Harbin: Ice City and Oriental Moscow

Being the glutton for self inflicted punishment that I am, I decided to go to Harbin to check out the ice festival and explore the old russian town.

I invited some of the Beijing crowd too: Sheila, Nick and Simon, who also invited Dom and others. The weather report forcasted temperatures of -32C, not counting wind chill factor. The coldest I had ever experienced before that was the very townie Ice Fishing event about 2 years ago in MinneSODA. Ya you betcha.

I ask the dirty cossack (who is arguably the worst cossack in the world) how to defend against extreme cold... she says "drink lots of vodka, and don't go to Siberia." Harbin is no longer part of Russia, HERRO!!! But the vodka part was simply brilliant. Vodka freezes at -100C, so diluting your bloodstream makes perfect sense. Not having proper winter gear, donned on seven layers and armed myself with the trusty flask "katyusha" ready to make battle.

As the body begins to chill, the first signs of hypothermia come in the form of muscle tension and goose bumps. This non-shivering heat generation can double the metabolic rate. As the core temperature continues to drop, shivering begins. These uncontrolled contractions can increase the metabolism to five times the normal rate. Now the body is burning roughly 400 calories per hour. That's approximately the number of calories in two Snickers candy bars.

We arrive and start the day with hotpot and beer. After exploring the very charming old Russian part of town (despite the lack of a vibrant Russian community) we find our way to a Russian cafe and I state, we must eat, drink and be merry. Sheila is dumbfounded. Listen to your elders, children, and harken to the voice of reason and experience. Food and beverages are needed to stock up against the excessive cold.

Playing the game of chess with the cold, I'm on a mission, going to war. We order food, lots of russian food, and starorusyaka vodka. I explain no mixing is to be done, and the straight shots are to be chased with a bite of russian sausage, pickle or bread. Sheila and Nick who initally look at me with shock and disbelief come around when Simon says "I'm with you, lets do it, in fact lets order a second bottle to not waste time." Simon is an Aussie, a proud one, and all Aussies are drinkers. I knew I was in for a glorious night when I lost the ability to feel the right side of my body. Others less dedicated would have curbed their intake upon recognizing the initial symptoms of a stroke, but not me and fair Simon. We set the controls for the heart of the sun. Then procured a third bottle for the road.


I was right that vodka would help us enjoy the ice festival even more... that and critically keeping us warm as we passed it around, wondering around the most incredible city of ice. We laughed as well fell down ice stairs, and got back up again, rammed into each other on ice bicycles, sped down ice slides and took the infamous shot of the three moons (which is censored here not to offend).

In the fight against you and nature, always bet on nature. At some point, the body starts to realize it is beginning to lose its battle to heat all its layers and decides it can survive without the superficial one. By shunting the blood flow away from the skin and outer tissues, it reduces the flow by about 1 to 2 percent. Strenuous activity could increase heat output, but the body has limited stores of fuel. Heating the entire body might burn what reserves are left and leave the victim to cool even more quickly. Vodka helped but didn't prolong the inevitable... after the bottle was completed, and the temperatures dropped below -35c with the wind picking up we feel the moisture in our eyes starting to freeze. Simon reminds how at -40c the eyes will freeze shut together, and I remind how I don't have tear ducts with a smile.

When core body temperature fails below 95��F, shivering diminishes. The patient may become confused; reasoning becomes clouded. With continued heat loss, the body decides to sacrifice parts of itself so that the brain can survive. By reducing the area being heated, life is prolonged. First, the body decides it doesn't need the extremities, and carbon dioxide and lactic acid build up in these areas. Then it begins to shut down blood flow to unnecessary organs. And finally, it will limit flow to the three organs that sustain life itself. First to be sacrificed are fingers, toes, ears and genitals. Convinced that our toes are already frozed over and out of staroruskaya, we head back to the Russian Cafe for reinforcements. More vodka (the last one on stock) is consumed in the attempt to regain warmth. Alas it was too late for one of us.

As the body continues to cool, the victim begins to lose touch with reality. In some cases. they experience atypical mood swings and may become argumentative or combative when assistance is offered. Once the core body temperature drops to 90��F, shivering is replaced by muscle rigidity, and mental facilities are severely impaired. The victim is semiconscious, progressing toward unconsciousness. This explains Sheila's state. We tried what we could to keep her warm, and it felt like home.

The next morning we headed right back to the Russian Cafe, our 3rd time there in 24 hours, where as Nick correctly states, we spent roughly 38.3% of our time. After some morning shots done by Simon and I, we decide it's time to meet some Siberian tigers and help them learn how to hunt. A young sheep was sacrificed for the greater good. Tigers are quite good at mauling sheep... and chickens too for that matter. Poor chicken was so scared it laid an egg as the tiger snatched it in midair. After telling the story to some of my colleagues they are no longer speaking to me. I must also state that Ligers are cool and Napoleon Dynamite is a genius.

This year will be one of exploring China, and Harbin was definitely worth it. Highly recommended, especially with the right company and mindset. Losing my camera was a bummer but everything is replacable (except the photos and memories). In comparison to the arctic tundra my house feels warm since returning. Also read related posts by Sheila and Nick.

I'd like to take this opportunity to also welcome Nick and Simon to the nomadlife community.