After our first full week in Barnaul, where we settled into our
living quarters at the Altai Pedagogical Profilactory, hit the books and the
nearby book store for our language and culture classes and supplies, and had
every minute not spent in class packed to the hilt with visits to schools and
community service, a concert and multiple touring excursions, a cruise on the
River Ob, late night card and other games – and, did I mention, study-study-study?
- and general exploration and enjoyment of the city of Barnaul , we set out for our first trip away
from our new “home.”
We arrived in beautiful Belokurikha on Friday evening and
soon agreed the site was well worth the long bus ride, during which we rode
along a two-lane highway sometimes transformed into three lanes, with maniacal
drivers passing, speeding, braking, and careening around curves. Belokurikha is a resort town located about 4
hours south of Barnaul . It is in Altai Krai as well, but, at at the
foot of the impressive Tserkovka Mountain , it is where the steppe ends and the Altai Mountains begin.
Our accommodations at the Hotel Belovodye surprised and
delighted us. Fantastic lodging,
consistently hot showers, a varied selection of delicious food, good, strong
coffees and teas, and fine service spoiled us.
It took us no time at all to unpack and get comfortable. We had easy access to a large indoor water
park with slides, jet-stirred waters, and multiple pools and hot tubs. Perhaps most popular were the Russian banya,
Finnish sauna, and Turkish steam room, and there were those among us who
welcomed even the ice bath house!
The weather was on-and-off-again damp and rainy, but that
didn’t dissuade our party as we recharged our batteries during our 40+ hours in
Belokurikha. We kicked off Saturday with
a walking tour of the city, during which our knowledgeable guide – ably
assisted by the translation service of Igor Kolesov, Altai State Pedagogical
Academy English Philology Department Faculty Member – told us that the city’s
name means “white smoke,” referring to the mist that rises from hot springs
discovered in the late 1700s when Russian settlers passed through the
area. Although founded in 1803,
Belokurikha was only officially inaugurated as a city in 1867 when a doctor
built a wooden cabin near a spring and the site was advertised for the benefits
of its healthful waters.
We all hiked the lower mountain trails on Saturday, a light
hike by some in our party’s standards, but a fine introduction to the beauty of
the region, and later in the afternoon, twelve of us enjoyed a chair lift up to
the top and did even more hiking. [See
related post on that adventure.]
Walking alongside streams and waterfalls on a well-used
trail and filling our eyes with the lush vegetation and wondrous views was so
relaxing. There were hundreds of orange
butterflies flitting along flower-tops and chipmunks and birds were in
abundance. We crossed a mini-suspension
bridge and had fun bouncing and swaying along on the planks over the rushing
stream. We stopped at a wooden pavilion
near a forest meadow for some food and drink, the liberal amount and variety of
which amazed us! We looked on our
petite guide Elena Shushakova, who’d carried this repast in her
Mary-Poppins-like backpack, with astonishment!
We rested, toasted with vodka, and had our fill – we are in Russia , after
all, so the food and drink are always generous - before the return trip to
town.
After lunch at the buffet-style restaurant, our group split
up to further explore. Six people walked
and shopped their way back to the hotel and more banya – and vodka? –
time. The remaining dozen of us hopped
on the bus and experienced the summit via chair lift and hike, as previously mentioned. Point of view, we had the better end of the
deal as the weather cleared for us, and we were rewarded with stunning birds’-eye
views and vistas. We walked to an
outcropping called “The Chapel,” and heard the story behind how and why a
brilliantly shining cross was planted atop a neck-craningly-high stack of
boulders. Several of us scrambled up the rocks, but none made it to the very
scraggly top, so the cross remained out of reach.
Once down and on our way back to the lift, again, the
resourceful Elena set before us healthful, sustaining snacks – and vodka! –
produced from her magical backpack. We
then returned to the trail, admiring the stunning gifts of Nature all around
us. The mist of late afternoon started
to roll in, but not before we spotted a birch tree with ribbons tied to it,
symbol of an ancient heathen rite of worshipping the spirit of Altai – Altaidyn Eezi.
The ritual is called kaira
or dyalama (yalama). According to Altaian creation myth, the world
is divided into three spheres – Heaven, Earth, and Underground. When a human being climbed to the top of a
mountain pass, he had to sacrifice something because he was close to a god’s
dwelling. That sacrifice was ribbons. A ribbon-tied tree symbolizes a bridge between the three worlds. The branches of the tree stretch up toward
the heavenly realm of the gods, the trunk is firmly on Earth where man dwells,
and the tree’s roots spread underground to the world of spirits. Ribbons are tied only on the eastern side of
a birch, larch, or Siberian pine tree and only tied to trees that grow in
particular places such as in mountain passes or by springs. We were reminded of the thankfulness ancient
peoples had toward nature, and certainly our spirits were thankful for the
opportunity to experience it firsthand as well.
Once off the mountain, we walked in the rain among the shops
in the town center. These used to be
seasonal open markets but have evolved into more permanent, year-round
pavilions. Everywhere we saw evidence of the bounty of this region, where spa
resorts, growing tourism, and agriculture (particularly dairy processing, beer
production, and beekeeping) are the primary economic pursuits.
Earlier we’d heard about how the Belokurikian people have
always been very proud of their long-standing history as a spa location. The spring waters of the region have
reportedly healed skin, eye, and joint illnesses, and the idyllic atmosphere
has undoubtedly allowed many to recuperate from the stresses of living in a
hectic world. The city has won their
country’s gold medal as the best resort location in Russia for the last four
years. In addition to its more than 20
spa sanitorias - not to be confused with “sanitoriums” or restrictive mental
health institutions - Belokurikha’s layout includes thoughtfully landscaped
grounds and gardens, winding walkways along babbling brooks, scenic running and
hiking trails above and throughout the city, and everywhere, view of the surrounding
acres and miles of forests planted by the townspeople long ago.
For the weekend, we were the grateful recipients of the
people’s contribution. We thoroughly
enjoyed Belokurikian hospitality and the recreational and therapeutic benefits
of Belokurikha!
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