The kayak expedition through the Siberian tundra is over. From Batagay-Alyta we set off back to civilization. Luckily we survive the return flight in one of the ancient flying tins and reach Yakutsk again in bright sunshine and almost thirty degrees. Our dear Lyoba was so sad when we left that we thought she would be happy to see us back. And we were right, she welcomed us very warmly and even took the rest of the week off for us.

She is still at work when we arrive, but her little son has been given instructions and lets us into the apartment, somewhat uncertain and practically only wearing our underwear in the hot weather.

We cannot last long in civilization.

On to the next adventure!

There I can finally take a good shower after three weeks. We sort out our things and relax until Lyoba arrives in the evening with a couchsurfer from Austria. Sascha stays just one night and hitchhikes from Yakutsk to Magadan, the easternmost city in Eurasia that can be reached by road.

We enjoy the fresh fish that Konstantin gave us in Batagay-Alyta, raw and garnished with onions and spices, and exchange our stories. After a quiet day and a night of drinking vodka and karaoke in Yakutsk, we don’t want to miss out on a special sight in Yakutia: the Lena Rocks.

South of Yakutsk, gigantic sandstone columns, some up to two hundred meters high, rise into the sky on the banks of the Lena. Lyoba is looking forward to the trip. Marcel is staying with friends and we rent a car for the trip.

To confirm Russian clichés once again, we see that the car is already extremely damaged when we receive it. The window is cracked and the rear bumper is torn to shreds. Lyoba is not surprised.

The road to the rocks is also very adventurous and consists mostly of gravel and mud. At least we have a four-wheel drive car. Since the route is long, we prepare ourselves for another night in the wilderness.

Here we see a different face of Siberia!

On the edge of the huge Lena there is a high sand dune, which we naturally visit. It seems bizarre to see a form of sand desert in the middle of the boreal tundra and right next to this gigantic river.

We have to take a boat to the other side of the river and find a man in a village who lets us use his small motorboat.

I have never seen a more powerful river in my life. It is several kilometers wide. The river looks like a huge lake, but it has a clear current. Many large islands form a labyrinth in which you have to know your way around to find the fastest route to the other bank.

We climb the dune and are amazed by the size of the river from above. The epic imposingness of the sight is further underlined by the threatening dark clouds and flashes of lightning on the horizon.

It took us four hours by car, then another three hours at the dune, and we have to drive another fifty kilometers through muddy tracks to reach our final destination. It’s late and we set up camp on a hill above a village called Tik Ani.

We have a wonderful view over the river and can see the Lena rocks in the distance. The campfire is burning and we are making pasta in the outdoor kitchen again. I take out the guitar again and Uli and I have to get used to a phenomenon again: the dark night. The weeks north of the Arctic Circle had little noticeable effect on the brightness at night, but returning to Yakutsk three weeks later brought back the darkness, which will have taken over the whole day in a few months.

A dark night – we are no longer used to that

The next day brings a sobering experience. The beautiful, brilliant weather has given way to low-hanging clouds. We take our time with the game breakfast, but it doesn’t get any better. We drive to the next village and Lyoba asks her way until we find another fisherman who will take us across to the other bank. The journey takes over half an hour, but we are left breathless by the size of the Lena’s pillars. They are not just a few towers standing out here and there.

This wall of pillars is a bulwark built by titans, stretching for several kilometers along the river. We crane our necks to look up along the pillars and see them disappear into the clouds. Yesterday’s storm has not dissipated, but is hidden here behind the rocks. Lightning flashes and we reach a small hut belonging to the national park administration before a heavy rain starts and draws a shower curtain in front of the whole world.

The shower doesn’t last long and soon Uli and I are on our way to the top of one of the rocks. We foreigners can’t be left alone, says Viachana, who accompanies us as a guide. The young woman, who speaks good English and started a summer job here, can’t tell us why every Yakut should instinctively know the way better. It doesn’t get any better when she has to stop again and again to rest while we practically rush her up. The torture at Sobopol has at least paid off in good condition.

We reach the top and marvel at the view. Uli launches his drone, which works perfectly here again. The low-hanging clouds give the rock towers a special kind of grandeur. Veils of fog pass through the sandstone fortress.

The view from above is just as impressive

We end the last day very quietly, buy a few souvenirs and stroll through Yakutsk one last time. With a final evening with our dear Lyoba, vodka and karaoke, the trip ends in a very Russian way and remains for the most part in our fondest memories.

Who would have guessed how far-reaching the consequences of our trip would be? Lyoba and Uli will get married in April 2019.