Printed on August 27, 2007
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Waking a Mammoth in Sibera - Travel Log #1: Moscow to Tundra
***In filming the upcoming special, Waking the Baby Mammoth, a member of the sound crew took the time to chronicle his travels and oberservations as he and a team of scientests treked across the frozen tundra of Siberia.***
Location: Salekhard/Moscow Sunday 18 May 2008
Big departure for Russia. Night flight to Moscow, and then to Salekhard, Siberia. We're excited at the prospect of meeting the Nenets, the cold, the snow ... the white desert ... We're all ready and intent on living out an extraordinary adventure. After a long flight, we finally arrive at the Salekhard airport , where we're met by Pierre, Andreï and Kirill. Preparation phase, last meal, last cozy bed, last comfort before the experience of the tundra.
Tomorrow, we leave by helicopter for the adventure of an encounter with the Nenets and unraveling the story of the discovery of Lyuba, our baby mammoth.
Location: Salekhard Monday 19 May 2008
Finally, the big departure is near. Before meeting up with our helicopter, we've got to move our luggage and equipment from the truck to the hovercraft, back to a truck and then the helicopter. Moving around isn't always easy in this region. At this time of year, the river is beginning to melt, making travel like this that much more complicated.
With a deafening racket, the Russian MI 8 helicopter takes off, for a three hour flight above the snowy tundra as far as the eye can see. From time to time, a herd of reindeer looks at us with vacant stares. Finally, we arrive at our destination. It's an enormous shock. We're at the end of the world in the middle of nowhere. Nothing as far as the eye can see except white, reindeer, and the chum - the tent where the Nenets live. It's a kind of teepee covered with reindeer pelts. Yuri Khudi, our Nenets host, and his familly greet us in the middle of this great white desert. The introductions and first exchanges are made, thanks to our interpreters Andreï and Kirill. The temperature is below zero, but the wind - very violent - gives it a glacial feel. We are invited to sit around a table for our first meal. On the menu : raw reindeer meet with onion, salt, mustard and bread. Drink : vodka and tea.
Location: Tundra Tuesday 20 May 2008
First night spent in the vast isolation of the tundra. Horrible night. A violent wind is whipping through the camp. We set up our makeshift tent where we'll store all of our equipment. But because there isn't enough room for all of us in the chum, five of us go to camp out there, settled in between the equipment cases. In the middle of the night, we think the tent is going to collapse at any moment. For lack of metal stakes, the wood we'd found on site and used as improvised tent stakes begins to fall piece by piece and the canvas is on the verge of ripping wide open. Under these conditions, it's really difficult to sleep. Freezing cold night. Morning comes at last but, alas, the storm is still raging. Not only is life difficult under these circumstances but we can't film even the easiest shot. In the afternoon, Pierre tries to brave the weather but we can't stand the cold for more than 30 minutes. The only alternative is to wait and really get to know about the life of our hosts. Everyone is freezing and the night is definitely going to be cold and difficult, but that's the way it is - we're in Siberia.
Olivier Ronval
Sound Crew
Location: Salekhard/Moscow Sunday 18 May 2008
Big departure for Russia. Night flight to Moscow, and then to Salekhard, Siberia. We're excited at the prospect of meeting the Nenets, the cold, the snow ... the white desert ... We're all ready and intent on living out an extraordinary adventure. After a long flight, we finally arrive at the Salekhard airport , where we're met by Pierre, Andreï and Kirill. Preparation phase, last meal, last cozy bed, last comfort before the experience of the tundra.Tomorrow, we leave by helicopter for the adventure of an encounter with the Nenets and unraveling the story of the discovery of Lyuba, our baby mammoth.
Location: Salekhard Monday 19 May 2008
Finally, the big departure is near. Before meeting up with our helicopter, we've got to move our luggage and equipment from the truck to the hovercraft, back to a truck and then the helicopter. Moving around isn't always easy in this region. At this time of year, the river is beginning to melt, making travel like this that much more complicated.
With a deafening racket, the Russian MI 8 helicopter takes off, for a three hour flight above the snowy tundra as far as the eye can see. From time to time, a herd of reindeer looks at us with vacant stares. Finally, we arrive at our destination. It's an enormous shock. We're at the end of the world in the middle of nowhere. Nothing as far as the eye can see except white, reindeer, and the chum - the tent where the Nenets live. It's a kind of teepee covered with reindeer pelts. Yuri Khudi, our Nenets host, and his familly greet us in the middle of this great white desert. The introductions and first exchanges are made, thanks to our interpreters Andreï and Kirill. The temperature is below zero, but the wind - very violent - gives it a glacial feel. We are invited to sit around a table for our first meal. On the menu : raw reindeer meet with onion, salt, mustard and bread. Drink : vodka and tea.
