Next stop, Volgograd. Last night, West & Jeff had a pretty heavy rain. The tent did very well in keeping them dry and cozy. They ate in their tent and, the only issue they had was figuring out how to use the restroom without going out in the rain. Oh, the problems they have.
They had a very successful day, paddling 49.2 miles. They wanted to paddle 50 miles but the wind and waves were getting to be too much at the end of the day. With a big paddling day tomorrow, they should arrive in Volgograd sometime early Friday. That will allow them a good day of rest before pushing on.
We have our contacts in place, ready and willing to help out. Alexei, a kayaker & SUP paddler, contacted me early in the expedition, as did Ilya and Alexandra with the tourism department. They are all willing to help. Alexei will pick the boys up and help with transporting their boats for safe overnight storage and getting West and Jeff to the hotel for the night. He speaks English which is a plus and is scouting a good place for the team to pull off the river after the dam. Ilya and Alexandra have offered safe storage for the boat just a couple of blocks from the hotel, if needed.
In Volgograd, West and Jeff will meet with the representatives from Procosta. They will be welcomed by them and further direction given for navigating the delta, on toward the Caspian Sea. There is a lot going on behind the scenes right now, getting everything coordinated. My right hand man, Stanislav in Rybinsk, continues to help me by talking to Alexei and Marat in Austin, Texas continues to patiently guide me through the Russian way of coordinating an expedition.
--Barbara
