Day 94 – The villages were without electricity or running water, and cell phone coverage – 3 June

Day 94. 3rd of June. Base Rovsky to Vosnesnje. 47.9 km, 6.5 km/hr average speed.

We made breakfast and shared a coffee with Dima, who was the early bird amongst our friends, and started the day by doing the dishes.

We noted one thing, there was vodka left in some of the glasses. The point being that vodka was drunk in moderation last night. By all. There are some stereotypes out there about Russian drinking habits. As far as we have observed they are outdated. And on the net it says that average per person alcohol consumption in Russia is less than in France and Germany.

We got off to a 0910 start in light drizzle, but warm weather. Almost no wind, which helped us after an hour when we got to what was more like a lake than a river. With the lake surface like a mirror we could cut across on the shortest route.

Just before we entered the lake Erling got exited. A small island made of solid rock, not washed out  moraine! We could have found a good place to pitch the tent there too. We hope for more of solid rock going forward. After days and days with moraine with dense forest almost into the river, a change will be good.

Erling has read the book “the secret life of trees”, it inspires awe and sympathy for trees and forest. He still recommends it, but admit that his enthusiasm is a bit reserved after looking for campsites for weeks on end and finding mostly trees, wet ground and mosquitoes.

We, like most people we camp with, like our campsites to be high and dry with a little wind and a view. Not so here, just across the lake from the rock island some locals had pitched their tent for the week end. Amongst the birches in what looked to us as wet ground. Why we may never understand.

We made a couple of stops at villages that was once surrounded by pasture and agricultural land, now lying fallow. By the size of the trees growing there it was abandoned this century. The villages were without electricity or running water, and cell phone coverage.

We got to Vosnesnje, the small town at the outlet of Onega, about 1830.

We paddled to a place called “Base Anchor”, which offers cabin based accommodation. We were met by brothers Asid and Osama from Tadsjikistan. Again the Russophone world is diverse.

They both spoke very good English and Osid helped us shop in the nearby “Produkty” store. It was soon clear that dinner would be omelet with onion and sausage. Later Osid bought some bread for us at a larger store some km away. Now we can do three to four days to Petrozavodsk without further supplies.

Weather today was a lot wetter, but less windy than forecast. And we were repeatedly overtaken by eastward heading heavy thunderstorms, that weren’t forecast either.

What we learn is that the forecast is less accurate here. We must err on the safe side, so it looks like Tuesday will be waiting on weather in Rybreka. If we get there as planned tomorrow. Weather Permitting.