AA&F: Bill Corner
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2005 - Russia: Kamchatka ·
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Terminal Building Ilinksy volcano Cabin at Kurilskoye Lake Bear Bear Lenin Gentian helicopter
Geyser valley Hot pool Karimsky Maly Semyachik volcano Blue mountain heath Forest floor flora River crossing Tolbachik camp
Dead forest Dead forest Dead Forest Tolbachik Sulphur Tolbachik Tolbachik Moon lander test site
Tolbachik research station Kamchatka river ferry Inside helicopter Ichinsky volcano Brata Mt Ichinsky panorama Ichinsky outwash plain Horses
Reindeer Butchered reindeer Flower Vachkazets Lily Ground squirrel Kremlin gate Church
Church door Imperial Eagle St Basil's GUM Lenin's tomb
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Feb 2006
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© Bill Corner
Image 1: Baggage reclaim at Petropavlovsk, and my first view of a Kamchatkan volcano ;Image 2: Ilinksy volcano across Kurilskoye Lake ;Image 3: The cabin we stayed in at Kurilskoye lake Luxury - those pointed huts on the left were outside privies, but we couldn't use them at night in case we got eaten by bears.;Image 4: Grizzly bear fishing in Kurilskoye Lake ;Image 5: Grizzly bear This bear was about 50 feet away. We were on a small inflatable Zodiac on the lake and he was much more interested in salmon than us.;Image 6: A bust of Lenin that caught my eye at the salmon research station on Kurilskoye Lake ;Image 7: A gentian ;Image 8: The helicopter we travelled in to visit various places, including Geyser Valley shown in this picture. ;Image 9: Steaming slopes in Geyser Valley ;Image 10: A hot pool in the Geyser Valley ;Image 11: Karimsky volcano and lake, taken from the helicopter on our way to Geyser valley ;Image 12: Maly Semyachik volcano from the helicopter ;Image 13: Blue mountain heath Phyllodoce caerulea ;Image 14: A typical forest floor fauna Full of lush lichens and fungi, and more importantly from an edible point of view, loads of huge cranberries;Image 15: A river crossing in the Ural truck This was an amazing vehicle. It was 6-wheel drive with each wheel being independently sprung and the pressure in each tyre could be changed while on the move. Perfect for off road driving through forests and bogs.;Image 16: The campsite by Tolbachik volcano Was a bit chilly camping on the ash field. The mist cleared the following morning revealing the impressive bulk of Tolbachik in the morning;Image 17: The dead forest - killed by the last eruption of the live side cones on Tolbachik. ;Image 18: The Tolbachik dead forest ;Image 19: The dead forest by Tolbachik volcano ;Image 20: Tolbachik volcano ;Image 21: Sulphur deposits on side of one of the new cones on Tolbachik ;Image 22: Tolbachik volcano ;Image 23: Tolbachik from the Kamchatka river ;Image 24: In the 1970's the US and Russia collaborated on building a moon lander It was tested in this depression on the side of Tolbachik. The US provided the computing technology to control the craft, and the Russians supplied the body. The collaborative endeavour ended in acrimony as the US accused the Russians of stealing their computing technology and the Russians accused the US of stealing their wheels.;Image 25: The volcanology research station on the slopes of Tolbachik ;Image 26: The ferry across the Kamchatka River. ;Image 27: Inside the helicopter ;Image 28: Ichinsky volcano ;Image 29: On of the two Brata (Brother) mountains, down the valley from Ichinsky volcano ;Image 30: A panorama of the valley we camped in by Ichinsky volcano. ;Image 31: The outwash plain from the Ichinsky volcano This was where we met up with the Reindeer herders;Image 32: Some of the reindeer herder's horses under Ichinsky ;Image 33: Reindeer under Ichinsky volcano ;Image 34: the butchered remains of two reindeer Nothing was wasted. Hardly a drop of blood was split on the tundra during the process. I tried some raw liver and kidney offered to us by the herders. It tasted a bit coppery - it could have done with some salt or cooking!;Image 35: A flower, possibly a Cassiope, but don't quote me on that. ;Image 36: Vachkazets ;Image 37: The Kamchatkan lily ;Image 38: A tame ground squirrel which lived under the steps of the hut at the ski station at Avachinsky ;Image 39: One of the four Kremlin gates ;Image 40: A church inside the Kremlin This was Catherine the Great's private church (unless I'm mistaken which I may be as I wasn't paying too much attention - I was looking forward to seeing some volcanoes);Image 41: A door of one of the 5(?) churches in the Kremlin ;Image 42: The Imperial Eagle on the front of the main auditorium in the Kremlin All evidence of hammers and sickles appeared to have been expunged from the vicinity;Image 43: St Basil's cathedral in Red Square It really is that colourful!;Image 44: The GUM department store on Red Square It contains pretty much exactly what you'd expect any posh shopping street in a European capital to have. But then what would I know about typical shopping streets?;Image 45: Lenin's tomb in Red Square