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Sunday, August 22, 2004
Conquering the Bear 13 August 2004
He's got a hooked nose any pirate would be proud of and the neck of a good front rower. His style is all his own - and he gets the job done. People like him but with a healthy fear. His name is Yuri Mikoliavich, and no, he is not the bear.
But he is the reason that I awoke at 4 am today, to leave camp before the sun arose and to trek 10 kilometres along the beach front. Past the early morning bathers. (Did I tell you the beach here is made of stones and rocks and every 100 metres or so is divided by a large concrete jetty jutting out about 50 metres into the sea. Great for diving off but some what a detractor from the beauty that God created) Up little rocky outcrops and down through a camp site. The views are spectacular. The sun starts to beat and before its 9 am it feels like the hottest part of the day. Finally we climb through a town centre buy some snacks and wait at an intersection where more than enough policemen are directing hardly any cars, trying to direct pedestrians and blowing aimless whistles at the dogs that just wander out into the streets. And then comes the cavalcade, 1, 2, 3 police cars followed by 7 or 8 black Mercedes with dark tinted glass windows followed by a couple more cop cars. One of these cars contains Ukraine's President, and no, he is not the bear.
We are standing at the bottom of Bear Mountain, 570 metres up out of the sea, and its time to conquer it. A couple hours later my response is "Slava Bog", Praise God!! Views that I thought only existed in N.Z. Green bush, sparkling ocean! 38 exhausted but satisfied campers. Yuri Mikoliavich, take a bow.
But he is the reason that I awoke at 4 am today, to leave camp before the sun arose and to trek 10 kilometres along the beach front. Past the early morning bathers. (Did I tell you the beach here is made of stones and rocks and every 100 metres or so is divided by a large concrete jetty jutting out about 50 metres into the sea. Great for diving off but some what a detractor from the beauty that God created) Up little rocky outcrops and down through a camp site. The views are spectacular. The sun starts to beat and before its 9 am it feels like the hottest part of the day. Finally we climb through a town centre buy some snacks and wait at an intersection where more than enough policemen are directing hardly any cars, trying to direct pedestrians and blowing aimless whistles at the dogs that just wander out into the streets. And then comes the cavalcade, 1, 2, 3 police cars followed by 7 or 8 black Mercedes with dark tinted glass windows followed by a couple more cop cars. One of these cars contains Ukraine's President, and no, he is not the bear.
We are standing at the bottom of Bear Mountain, 570 metres up out of the sea, and its time to conquer it. A couple hours later my response is "Slava Bog", Praise God!! Views that I thought only existed in N.Z. Green bush, sparkling ocean! 38 exhausted but satisfied campers. Yuri Mikoliavich, take a bow.
