A Quick Look on my Travels in 2016
The quote ‘The seeker embarks on a journey to find what he wants and discovers, along the way, what he needs’ by the American writer Wally Lamb, probably describes the best my 2016. This year, I didn’t climb the mountains that I wanted to climb, but, along the way, found something more important than the mere joy of standing on the top.
1. January — Kilimanjaro
On January 1, 2016 I woke up in the outskirts of Bydgoszcz, Poland, after some really exhausting party. As the usual New Year party in this part of the planet goes — we had vodka, then vodka, and then a little more vodka, because why not. I barely drove back to Warsaw in order to board the plane to Dar-Es-Salam the next day.
I must confess, I completely underestimated the seriousness of trip: hangover turned to overall weakness in the airport, which in turned into illness upon my arrival to Tanzania. Despite all my attempts to keep up with the challenge, I couldn’t complete the climb — after reaching the Stella Point, second milestone at the Kilimanjaro summit, I could not neither talk nor walk in any sane manner.
The record of my trip diary said:
“Day 6 — January 8th, 2016
I couldn’t sleep well before the ascend. Watched “Easy Rider” and tried to sleep, but all in vain. We got up at around 11 PM and moved out from the camp at around midnight. The first three hours were OK, but then I started to feel the first symptoms of the altitude sickness: it felt like I was getting drunk and was slowly falling asleep. So I turned off the music in my earphones and was looking up from time to time to find out how much was there to climb. Time went slowly and it was challenging. I remember that when it got lighter when we were almost on the top.Throughout the time I’d have these conflicts over my body — I would suddenly realize that I’m not in control of my own body. It happened 3 or 4 times and I’d always win. But not the last time.
I didn’t get to the Uhuru point. I failed. I’ve reached my physical limit. I’ve reached Stella point (5756 m amsl) but I could no longer understand what was happening with me. I’ve seen the snows of Kilimanjaro. Technically I’ve reached the crater but it was not the top. The feeling of being one of the weakest members (there were 2 more guys like me) of the group was daunting. But at the point where I’ve been it didn’t matter much. I was completely lost — I was moving from left to right, I was losing my consciousness so that the porters would push me to the top. At Stella Point I didn’t even understand that I was there.
I asked Andrzej, our team lead — ‘can I go further”? He said: “you don’t seem well. I will ask you two questions and if you answer them right then you can go. Or just repeat the phrase that I’m telling you now.” I couldn’t repeat the phrase.
“Your brain is not working!!! Go down now!” Andrzej shouted, concluding the results of his short test. Hamadi, chief guide, came up and supported his diagnosis. Strangely enough, this part I could understand. As if some part of my brain still kept its functioning but coudn’t expand its control over the rest of the body.
So they turned me into the NRC-foil, some kind person (probably, Ayuba) took my camera and made some pictures. Without this kind person I woudn’t even have a proof that I’ve been there.
For some reason I felt like a deja vu moment. It seemed like I was in this moment before. For some reason I visualized some luxurious lawyer’s office (apparently, hallucinations). I even thought that maybe at some point I got so excited that I drank alcohol with someone on the mountain and got drunk. But no, there was no alcohol whatsoever. It was just pure chemistry of my blood vessels being overwhelmed with altitude.
I’ve failed but I didn’t give up. For me it just meant that I need to come back, and that there were no easy mountains. And that I was really weak. And this is the lesson that you learn in the mountains: there are lots of people who are smarter and stronger than you. Even though throughout your life your family and friends would tell you that you’re the best. But you’re not. Just accept it.
We came back with two guys — they were literally bringing me back to Earth: Moyo and Ayuba (later we spoke with Ayuba and I couldn’t recognize him). From time to time we would sit and have a break, then Ayuba would make a picture with my camera. At some point they even shared their lemonade (which was delicious). Then we reached my tent. I was so exhausted that I couldn’t even open it while standing. So I got on my knees to open it — this was another dramatic moment. This is when Ayuba and Moyo came up to help me. As soon as I got to the tent I felt dead asleep.”
2. Zanzibar
Following the (unsuccessful) ascend to Kili, our group travelled around some gorgeous National parks in Tanzania, going as close as possible to Olduvai gorge (it’s still my dream to get there), and finally settled in the small village of Nungwi, Northern Zanzibar.
There I’d resort to very simple things: walking, sleeping by the beach, eating, reading Noah Harari’s “Sapiens” (where else to read it if not next to the craddle of humankind), and eventually going out to excursions to Stonetown and Sea ‘Blue’ Safari.
Moment at Zanzibar: reading final 100 pages of the ‘Sapiens.’ The book, covered with sand and sea salt, made me angry due to reductionist understanding of the human rights (Zanzibar had, till 1923, legalized slavery). And still, nevertheless, I got addicted to Harari’s narrative: instead of diving, snorkling or having a cocktail at the restaurant (or, as one of helpers suggested, having a tattoo), I was hastily consuming the evolutionary narrative.
