Impressions of the world

ROMANIA | Monday, 14 January 2013 | Views [271] | View Smaller Image

Beekeeping is one of the very few activities available in the Delta besides fishing. Known simply as “uncle Bee”, this man watches his handful of hives from the cool shadow of his shed, where he takes umbrage from the scorching heat that can easily exceed 40 degrees Celsius in late August. Whereas fishing might be marginally more social, beekeeping is a solitary occupation in a corner of the world where solitude grinds the joy out of life.

In a village where alcohol abuse and other afflictions fell many by middle-age, 94-year-old Haralambie stands out not only for longevity, but for a life of genuine achievement. In this photo he shows off medals awarded to him during the communist regime for being the top-producing fisherman of his community. Haralambie has grown an increasingly longer beard as he grew older – according to Lippovans’ customs, this is a requirement in order to be admitted to heaven.

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Quasi-illiterate and in very poor health, Agripina has lived in the Delta her entire life, drinking water from the river because she’s never had running water indoors. With no power for a refrigerator in her house, she must dry salted fish to preserve it for the winter, when her leaky roof will be a poor defence against temperatures well below zero – to say nothing of blistering winds. Should she be unable to afford enough salt in the summer, Agripina risks getting food poisoning at a time when most of the Delta will be frozen over and the ambulance could take even longer than the usual 5 hours to get to her.

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Impressions of the world

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