Location: Tundra Tuesday 20 May 2008First night spent in the vast isolation of the tundra. Horrible night. A violent wind is whipping through the camp. We set up our makeshift tent where we'll store all of our equipment. But because there isn't enough room for all of us in the chum, five of us go to camp out there, settled in between the equipment cases. In the middle of the night, we think the tent is going to collapse at any moment. For lack of metal stakes, the wood we'd found on site and used as improvised tent stakes begins to fall piece by piece and the canvas is on the verge of ripping wide open. Under these conditions, it's really difficult to sleep. Freezing cold night. Morning comes at last but, alas, the storm is still raging. Not only is life difficult under these circumstances but we can't film even the easiest shot. In the afternoon, Pierre tries to brave the weather but we can't stand the cold for more than 30 minutes. The only alternative is to wait and really get to know about the life of our hosts. Everyone is freezing and the night is definitely going to be cold and difficult, but that's the way it is - we're in Siberia.
Location: Tundra Wednesday 21 May 2008
Everyone wakes up tired because the night was difficult and getting sleep is becoming a struggle. On one hand, some of us are sleeping in the chum and there, you have to use your elbows to keep even a little space around yourself, stretched out on your side ! On the other, the rest of the team sleeps in the makeshift tent. Ot there, there's enough space but the cold is terrible and the noise of the tarpaulin flapping in the wind gives you the feeling of sleeping in a washing machine.
The wind is finally calmer and today, Yuri decides to move. The herd has no more food, so it's time for the migration. We move the camp 10 kilometers away. What a marvelous sight it is to see reindeer pulling sleds in this vast white space... End of the day, the camp is set up again in our new spot.
It's time to eat. Hot soup made of ??? It's hard to know what...
Another difficulty on the tundra - the moment to relieve ourselves. Not only do you have to find a spot where you can be discreet, but you also have to deal with the reindeer. They're attracted by the salt in our urine and take pleasure in accompanying us to drink the liquid and sometimes even fight each other over it. There, it takes skill to avoid their antlers.
Location: Tundra Thursday 22 May 2008
The sun is back, sometimes interrupted by a few snow falls, but the temperature is rising (+/- 0 °C).
We have a big problem today. Our generator, with which we charge our batteries, is defective. The starter is broken. Stéphane, our MacGyver, finds a makeshift system with a piece of wood instead of the cord, but another surprise. He's just fried 3 of our chargers.
Stéphane analyzes the situation and hopes to find a solution for the coming days.If not ???
In this fairy-like setting, we're filming daily life of the Nenets around our new campsite : the cutting of wood, the round-up of the reindeer, cooking ...
The end of the day approaches but the sun is still up... It's an ideal time for a stroll in the snow among the reindeer. At this time of year, the sun never sets. A little disturbing, but you get used to it. I feel good living with the Nenets --even under the difficult conditions of life here, notably those at night. How to get to sleep in the din of the flapping canvas of our tent or the snores of certain members of our group ?
My only solution is to get out my iPod. Every night, I listen to an albumn of Arvo Pärt. A moment of happiness. Time stops and sleep comes softly...
Location: Tundra Friday 23 May 2008
Today we're leaving for the site where the baby mammoth was discovered. The weather is changeable and unpredictable -- periods of momentary sunlight, snowfall and storm. The humidity is very high and sometimes it feels icy cold. Yuri and the Nenets gather the reindeer to harness them to the sleds. A long and complicated exercise. After hot tea, always a necessary ritual, we can finally get going. It's overcast and the snow is falling. We take two full hours to travel the 5 kilometers that separate us from the site. The « bourans » (Russian snowmobiles) regularly break down.
This vehicle is amazing - it can go anywhere, but you have to be very patient with it in view of the number of stops due to breakdowns. A trip can turn into a nightmare. At last, the site lies before us: vast stretches of white mixed with cliffs and water. Magnificent.
The day is long and exhausting. The snow and wind gather force. Everyone is tired. It's time to return to the chum.
On the way back, seated on the sled, I feel like Father Christmas drawn by reindeer in the middle of the snowy landscape. A major moment of happiness. Back in the chum, it's time to eat our meal. Tonight on the menu : tea accompanied by a slice of bread and two slices of fish (the « mouksoum » -- a local fish) cooked by Yuri's daughter Olga. A true treat ! Tonight, is cinema night in the chum. Pierre shows them a TV program on the life of the Nenets.
