vlad.tribnet.com / Issue #547 / Vladivostok by Braille / Reading article...

Just before the real winter starts kicking in, me and a friend of mine decided it would be nice to pay a visit to the Russian island which is known to be the most popular place for Vladivostok residents to relax. However, they love to go there in summer while we decided to do it in December.

We had never been there before and were quite curious about what the island was all about. All we knew was it is an island not far from Vladivostok and together with Popov Island it’s the most popular place for Vladivostok residents. I heard that in summer both islands are flooded by beach-loving people.

A day in early December did not seem perfect for the plan, since the weather forecast predicted minus 6 degrees Celsius. Unfortunately, I will only be in Vladivostok until January and will not be able to see the islands in the warm sun. Besides, in January the average temperature is minus 11° Celsius, and that is just during the day! So, we decided better to go now than to wait. The plan was set for last Sunday, and we bravely decided to face the cold and early hour.

The choice for the Russian Island and not Popov was simple, since only one boat a day goes to Popov Island while you can reach the Russian island three times a day. One boat goes to the Russian Island early in the morning, one around noon and one in the afternoon. We thought it would be wise to take the early boat, so we would have the option of spending the entire day there.

It was a nice idea, even though it meant we had to get up at six in the morning. Most of the preparations took place the night before. Pack a bag of food, as we did not know if we would find stores or cafes on the island. Include a camera, and tissues for the inevitable runny noses.

I would like to point out that the Russian School, where I have classes during the week, start their lessons at half past nine every morning. Now you will probably understand that getting up at six in the morning does not agree with me. Brave as I am I got out of bed and got myself into nine pieces of clothing. At that point I did not even have my coat on! After hat, coat and gloves I was all set to go.

Feeling like a mummy I headed to meet my friend who lives in my same dormitory. Fearless we left the building and started our walk towards the coastal ferries station. In case anyone wants to follow our reckless plan: go to the S-56 submarine on Korabelnaya Naberezhnaya, you will find the station 100 meters eastwards.

Buying the tickets was easy, as was waiting for the moment to board the boat. Unfortunately for us, barely awake and in desperate need for the day to actually begin – or end, either way was fine for my sleepy eyes – the boat was not leaving… Due to stormy weather the departure was delayed for at least two hours.

A little disappointed we went out of the station, to figure out what we wanted to do. We noticed the cold, but absolutely no wind. Maybe we had understood the announcement wrong? She did say ‘shtorm’, did she not? Maybe it does not mean ‘storm’ after all? It would be a bit strange, but with our combined Russian vocabulary, we were unable to tell for sure. Had it been storming outside the coastal ferries station, we would have had no doubt, but this…

A little setback like this left us softies no choice. The decision was to go find some coffee, as I had not yet had any and I hardly function like a human being at all before my first dose of caffeine.

We did not actually expect to find a place that was open at this hour, but our favorite place for coffee, Studio Coffee, turns out to be a 24 hour cafe. It feels a bit strange, walking into a cafe, craving breakfast, while those who had been clubbing all night are just about to leave the place. In spite of the icy cold weather, we saw crop tops and stiletto heals passing by us as we took off our coats.

The cappuccinos successfully woke up our ability to think straight. Maybe this was a crazy idea, with the weather today. As the boats were not even sailing out, the island must have been freezing cold because of the alleged wind. Is it not that Sundays are meant for relaxing instead of suffering and squalor? Yes, the coffee definitely made us think better. A new plan was made.

This Sunday was to be a lazy Sunday and next weekend, provided the weather is better, we might try again. Honestly, I bet it will only get colder from now on, but who knows, maybe next week I will be able to tell you all about the Russian island. I guess your plans do not always turn out to be what you expected when you are in Russia.