by Maitane Iturrate

Kytalyk, June 30, 2013

June 28, 2013: At last, everything is ready for embarking the boat. It took us almost three hours and some discussions with the owner of the boat, because of all our equipment and luggage. The weather does not look nice, grey clouds are approaching and the wind is blowing strong. Just when we are about to board, heavy rain starts and the Indigirka – a couple of hours ago seemed to be a calm lake – now looks like a wavy sea! I’m sitting on the battery box on top of the equipment, so I can see how Chokurdakh disappears on the horizon. Suddenly, we stop in the middle of the river, with the engine turned off. Ivan, our boat captain, jumps to the back of the boat and tries to solve the problem. Two minutes later, we are ready to continue. We are lucky because the rain stops shortly after we have left, and we enjoy the landscape. Amazing!

On our way to the research station (Photo: M. Iturrate, June 2013).

 

Three hours later, we are arriving at the research station. I can’t see it straight away, because of my position on the boat and the sturdy life-vest. But after we have stopped and I can finally disembark the boat. I have no words to describe what I see in front of me: Incredible! It is much better than what I have expected!
All our expedition equipment is in the main building. But first, time for our first warm meal on this day (at 20.45hrs local time). For me, the most wonderful soup I have enjoyed for a long time, so warm, so tasty and delicious.

The main building of the Kytalyk research station (Photo: M. Iturrate, June 2013).

 

June 29, 2013: Today is a cold, cold, cold day! We are walking around the area to gain a first impression of the location for our plots. Lastly, I can see my little plants I studied from books and pictures and now I can work a while with them. They are so tiny and beautiful!

Lichen and mosses in the tundra (Photo: M. Iturrate, June 2013).

 

We are spending the day unpacking the rest of our things, tidying and thinking about the schedule of our fieldwork. During the evening, we are visited by three people who are spending some days ‘birding’ with Sergei, a researcher from Yakutsk. So again, midnight and we are ready again to sleep. However, this time the sleeping is not very good, it’s so cold, even inside the sleeping-bag. At 3 o’clock in the morning – of course daylight outside – freezing cold air is blowing through those several holes in the walls. I put on some extra pieces of clothes and try again to fall asleep.

June 30, 2013: We are finally selecting our measurement plots. I manage to mark the first of my 15 plots placed at the hill before lunch. Breakfast and lunchtime are really nice today, especially after the cold day of yesterday. I feel that the cold is still inside me.

I’m helping Inge to transport the equipment she needs for her two radiation towers to the patches selected by her. It is hard work walking through the tundra, but finally everything found its place now. Mosquitos are everywhere and they are a bit annoying. Luckily, the head-net works perfectly. We are really motivated to finish fast because today is also bania (Rus: баня) day (sauna).

The bania is ready, with warm water and something to drink after that … Sorry, I have to leave. Tomorrow more.