Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
which is salted, often smoked, pig fat. It is eaten in great quantities during the
winter in Russia and the Ukraine.
'Baba Galya loves
sala
!' she said, while nibbling on the white pieces of fat.
I had also grown to love it and devoured countless slices along with bread and
whole cloves of garlic. Chris, on the other hand, had reservations about eating pure
chunks of fat.
Once again we ate to bursting point and were left feeling like immovable blobs.
We had only stopped riding for a day, but if this kept up for ten days we would
most certainly be overweight by the time we departed.
As we began to pack up the breakfast mess, I heard Tatyana use a word that was
unfamiliar to me. 'Tatyana, what does
szhopa
mean?' I asked.
She laughed and so did Galya. 'Hey Baba Galya, show Tim what a
szhopa
is!'
Tatyana demanded. With a cackle Galya turned around and slapped her bum. Arse,
it meant arse!
Our day was mapped out by Tatyana. After breakfast Chris helped cart water
from the well. The water had frozen overnight and they had to break the ice with a
long pole before lowering the bucket.
Then there was the firewood collecting, and gathering of potatoes in the cellar.
It struck me that Galya was one of the most energetic and lively seventy-five-year-
olds that I had ever known. Just the mere fact that she had to keep the fire going at
all times would have been hard enough.
At lunch we had guests from across the street. Baba Sveta, as we came to know
her, had the same humour and zest for life as Galya. Together they were unstop-
pable. Baba Sveta, her daughter, and her grandaughter were all keen to see my
photo album from Australia and talk about the adventure. I was glad that 'frozen
toes' wasn't the main subject.
In the afternoon I had my first appointment with the doctor. He removed the
bloodied bandages to inspect for any signs of infection, and I was relieved that
only a small amount of flesh from the end of my toes had been removed. It would
probably grow back without scarring. Whether the nerves would return or not was
another question. One thing I knew very well about frostbite was that even after a
mild dose, the affected part of the body would be permanently susceptible to cold.
In any case, it was encouraging to face up to reality in the light of day - a far cry
from the uncertainty of night.
