back to Magadan, Misha appeared dressed in fresh clothing topped with a very new looking leather jacket. And so we all left for Magadan in Valentina's car.
On a beautiful clear afternoon the trip back to Magadan was very enjoyable. Colours of the sea, the rivers and the glowing autumn foliage of the trees were enhanced by a lovely golden afternoon light. Valentina wanted to stop to take photos for her business brochures which suited us perfectly. It's not always easy to ask drivers to stop while I take photos for my blogs. Misha patiently pulled over at various points but by the end of the journey, I think even he had had enough stops.
DINNER DISASTER!
At 7:30 pm Valentina, Misha and Alexei met us at our hotel restaurant for dinner. Everyone was looking very smart, especially Alexei who was sporting a lovely pink shirt and a very smart new suit. And we were looking forward to the usual high quality meals. It should have been a good night....
It had been such a good idea of Alan's but sadly our dinner did not go to plan.
We ordered our meal. And we waited, and waited.
Alexei had ordered Capaccio, a dish of thinly sliced raw meat. You would imagine that this may be the most simple of all meals to prepare but it was for some obscure reason causing a big problem.
After about an hour and a half we still had not been served our meals. An embarrassed Alexei suggested that he change his order but the restaurant staff would not hear of it. "It will not be long. But we will serve the other meals now". It was not what any of us wanted to hear but it was not an occasion to make a fuss, especially when you don't speak the language....
Our meals were OK but perhaps not quite up to their normal standard - perhaps because it was hard to enjoy food in front of a still-waiting-for-his-meal-Alexei.
Alexei's meal finally came. I am not sure if he realised it was going to be raw meat but if he was surprised, then he hid his disappointment well. In all honesty, it looked truly horrible; blood red slices of meat and even then there was not much of it, garnished with raw vegetables. We felt so sorry for him. The only person who looked amused was Valentina who leant over and cheekily took a slice of the tiny precious serving. Meanwhile, Misha looked like he would rather be anywhere in the world but in this crazy restaurant.... And we felt the same.
If it had not been so embarrassing and disappointing for Alexei, the whole evening would have been laughable. But of course our lovely friends did not complain and kept up their good humour until the unfortunate evening was over. And I bet Misha heaved the biggest sigh of relief when it did.
Back at the reception we farewelled Valentina, Misha and Alexei. It had been a lovely day. Just a pity about the Carpaccio....
2025-05-22