Location: Tundra Saturday 24 May 2008
This morning, I get up early to record some sound and ambiance of the tundra. When leaving the tent, I come within an inch of crashing into Pierre, who has just spent the night outside behind the tent, sheltered from the wind and snow. A bit strange to see him there, outside, frozen stiff, because during the night, he had to leave the very noisy chum to get some sleep.
Time is passing at warp speed. We've already spent a week on the tundra. After a difficult start, little by little you get your bearings, establish your habits, but especially, you lose the habits you have at home. Here, life is difficult and complicated. The cold, the diet, the housing, the sanitation (non-existent, truthfully) allow one to understand the difficulty of subsisting for these nomadic people. It awakens in us the simple values of life.
After a sunny day, the clouds are back and bringing snow with them. What an amazing thing - the sight of this white carpet blanketing the chums, reindeer and tundra.
It feels to me like Christmas, when you hear the sound of the bells ringing at midnight. Only no turkey tonight but in its place, a magnificent vacuum-packed purée of potatoes, hydrated with hot water.
A hollow sound comes from the reindeer. When they move around, their hooves emit a sound just like castanets.
Everyone wakes up tired because the night was difficult and getting sleep is becoming a struggle. On one hand, some of us are sleeping in the chum and there, you have to use your elbows to keep even a little space around yourself, stretched out on your side ! On the other, the rest of the team sleeps in the makeshift tent. Ot there, there's enough space but the cold is terrible and the noise of the tarpaulin flapping in the wind gives you the feeling of sleeping in a washing machine.
The wind is finally calmer and today, Yuri decides to move. The herd has no more food, so it's time for the migration. We move the camp 10 kilometers away. What a marvelous sight it is to see reindeer pulling sleds in this vast white space... End of the day, the camp is set up again in our new spot.
It's time to eat. Hot soup made of ??? It's hard to know what...
Another difficulty on the tundra - the moment to relieve ourselves. Not only do you have to find a spot where you can be discreet, but you also have to deal with the reindeer. They're attracted by the salt in our urine and take pleasure in accompanying us to drink the liquid and sometimes even fight each other over it. There, it takes skill to avoid their antlers.
Location: Tundra Thursday 22 May 2008
The sun is back, sometimes interrupted by a few snow falls, but the temperature is rising (+/- 0 °C).
We have a big problem today. Our generator, with which we charge our batteries, is defective. The starter is broken. Stéphane, our MacGyver, finds a makeshift system with a piece of wood instead of the cord, but another surprise. He's just fried 3 of our chargers.
Stéphane analyzes the situation and hopes to find a solution for the coming days.If not ???
In this fairy-like setting, we're filming daily life of the Nenets around our new campsite : the cutting of wood, the round-up of the reindeer, cooking ...
The end of the day approaches but the sun is still up... It's an ideal time for a stroll in the snow among the reindeer. At this time of year, the sun never sets. A little disturbing, but you get used to it. I feel good living with the Nenets --even under the difficult conditions of life here, notably those at night. How to get to sleep in the din of the flapping canvas of our tent or the snores of certain members of our group ?
My only solution is to get out my iPod. Every night, I listen to an albumn of Arvo Pärt. A moment of happiness. Time stops and sleep comes softly...
Location: Tundra Friday 23 May 2008
Today we're leaving for the site where the baby mammoth was discovered. The weather is changeable and unpredictable -- periods of momentary sunlight, snowfall and storm. The humidity is very high and sometimes it feels icy cold. Yuri and the Nenets gather the reindeer to harness them to the sleds. A long and complicated exercise. After hot tea, always a necessary ritual, we can finally get going. It's overcast and the snow is falling. We take two full hours to travel the 5 kilometers that separate us from the site. The « bourans » (Russian snowmobiles) regularly break down.
This vehicle is amazing - it can go anywhere, but you have to be very patient with it in view of the number of stops due to breakdowns. A trip can turn into a nightmare. At last, the site lies before us: vast stretches of white mixed with cliffs and water. Magnificent.
The day is long and exhausting. The snow and wind gather force. Everyone is tired. It's time to return to the chum.
On the way back, seated on the sled, I feel like Father Christmas drawn by reindeer in the middle of the snowy landscape. A major moment of happiness. Back in the chum, it's time to eat our meal. Tonight on the menu : tea accompanied by a slice of bread and two slices of fish (the « mouksoum » -- a local fish) cooked by Yuri's daughter Olga. A true treat ! Tonight, is cinema night in the chum. Pierre shows them a TV program on the life of the Nenets.
