Friday, July 2
Yesterday was amazing and today was great too!!
Our day was spent right on the Black Sea at an international summer camp for kids aged 10-18 called Orlenok. In Russian this means baby eagle. Right now, there are 3000 kids at the camp taking part in one of seven different sub-camps. The mission of the camp is to teach students three things: 1. patriotism 2. leadership 3. citizenship.
We were greeted at the camp by two camp leaders. They began to give us the grand tour of the vast complex. Our first stop was at the border patrol camp. Here the campers are to watch three different posts on the grounds (two entrances and one of the sea). The kids report to their advisors routinely and make note of all visitors or anything strange. We were told that a few times, the children at this camp have actually seen strange boats in the Black Sea. They reported these boats to their advisors, the advisors reported to Russian authorities, and they found the boats to be poachers. I actually got to try my hand at being a camper by running their obstacle course. Each morning, the campers train to stay in shape. They run, jump, climb, and exercise through the course. It was hard! I was breathing really hard after I finished the course.
Next, we went by several different camps. There was an international camp for visitors from outside Russia, Sunny camp, Starry camp, and Rapid camp. Starry and Rapid camp help build patriotism and leadership of students. We saw the observation dome where students can look at the stars and planets. One of the major goals of this camp is to build interests and skills in different areas for the kids. For example, students that are interested in writing can write articles for the camp newspaper. The camp not only has a newspaper, but they have a radio station and TV station too!!!
After lunch, we were taken to the aeronautics camp. Here students learn everything about flying. If a student wants to be a pilot or astronaut, they can go to this camp. Students - Do you know what an astronaut is called in Russia? Ask mom and dad if you need help!!! We were able to see models of rockets, uniforms, helmets, space equipment, and more at this camp. The students can actually practice using the same equipment men and women use in space! Pretty cool! Our next stop was at Orlenok's museum. On July 12, the camp will celebrate its 60th anniversary. To celebrate, they have put together a special museum of their history. We were lucky to be the first international guests to see the museum before it opens to the public!
The next two hours were spent relaxing and swimming in the Black Sea!!! AWESOME!!! Unlike the Azov Sea, the Black Sea has lots of waves but was just as nice. It was a beautiful day! The sun was shining and we all enjoyed the warm sea water. After swimming, I relaxed on the soft, sandy beach! There were rocks all over the beach so I spent some time picking them up. I'll bring them to school to show you what a Black Sea rock looks like kids!!!
To complete our day, we were allowed to talk to a group of campers. The kids greeted us and asked us to join their circle (They sit in circles to talk and discuss any problems or issues they may have). For over 30 minutes, the kids asked us lots of questions about the United States and Russia. They were very excited to visit with us and hear what we had to say! To finish our visit, the kids sang their camp song for us. While they sing, you are to place your arms on each other's shoulders and join in the song together. It was a special treat and a great way to end our wonderful visit to Orlenok!!
Yesterday was amazing and today was great too!!
Our day was spent right on the Black Sea at an international summer camp for kids aged 10-18 called Orlenok. In Russian this means baby eagle. Right now, there are 3000 kids at the camp taking part in one of seven different sub-camps. The mission of the camp is to teach students three things: 1. patriotism 2. leadership 3. citizenship.We were greeted at the camp by two camp leaders. They began to give us the grand tour of the vast complex. Our first stop was at the border patrol camp. Here the campers are to watch three different posts on the grounds (two entrances and one of the sea). The kids report to their advisors routinely and make note of all visitors or anything strange. We were told that a few times, the children at this camp have actually seen strange boats in the Black Sea. They reported these boats to their advisors, the advisors reported to Russian authorities, and they found the boats to be poachers. I actually got to try my hand at being a camper by running their obstacle course. Each morning, the campers train to stay in shape. They run, jump, climb, and exercise through the course. It was hard! I was breathing really hard after I finished the course.
Next, we went by several different camps. There was an international camp for visitors from outside Russia, Sunny camp, Starry camp, and Rapid camp. Starry and Rapid camp help build patriotism and leadership of students. We saw the observation dome where students can look at the stars and planets. One of the major goals of this camp is to build interests and skills in different areas for the kids. For example, students that are interested in writing can write articles for the camp newspaper. The camp not only has a newspaper, but they have a radio station and TV station too!!!After lunch, we were taken to the aeronautics camp. Here students learn everything about flying. If a student wants to be a pilot or astronaut, they can go to this camp. Students - Do you know what an astronaut is called in Russia? Ask mom and dad if you need help!!! We were able to see models of rockets, uniforms, helmets, space equipment, and more at this camp. The students can actually practice using the same equipment men and women use in space! Pretty cool! Our next stop was at Orlenok's museum. On July 12, the camp will celebrate its 60th anniversary. To celebrate, they have put together a special museum of their history. We were lucky to be the first international guests to see the museum before it opens to the public!
The next two hours were spent relaxing and swimming in the Black Sea!!! AWESOME!!! Unlike the Azov Sea, the Black Sea has lots of waves but was just as nice. It was a beautiful day! The sun was shining and we all enjoyed the warm sea water. After swimming, I relaxed on the soft, sandy beach! There were rocks all over the beach so I spent some time picking them up. I'll bring them to school to show you what a Black Sea rock looks like kids!!!
To complete our day, we were allowed to talk to a group of campers. The kids greeted us and asked us to join their circle (They sit in circles to talk and discuss any problems or issues they may have). For over 30 minutes, the kids asked us lots of questions about the United States and Russia. They were very excited to visit with us and hear what we had to say! To finish our visit, the kids sang their camp song for us. While they sing, you are to place your arms on each other's shoulders and join in the song together. It was a special treat and a great way to end our wonderful visit to Orlenok!!
Love the shirts and the group photo!
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