Bilibino

The city of Bilibino.

July 2, 2005
Our Overnight Stay in Bilibino

It was a 45 min. bus ride to Bilibino with all our luggage and standing room only. We got off the bus in front of this run down precast concrete block house. Everyone except me grabbed their luggage and ran into this building and scrambled up the stairs. By the time I was able to get my luggage and enter the building I had lost my group.

When I entered the building it was hard to believe the conditions I found. If ever you have been in the "Projects" in Chicago or seen pictures, you might have thought that’s where you were. No lights, tiles coming off floors and crummy dirty halls. I followed the other group up three flights of stairs to a section that had gates made of steel reinforced bars - welcome to BEMA’S apartments. The area slept 18 people and I got the last bed in the laundry room. The joke was on them - I got the only private room.

Food was cooked in the dining area and we ate in two shifts. I think it was Dinty Moore stew. We watched Russian News, played more poker and went to sleep about 9:00 pm.The next morning I was up at 3:00 AM trying to figure out what to do until the bus at 8:00 am. Thought I would be smart and get the first shower…no hot water or water pressure, so I washed up in the sink and went back to the room to read.

Everyone slowly got up and several of us went for a walk through the town and found the worst poverty I have ever seen. The only thing eating well in Bilibino are the mosquitoes, there is nothing at all in the town.

Once we ate, we got on the bus and headed to the airport only to have our bus break down outside of town. I have a new respect for smokers. They were the only people brave enough to venture into the mosquitoes to support their habit.

About 45 minutes later, another bus picked us up. From then on it was rather uneventful ride to the camp. Once we landed it was off to the hill to work, where I saw a lot of old faces. Long day. I’m tired.