3. March— SXSW
This year was the first for me and my colleague Oleg to stay at an AirBnB, instead of traditional SXSW-sponsored motel. The view (as seen on the picture) from our Capitol Hill bungalow (right next to the famous graphity wall) was amazing — you could see the famous Texan Capitol and could feel yourself as a part of all Linklater’s movies put altogether. The comfort of the living, unfortunately, was not — it was, apparently, the dirtiest host on my memory. Plus, when choosing which room to take — I’ve lost the draw and stayed at the kids room — among the dolls and pink ponies.
But Austin had its perks — every morning we would get proper bagels and real American coffee. We spent entire days at the conference, and then, at the end of the day, at the bottle of proper American IPA, we would share what we’ve learned in the conference.
Moment in Austin: jogging along the banks of Colorado river. It was dark already, and I’ve chosen a 16 km route. I remember this jog very clearly (a month later I’ve successfully ran a half-marathon in Warsaw in 1:57) — it was a mix of discovery, a bit of fear, and inspiring feeling of freedom of a jogger.
4. March — San-Francisco
In San-Francisco, I met with some brilliant personalities (Chris, Lizzie, I hope you’re reading this), including Tim O., famous tech visionary, and Doug, whose company once created my childhood’s superhit ‘Prince of Persia’ (it was something like meeting Santa, and realizing Santa’s alive). The moment of this trip to SF — was going back and forth by the broad Californian highways during the rain. The image below depicts this mode: an infinite loop of crossing the Golden Gate bridge.
4. March–Samara
In Samara, me and the glorious Teplitsa team decided to get a nice after-work bicycle escape at Zhiguli peninsula (where river Volga is making a huge turn). There, me and my colleagues went through a tough 20-km bicycle ride among the snow-covered banks of Volga to have a humble picnic on the riverfront. When we were coming back we had to go through the antracite-black piles of mood, and, I think, it was the dirtiest that anyone one of us ever got this year. The image below is also ironical in a way, as it describes, basically, how most of us were getting through this tough year.
5. April — Karkonosze mountains
In April, I’ve got the little book of the Polish Mountain Crown. You have to fill it in while climbing Poland’s 28 highest summits (I even tried to copy the idea to Russia — but my enthusiasm evaporated after 2 organizational meetings — Dima K., if you’re reading this, I hope you’re not angry for the time lost).
And I should say that the getting the Polish crown jewels is probably the best way to spend long weekends (only Mazury or Baltic Sea yachting might compete). In April I climbed Wysoka Kopa, Skopiec, Skalnik, and, of course Czech Republic’s highest mountain — Śnieżka.
6. May — Baltic sea trip
In May, my high duty itinerary got me to the Western part of the Baltic sea. For a week, me and my co-sailors sailed north to Sweden and Denmark, crossed the Big Baltic Sea Road (which involved running away from huge ferries and ocean-class tankers).
The moment I remember the most: 4-hour night shifts at the steering wheel, when the only proper reference points are stars (also, this year was marked by stargazing — I did it a lot, as due to travels, I could finally see the clear night sky — something we, the urban dwellers, are miserably deprived of). The night shifts were cold, freezing, penetrating to the bone at first. But the sound of the wind hitting the sails ‘bow-bow-bow’ and the coal-black-darkness of the cosmic night was worth the suffering.
7. May — Carcassonne
As my dearest friends (Vova, Anya, Emi, dearest greetings to you!) from Moscow moved to Spain, my map of must-visit places added one more marker. After a short stay in the outskirts of Salou, our group (Alexey, Sveta– I hope you’re reading this) got on cars and moved out to the medieval castle Carcassonne that was restored in the late XIX century from regular army barracks to France’s major tourism centre.
The main moments of this rather hedonistic trip: was excessive eating, wine-tasting, amateur filmmaking (you don’t want to know this story), and crossing the Pyrenees (my first visit to Andorra).
8. May — Sarajevo
Trip to Sarajevo was extremely special, as it’s in this wonderful city, I’ve met the person I love most now and who makes me extremely happy every given day. At this place — where Miljacka makes its turn, a seed of love of sown in our hearts. And since then, Sarajevo is forever in my heart. I mean, perfect Cevapcici or Bosnian coffee were important points to love this city, but meeting a soulmate is something much more important.
It’s in this city I understood the importance of spotting a Black Swan if it appears to spread its wings in front of you.
Moment of Sarajevo: running away from breakfast for a coffee and croissant at Maison CoCo and making up a story of Gavrilo Princip travelling in time.
