Russia #5. Karelia region. August`07
HISTORY
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KARELIA
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NATIONAL PARK
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RUSSIA
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WATER
Someone likes to chillax on a lounger and drink cocktails. Someone likes to enjoy the hot bath in the heart of the Austrian mountains. And someone is looking for adventure and extreme, and Karelia is the best place for such goals!
The Republic of Karelia is a part of the Russian Federation, and it borders with Finland. It is better to get there by car, but you need to prepare for the fact that journey from Kyiv will take about three days. And the road is really awful.
From Kem` we sailed to the Solovetsky Islands across the White Sea. There is the Solovki Monastery which history dates back to the 15th century. This monastery is a completely autonomous object! In different periods, some of the ships tried to conquer this monastery by shooting cannonballs, but they were not able to crush these walls. During the Stalinist repression there was the GULAG, where about 40,000 people died.
Despite the bloody history of this place, the atmosphere on the island is really peaceful. The monastery is surrounded by canals, which are main sources of drinking water, so you can swim there only in an ordinary wooden boat without a motor.
On the island there are almost no cafes and hotels, so we slept in the apartment of local on the mattress(but we paid like for the 3-star hotel room) and ate the crackers from the store.
For us, an amazing discovery was a long day. In the photo below you can see the sunrise at 11 pm.
For us, an amazing discovery was a long day. In the photo below you can see the sunrise at 11 pm.
After the Solovetsky Islands, we went to the Pista River, where we the orroptunity to try the rafting. We chose a simplified 2-day program with one overnight in a wild forest.
The rafting cheered us up, especially when we broke the boat and began to sink. But our instructor was a real professional, he fixed it up very fast. While he was making a patch, everyone danced and ran on the beach, because it was chilly.
After a hard day, we landed on the beach and prepared tents. Not far from this spot there were two small buildings: a sauna and a kitchen. The woman and her dog, who lived there all summer, were the only living souls around 100 kilometers.
The first time we saw endless fields of blueberries, we ate it so much that we were with black hands and lips for three days.
After a hard day, we landed on the beach and prepared tents. Not far from this spot there were two small buildings: a sauna and a kitchen. The woman and her dog, who lived there all summer, were the only living souls around 100 kilometers.
The first time we saw endless fields of blueberries, we ate it so much that we were with black hands and lips for three days.
I advise you not to go far from the camp. First, you can meet a wild beast. Secondly, you can get lost, because the compass does not working because of magnetic ores.
Also, you need to take 2-3 mosquito funds with you, because there are a lot of mosquitoes and they are extremely thirsty.
After 2 days of rafting, we were taken by car to the Kalevala town.
Also, you need to take 2-3 mosquito funds with you, because there are a lot of mosquitoes and they are extremely thirsty.
After 2 days of rafting, we were taken by car to the Kalevala town.
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In August in Karelia, the average temperature in the daytime is +10C, and at night -3C.
Equipment for rafting was really funny: a jacket, an orange vest, always buttoned between the legs, a raincoat, rubber boots, a helmet and an oar in hands. When we looked at each other, we involuntarily began to laugh.
The instructor after the rafting said that our spot was next to living place of bear and her cubs.
In Kalevala locals gave us a bucket of redfish and a basin of white mushrooms for one watermelon!
In August in Karelia, the average temperature in the daytime is +10C, and at night -3C.
Equipment for rafting was really funny: a jacket, an orange vest, always buttoned between the legs, a raincoat, rubber boots, a helmet and an oar in hands. When we looked at each other, we involuntarily began to laugh.
The instructor after the rafting said that our spot was next to living place of bear and her cubs.
In Kalevala locals gave us a bucket of redfish and a basin of white mushrooms for one watermelon!
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