Christmas Day 2007

The best Christmas present one can receive out here on sakhalin, is the gift of silence. Silence in the morning because the alarm doesn't sound at 6AM, calling me back to the office to start another day. Today however was great. No work until 12noon, meant i could stay in bed and enjoy the silence.

Christmas day didn't start like any other. Since i had several hours off this morning which i could either spend watching Christmas episodes of the Simpsons in my warm caravan, or i could ventur out into the wilderness with some skis attached to my feet and fight of hypothermia. The choice is obvious.

It was damn cold when we headed out, 15 below i think, and i was not having a very coordinated morning. Seconds after clipping on the skis to my feet, i returned to earth in a beautiful display of ballet spins and and limbs going all directions. And this continued for about 5 mins. Then after the performance was finished, i ventured down towards the forest and decided to revist the ground again, this time by snapping my ski pole. What a great start. But a more coordinated colleauge let me have one of his poles so that i could continue on.

It was beautiful, untouched snow, not a soul in sight. We had to battle some fierce winds, and when we lost site of the camp in the snow i kinda thought maybe we were a bit crazy. But what an adventure, and given the location I thought a good and unique way to spend Christmas morning.