9. July — Berlin
Now, as my whole life changed, the only rationale to go somewhere was to go somewhere with Dona, we chose Berlin as our destination. And even though we didn’t plan much (just to hang out in the middle of Mitte district), the visit turned out more than rich with events: from delicious dinner at Oxymoron, to viewing pillaged Ishtar gate, to talking on everything from science to art at Vasiliy Melnichenko’s kitchen (and having an excursion in the vicinity), to listening to amazing Valentin Gadenoff on the creation of the Universe, to going out on a Flamenco night (Celia!). And finally going to the Berlin Cinema museum.
Moment in Berlin: going back from the metro station every day, exhausted but happy. PS: never buy the bio-bio wine ;) PPS: also never Inglorious bastards on the balcony in the centre of Berlin.
10. July — Altai mountains
Altai trip was very difficult emotionally. The hardest thing was to see how polluted the place was and how no one cared — the human’s traces were present everywhere and you felt physically sick for all of what happened. But weatherwise was also hard — 12 out of 12 days it was raining — therefore we didn’t climb Belukha. But climbing the Delaunay pass was, apparently, the hardest thing I ever did in my life. No exaggeration here.
Diary record:
*** 23.07.2016 — Delaunay pass ***
I’m writing this entry from Mensu glacier, while heavy rain bombards the roof of our tent and thunders strike every 10 minutes. We’re in a thunderstorm at 3200 m amsl. It’s a bit scary here. But the weather here is like a random numbers generator. You have no guarantees what will happen next or what how long the current weather will last.
Today was a very difficult day, but I already feel heroic for accomplishing it. With great struggles, we’ve passed the Delaunay pass. If you don’t watch Game of Thrones, google the Northern Wall: well, this is exactly what we’ve passed. A 300 meter wall of ice, that you have to pass with the help of ascenders (JuMars) on ropes. It was my first time of doing something like this and it was incredibly hard.
There were several times that I thought my arms will fail me and I had to give up (two participants had to step down). Indeed, I felt that again, I might give up earlier than others. But I didn’t and I’m really happy about it. At some last point I had something like a Berserk mode, I just climbed and climbed. I had to wait for my breathe to calm down. It was some sort of rhythm of me getting completely overwhelmed with my breathing and pulse, and then — walking again. Even if we don’t get on the summit, this was something worth going for.
After we passed the Delaunay pass, a huge, beautiful and almost virgin Mensu glacier presented itself. We were lucky from the early morning, the weather was tremendous — you could see stars in the morning (we got up at 3:30 am) and after the pass it was a real summer.
We walked for an hour to reach the location of our camp and set it right on ice. We dag a toilet in snow and ice, had a dinner. After that we slept for 5 hours. I couldn’t fall asleep for all the time, so j was just lying, resting my feet. Then Ilya came and said: I have to news for us and both are bad: “the weather forecast is bad, and our gas kitchen had been releasing some gas so now we don’t have gas.”
11. August — Lake Ohrid
In August, we wanted to go to Mount Korab but instead got to the touristic mecca of Macedonia — lake Ohrid. We had some very nice time there ;)
12. August — Crete
In Crete we’ve accomplished my life long dream — to go to the Falasarna bay. We’ve spent an amazingly peaceful week, reading to each other Lem’s Solaris, listening to the audiobooks while at the beach, climbing Venice Republic’s old fortresses and discovering Greek cuisine. And, stargazing, of course. What a great week it was!
13. October — Kiev
As September was spent entire in business matters, there were no travels. Unlike October. The first pearl was Kiev with a trip to lavish mansion of corrupt Yanukovich (on the picture). The most striking exponate of this live museum was Steinway and Sons special edition of Lennon’s signed piano (apparently worth of 600 thousand euros) with an inscription “You may say I’m a dreamer” (and then you imagine ugly Yanukovich bragging to his phonies about this).
14. October — Mountains
In October, right after Kiev we continued to collect the Polish Mountain crown and got on Ślęża (on the picture) and some other local mountain next to Wałbrzych.
15. October — Brussels
In October I finally started to understand Brussels. After 4 years of visiting it, I’ve finally started to using buses. There with Dona, we enjoyed beautiful panoramas, and mussels of course (and we cooked better mussels than those in the restaurants).
15. November–Krasnoyarsk
In November aside from Skopje, Moscow, Brussels, and Warsaw, I visited Krasnoyarsk. But due to -24C cold and Dona’s cold, we’ve spent most of the time inside — in our hotel (on the picture).
14. December–Prague
Finally (and I’m excluding some of my December trips here), it was Prague. And I’m going to Prague really often but only this year could I find (thanks to Dona’s friends) something entirely new — like Institute of Cryptoanarchy or Crossclub (on the picture) or Cafe Louvre, or DOX Centre for Contemporary Art.
So, even though I didn’t climb the summits I thought I was supposed to, I found something that completely changed my life. And in upcoming 2017 I wish you the same — find new ways to see the world, find new people to love and be with, and be absolutely amazed by their beauty and wit, and find new ways to look at yourself and your life. Because this is what counts.
