UST NERA

All told, we spent over a week in Ust Nera. The scenery in this mountain valley mining town is spectacular.All told, we spent over a week in Ust Nera. The scenery in this mountain valley mining town is spectacular. We were invited to the home of Sasha and Sonya Trushkov, where we enjoyed two evenings looking at pictures and feasting on the bountiful harvest of their summer garden.

Greenhouse gardens supply locals with well-stocked pantries of fruit and vegetables. In late Spring, rivers become highways for extended trips into the Siberian wilderness, a haven for berry and mushroom pickers. Spring, Summer and Fall offer great opportunities for the fisherman and nature lover.

Though our encounters with officials and residents were limited, there was tremendous interest about the outside world, especially the United States. Apparently, we were only the second foreigners to ever pass through this town. During much of the year, the road across the Far East ends here. Of the many areas we saw crossing the Far East, Ust Nera would be high on our list of places to  revisit.