WIT'S END
Perhaps we should rename our expedition "Odyssey to Find Our Lost Luggage." Objects we have lost in transit include a video camera, sleeping bags, a camp stove, and -- of course -- the satellite phone. At least the Tang arrived intact.

Once the Russian officials heard the word "satellite," we became victims of a Cold War backlash. "It's not a SATELLITE -- it's a satellite PHONE," said Shane. Unable to get the phone through Russian customs, Shane had to ship it back to Anchorage, where it promptly got stuck in American customs. Luckily, I arrived from Moscow with my own satellite phone.

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