“I had a childhood dream – to ride a dog sled in the snow. And it came true when I flew to Siberia. Husky are extraordinary dogs! I also managed to taste the national cuisine, it is as original as ours, Indian, you can immediately distinguish it from other cuisines of the world. For example, stroganina is a frozen fish that is eaten with spices right after being caught and frozen in the snow. I was able to attend the master class on how to make it, I even tried to chop it myself. This requires a certain strength and skill.
There was also something to see. I was especially impressed by the Norilsk Museum, which houses a unique collection of gold and silver coins, the Norilsk Golgotha - a memorial to the victims of the GULAG, the Taimyr Museum of Local Lore – the northernmost in the world. There I saw a legendary mammoth fossil that lived 45 000 years ago and was perfectly preserved in the permafrost.
Siberia is much more than snow-covered uninhabited plains. In fact, this is one of the most mystical and desirable places for travelers. And how different it is from India!
I really liked Taimyr! The curling tournament turned out to be a mere gift for me as a sports blogger. I even won a silver medal at the tournament among journalists and bloggers! And there were plenty of other discoveries, and even unexpected ones. For example, I found myself allergic to cold. Every time I went outside, my eyes started to water. Where else would I know about this! After visiting Taimyr, I was lucky to come to Russia again. My whole family went to the World Cup. In general, 2018 turned out to be a Russian year for me. I miss it”.
Follow Vikram in his blog vikramkamboj.com and in the @thesportsmirror instagram account to stay on top of the world sports news.
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Text: Natalia Popova, Photo: personal archive of Vikram Kamboj