Location: Tundra Saturday 24 May 2008
This morning, I get up early to record some sound and ambiance of the tundra. When leaving the tent, I come within an inch of crashing into Pierre, who has just spent the night outside behind the tent, sheltered from the wind and snow. A bit strange to see him there, outside, frozen stiff, because during the night, he had to leave the very noisy chum to get some sleep.
Time is passing at warp speed. We've already spent a week on the tundra. After a difficult start, little by little you get your bearings, establish your habits, but especially, you lose the habits you have at home. Here, life is difficult and complicated. The cold, the diet, the housing, the sanitation (non-existent, truthfully) allow one to understand the difficulty of subsisting for these nomadic people. It awakens in us the simple values of life.
After a sunny day, the clouds are back and bringing snow with them. What an amazing thing - the sight of this white carpet blanketing the chums, reindeer and tundra.
It feels to me like Christmas, when you hear the sound of the bells ringing at midnight. Only no turkey tonight but in its place, a magnificent vacuum-packed purée of potatoes, hydrated with hot water.
A hollow sound comes from the reindeer. When they move around, their hooves emit a sound just like castanets.
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2 Comments
were did you guys find it and how can you guy take out more stuff about mammoth please we want to now more
I am trying to call attention to a story by Natgeo about Greg Williams kidnapping in the Philippines. It is fake and a hoax being peddled as docudrama. This story is full of holes and will put to shame a swiss cheese. Below was my original posting in their forum that was deleted by the moderator. Read on... I hope someone from Natgeo will notice and take action and make a recantaton of this story.
This is a bogus tale. Many inconsistencies in the tale. No Abu Sayaf kidnapping has ever occured from Cebu and taken to Mindanao. The logistics are just too great to overcome. The distance is to great for any small boat to accomplish the trip from Cebu to Mindanao. It means refueling several times and exposed to a lot of traffic and discovery by authority. Second the place of the kidnapping at the port area of Cebu is heavily guarded by government police and military personnel that unles they are involved themselves (Military & Police) in the kidnapping, it would be next to impossible to do it.
Another questionable aspect of his trip is that he claims he was recruited from Florida to become a Missionary in the Phillipines without the proper training in Missionary work and was just ask to come nonchalantly. Usually this trip is sponsored by the Church with complete instructions on what to do. Also you are always met at the airport by somebody from the mission.
The portion about Abu Sabaya using an interpreter to talk to him is also not believable. In all of his kidnappings he has never used an interpreter to broadcast his demands . He usually would like to talk to the media and speaks English during those broadcast.
Also for the Abu Sayaf to kidnap him looking for the blind prophet is totally rediculous. Why would they not kidnap the blind prophet instead of him? He claims that the Abu Sayaf knew that he was in contact with the prophet, in that case then they would know where the prophet is. Also, before the Abu Sayaf stages the kidnappings they have already scouted the area and the person to be kidnapped. They will not kidnap anyone at random unless they are sure they are going to get paid for it. So, they would usually target someone with money. If you are a foriegner travelling they would target expensive resort areas knowing that those who can stay in those resorts has the money and can afford to pay ransom.
The other aspect of the kidnappings is also very questionable. They would not kidnap 2 to 3 people in Cebu and ferry them all the way to Zamboanga and Jolo if they are not sure that they would get any financial benefit out of it. When they kidnap, they usually take more than 2 to 3 people at the same time. Their usual M.O. is to kidnap from a half dozen to a dozen victims at one time. That way it increasses their chances of getting a fat payday.
His mode of escape is very much a fairy tale. Granting that the interpreter is a good Samaritan who is willing to sacrifice himelf and his family for his sake, but it would be foolhardy to believe that his kidnappers are drinking beer and partying at night till the wee hours of the morning. The Abu Sayaf are avowed Muslims and does not touch alcohol. No one who has been kidnapped by them has ever witnessed them dringking alcoholic beverages.
The portion of his escape from the other end of the tunnel makes it seem like the kidnappers are a bunch of keystone cops who does not know what they are doing. If they have been using the cave as a hideout they would have known about the other opening and would have placed a guard on that entrance so no government troops can surprise them through that opening.
This episode should be labled as fiction and not as a true story. I am surprised that NatGeo did not check the inconsistencies of the story before airing it. It is a wonderfully made up fiction.
Next time Natgeo please check the story and its content and make sure they are real.
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