Flying out of Nalcheyvo

---

"Walk the way we came?!? Your crazy - there is no way I'm going back that way." Natasha exclaimed.

She was only about 5 foot 2 but full of spirit. She had just walked 40km with a back pack well over packed and had managed to sprain her leg in the process.

The previous night, Yoshik and Casha tried in vain convincing her that there was no other choice.

Yoshik a polish tour guide, guiding some Poles from Warsaw and Casha were friends who had met 4 years back.

Casha had given Yoshik a lift whilst Yoshik was hitch hiking of his own around Kamchatka.

Good friends ever since, Casha now joined Yoshik on his tours through Kamchatka.

We convinced Natasha to sleep on it and see what happened the next day. Daybreak came and Natasha was rull of spirits again.

"We're going to fly away!" she happily informed us.

"I know the helicopter is going to come today and we are going to get a ride out!" I wasn't so sure but I didn't want to dampen Natasha's spirits so mentally I prepared Natasha, spiritually of course, for the 40km trek back.

During the morning we made our way to the Tolavskiye hot springs. The depth of these spring is unknown, and I'd you fall in... well your toast as Yoshik puts it ... "and I'm not coming in after you."

Extremely warm the springs are are over 80 C. We decide to bath in some of the hot springs nearby that are only 25 C and visit the museum in the national park whilst we contemplate our next move.

The museum is quite nice and has a lot of information about the national park and ideas on how to prolong your stay in Nalchevyo if you are a big fan. One way is to volunteer and the park very much welcomes volunteers to maintain trails and camp sites.

whilst relaxing in the springs the air is filled with loud noise. A helicopter enters the skyline in the distance.

"Our savior" exclaims Natasha and runs to change out of her swimmers into her clothes and intersect the pilot when he lands. Casha runs to help her. Me and my mum are hesitant whether to follow her.

Having flown on a helicopter a few days prior, we know how costly they are to run. Plus the walk was only 40km long with very beautiful flora and fauna to be seen along the way.

Two minutes later...

We were changed into our walking clothes and ready to go.

It was 12:30pm and about time we began the hike back to the Pinalchevyo pass or the campsite of the first night.

In the distance Casha was running frantically towards us.

We quickened our pace to meet him.

"Quickly you must get ready the helicopter will only wait 15 minutes for you. You have no time!" he panted. I began to run as I knew mum who had difficulty running would only make it just in time. Along the way we found my bra which I had lost the night before whilst changing at the second hot spring.

"Who has the keys" rasped Casha.

"Natasha" I yelled back. This was not the case when we ran back to the hut.

"Your mum has the keys! I gave them to her for safe keeping!" Natasha explained in a panic as we ran to meet her.

Without a word I ran to meet my mum to get the keys off her. I'd made up my mind to get Natasha on that helicopter no matter what.

Whilst packing up our hut in a massive rush the helicopter driver ran in and grabbed some of our belongings and rushed to the helicopter shouting

"I'm on a tight curfew and I'm leaving... NOW!! "

We made haste to follow, handfuls of food in one hand, dripping wet swimwear in another and the sleeping bag half unrolled dragging in tow.

As we piled into the helicopter the pilot jumped into the cockpit and started the engine. Casha, having decided not to join us, waved furiously from below as our helicopter took off into the horizon.

We finished the day feasting with Galia on giant Kamchatka crab.

---