20 Sep, 2014 16:04

Day 9: Survive the Arctic snowstorm!

Murad Gazdiev, RT correspondent who has reported from a number of hot spots around the globe, including from the Syria-Turkish border, Yemen and Eastern Ukraine. He has also covered major international events, including Davos and the St. Petersburg economic forums, and even made a tour of duty with the crew of the Russian destroyer class Admiral Levchenko as it carried a military unit from the core base of Russia's Northern Fleet in Severomorsk to an unused former-Soviet base in the White Sea. Murad Gazdiev, RT correspondent who has reported from a number of hot spots around the globe, including from the Syria-Turkish border, Yemen and Eastern Ukraine. He has also covered major international events, including Davos and the St. Petersburg economic forums, and even made a tour of duty with the crew of the Russian destroyer class Admiral Levchenko as it carried a military unit from the core base of Russia's Northern Fleet in Severomorsk to an unused former-Soviet base in the White Sea.

I’ve never really experienced a freak snowstorm… one you couldn’t tell was coming at all.

Today started out completely clear and sunny, but within literally minutes we were stuck in this:

Video: /files/opinionpost/2e/3a/c0/00/snowstorm_480p.mp4

It actually went so bad we were ordered to leave the deck and wait it out in our cabin.

Visibility drops significantly and the deck becomes slippery… so if some clumsy civilian, like one of us, falls overboard there’s no guarantee we’ll be seen, or even heard.

The good news is that while the snowstorm was raging outside, we were allowed to use the ship’s sauna.

Yes, that’s right, the destroyer Admiral Levchenko has a sauna on board and we found out about it only today. Talk about top secret…

It really was the whole package: pool, sauna, shower, tea & snacks and everything done out in fine wood.

The pool was absolutely freezing, and full of seawater. Apparently they refill it with local water from every sea the ship sails through.

Regardless, that was one of the most relaxing episodes in my life… it’s hard to describe how all the tension, claustrophobia and negative emotions just evaporate.

Again, a reminder of how we really do take everything for granted in the big cities.

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

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