So now we enter the cold zone. -20 degrees in Yekaterinburg and -26 degrees in Novosibirsk... It's a strange type of cold here compared to Britain. It's very dry and there isn't much wind so at first it can seem o.k. until you notice that your lungs feels a little strange when you inhale the air and that your nostril hairs feel like they're freezing. 20-30 minutes outside results in your face freezing and the immediate desire to rush into a warm cafe to avoid losing vital extremities.
Some of you may be thinking: "Well, you did choose to go to Siberia in winter Ian".. This is a very valid point but, in my defense, I wouldn't be British if I didn't get at least a small whinge in about the weather :-)
The atmosphere in Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk is very different to St. Petersburg and Moscow. They are still fairly large cities but have a much more relaxed atmosphere. We hardly saw any police here and didn't feel that we would be asked for our papers at any moment. It seems as though people here are less under the watchful eye of the state because of their distance from the centres of power in European Russia. People in hotels and cafes greet you more enthusiastically and there is much less evidence of the all pervasive Russian glum face.
We mainly spent our time here relaxing and hiding from the weather in really nice cafes with hearty Russian food and drink. Karen discovered her love for Blinis (pancakes with stuff in them). She got a bit of a taste for Blini with caviar. I ate Solyanka (clear soup with various mixed meat and veg and a splodge of sour cream. This is a great way to warm yourself up. We also had a try of the Kvas (strange non-alcoholic malt drink that kind of tastes like liquid Malt Loaf).
We also took a look at the town squares which have beautiful ice sculptures throughout winter. We had a fun bum slide down quite a big ice slide in Yekaterinburg, much to the amusement of the Russian teenagers. They seem to be able to effortlessly slide down while standing up which was quite impressive. We thought about trying it but decided it was less embarassing to go down on our bums than to go down standing up and then go arse over tit.
Photos for Yekaterinburg can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianwhitfield/sets/72157603745890272/
Photos for Novosibirsk can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianwhitfield/sets/72157603750347769/
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Hey Guys
This is such a great read, really enjoyed sitting here and catching up while Ann feeds your new 2nd Cousin, read it out loud to her and she was very impressed :)
Thanks for taking time out to send us a card, we are so glad your enjoying your trip and our thoughts are with your out there in Siberia.
Hello.. Glad you're enjoying it and happy that little second cousin is doing well. Will try and do a few more entries soon. Ian
Post a Comment