Here we are, after some 20 hours in transit, on the tarmac at the Yakutsk airport. From left to right, recently minted Dr. Erlend Kristiansen, Dr. Karl Erik Zachariassen (our fearless leader), and graduate students Christer and Arne.
Right off the plane I saw these two gentlemen hunkering down to chew the fat. And on the streets of Yakutsk it is quite common to see women walking arm in arm (in arm in the case of the group in the back). Both cultural hints that you have arrived at someplace a little different.
I think this guy's gig was to invite people to pose with his stuffed bear cub, take their picture and then sell them a couple of prints. He's sitting by a fountain in a big, well-kept public square in the center of the city.
On another morning, this old gent spent a while walking around the same fountain, studying the ground in front of the toes of his boots. I have no idea what he was looking for.
And then there are the Big Hats. There's a few in every
airport, but I caught these two walking by the hotel. I believe they
are policemen of some sort. These two seem innocuous enough, but the
ones in the airports seem especially
self-important -- and they pack sidearms.