Day+31-37

While in Russia and the northern Arctic, I will be visiting with the Chukchi people. "Chukchi" comes from the word //Chauchu//, which means "rich in reindeer". This was used to distinguish themselves from the "Maritime Chukchi" or "sea people". These people live in frigid temperatures of well below zero. I am not a fan of the cold but I am interested in learning their way of life. I know that I must bundle up and keep all of my skin covered to protect from frostbite. The Chukchis are smaller and have shorter limbs than the average human, in order to stay warmer. I find this adaptatioin fascinating.

My flight leaves Kazakhstan on Wednesday, July 14th at 2:55am and arrives in Russia the next day at 7:20am. It costs approximately $1,045.

These people are believed to be those of haplogroup A, which first appeared about 50,000 years ago.

The Chukchis get most of their resources from the reindeer that they herd. This includes their clothing, food and even shelter. These are the people that first arrived in the Americas around 15,000 years ago during a huge ice age. They were able to walk along the frozen glaciers and ice of the Bering Strait into Alaska and then eventually down into the rest of North and South America. After the ice age this pathway melted and is no longer there.