The old ways
The village of Chemal sits along the Katun River at the foot of the Altay Mountains, which stretch from southern Russia into Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia. The environment there is pristine, the scenery breathtaking, but almost no people live in this corner of the earth, because there is no industry and no jobs and no money, and because the winters are brutally long and cold and because forest fires, pushed by stong winds from the south, sweep throug the valleys at incredible speed.
The people who do live in Chemal make a little money from tourists, who come to test themselves against the rivers's rapids or to live life the old way, without conveniences, for a week or two.
For about $15 a night, you can stay at the home of Edvard and Nadejda Schmals, for instance. For that price you get a comfortable bed, three hearty meals and the services of Nadejda as your personal tour and hiking guide. However, you'll have to put up with living in the 19th century, for the most part.
Like almost everyone else in Chemal, the Schmals do not have indoor plumbing. You'll have to pump a bucket of water from the well, then pour it into another bucket above the sink, then push on the stopper at the bottom of that bucket to get handfuls of water to wash your face and brush your teeth. Feel like a hot shower? Sorry. Edvard will fire up the banya for you on Saturday so that you can sweat off the dirt and cool yourself down with dippers of icy stream water. There is an outhouse beyond the garden. It's a long walk from the house, so I don't know what they do in winter when it gets to 50 below zero.
The Schmals' cow needs to be milked regularly, and you'll be asked to do it, if you like. They also have a few chickens, as most everyone does. The garden, cow and chickens provide the Schmals with most of what they need to eat; they trade for much of the rest. Their daughter, Leda (in photo), and her husband, Oleg, help in the garden and around the house and share the harvest. Unlike most young people, they have decided to stay in Chemal, rather than move to the city. It's not so hard to understand that - all you need to do is to see this landscape illuminated by starlight or to lower your lips to the stream for a cool drink.
