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| sunrise3500 |
I make super fun happy hour post in europe thread, but no one dares to guess (or no one cares.. eh.. but of those I've spoken to, are :O)... so for those that are interested (or if you've played STALKER or Call of Duty 4, this will be right up your alley!)....
I went to Chernobyl (In the ukraine - I'm actually still in the Ukraine but Chernobyl was just a day trip). the place of the world's biggest nuclear disaster. Despite this having happend over 20 years ago, radiation is still a great danger and one cannot enter without military approval and a tour guide and an official to keep an eye out.
The city, Pripyat, which has become more of a jungle now has heaps to see and we only got to see the main attractions, unfortunatley that didn't include the large painting on the side of the building which I was eager to see. (I was however the only person in the group that went to the building/room with the portraits - it helps if you know what's there and to ask so the guide can point you to the right direction if it's close by at which point you run, spend 30 seconds there and run back - not because of radiation but so you don't miss the bus because it keeps moving so freaking fast. unfortunately the day was spoilt with some sour weather - the rain was on/off all day, atleast for the most part it wasn't too bad but it was very dark which made taking photos a bit hard.
The major checkpoint and passport check (You need to have your passport number registered with the military for access) was at the 30km exclusion zone. Within this zone is the Chernobyl town - people live here (Those that refuse to leave Chernobyl who returned after the disaster, and those that work there for maintenance - but they're on rotation spending time in and out of the zone), and we also had to check in here and sign our lives away in a sense.
The next checkpoint was at the 10km mark, from this point on no one lives here because the radiation levels are not safe.
There is also a large monument to the fire fighters. Who are really heros, and probably didn't realise they were giving their lives away at the time. They were just doing their job, but they would have very soon realised something was not right...
Our first actual sight seeing stops were for the reactor behind the disaster. Nothing looks damaged, it just seems a bit quiet. The damage and danger which lurks here is invisible - radiation. From our closest viewing point, even just walking a few metres closer towards the reactor the geiger counter's radiation count quickly increases.
After the reactor we move onto Pripyat, which resembles more a jungle. A visit to a school, the swimming pool, a fair and a hotel.
There's certainly a strange feeling when you arrive in Pripyat and you think about why it is in the state it is - everyone having to leave at the drop of a hat. Everything normal one minute, and disaster the next. So visiting Pripyat is almost like getting into a Delorean and going back 20+ years. There's also lots of soviet/communist remnants about, and this would have been a city they were very proud of at the time.
After our sight seeing we went back to Chernobyl town, this time going through the red forest - not stopping, just a drive straight through as the radiation levels here are very high. The trees just suck it in from the ground. As we entered the tour guide says how even he is scared when he comes through here, and almost on cue, geiger counter alarms can be heard that the level is too high. Outside the bus the levels would be much higher again.
Back at Chernobyl town, each person stands on a machine which checks for contamination, after all being given the green light, we wash our hands before enjoying a 3 course meal of ukrainian food. All food and water is brought in from OUTSIDE the zone. Not just because they're nice but because this is the law. Anything grown within the zone would be contaminated.
Finally we continue back out of the zone, and arrive back at the 30km checkpoint again and have a final contamination check by some strange old machinery. Before finally departing. What happens if someone is found to be contaminated, I don't know, perhaps they're given a free shower and scrub or something...
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| pkcRAISTLIN |
thread title made me think this was a promo for a new radio show ;)
nice pics! |
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| sunrise3500 |
| quote: | Originally posted by pkcRAISTLIN
thread title made me think this was a promo for a new radio show ;)
nice pics! |
hahaha maybe when i get back i'll start a radio show called 'radio active', presenting the latest in sterile music. |
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| 00soups00 |
| That must have been an amazing experience. those photos are amazing, however very creepy. You should try and go a bit further East and check out Russia. I highly recommend it |
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| gumble |
that place is awesome!
the deer and other animals are also quite happy back in this area right? |
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| gumble |
| did you wear lead underpants? :p no babies for you! |
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| sunrise3500 |
| quote: | Originally posted by gumble
that place is awesome!
the deer and other animals are also quite happy back in this area right? |
didn't see or hear anything about deer. but did hear that while hunting is not permitted, that there is some wolf hunting that happens to keep numbers under control |
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| radshuffle |
| yeah these are great pics, I have always wanted to check out Chernobyl. I remember about 4-5 years ago maybe more seeing a website where a guy got on his motorbike and rode through the town taking photos of it. Love the dodgem cars pic! |
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