h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.mibs.kiev.ua/WelcomeToUkraine/chernobyl

I quite fancy it, but L's not too keen. I can't possibly think why?

That sounds really fascinating! It costs a fair bit, but not too extravagant. If I were in Kiev and had enough time, I'd do it.

Oh wow, you could get some really cool super powers. I know this because Stan Lee told me and he wouldn't lie

It's definitely something I'd want to do - and Kiev's on my list of places to visit. The problem is that when L quizzed me on the "Radiation control on the block post" before you leave, I told her that if you'd absorbed too much radiation they'd leave you in Pripyat forever.

Ooops.

If you do go you'll have to let us know just what super powers you develop

Is a brain tumour a superpower?

Not exactly, but there have been instances in comics where brain tumors have given people ESP, i.e telepathy, psychokinesis and the ability to see into the future.....You could turn into Jean Gray!

I'd more likely turn into a dead man.

Next Wednesday my daughter (no.3) flies out to Belarus. She also did this last year.

She's going to work for 10 days in a children's home, when she comes back another group will fly out, and so on, to cover all the summer holidays.

The children she's looking after are from Chernobyl. They don't have super powers, most are disabled either physically or mentally, you can probably guess at the level of care they get too. Many have been born since Chernobyl, and their disabilities reflect the legacy of Chernobyl - the soil in the area is so contaminated that vegatables grown are affected.

These weeks holiday, out of the afflicted area add to their life expectancy, it is also the only time that most of them get what you or I would callemotional support. The volunteers are not allowed to give the children toys, because they are not allowed personal possessions - allegedly they would fight over them. They are just children, though some of them are actually young adults physically, I wouldn't have the emotional strength to do what she is doing, I couldn't bear to think of what happens when I walk away.

It was a terrible tragedy, no doubt about it - but from a historian's perspective I just couldn't pass up a chance to see it for myself.

I have no idea where your daughter manages to do work like that. Much like you, I'm not sure how I'd be able to cope knowing what they go back to.

'Ecologically clean dinner: You'll participate in the cooking and checking the products with a dosimeter.'

All of a sudden, staying in Torquay and eating food our food doesn't seem as bad...

Yeah, I was wondering if I could skip that bit.

The children at the camp - and others like it - are reckoned to put 5 years on their lifespan by being out of the environment for 4 weeks.

Try www.chernobyl-children.org.uk if you'd like to help (or if what I said above just sounds too fantastic to be true.)

This is the one my daughter's doing.

http://www.chernobyl-children.org.uk/projholcamp.htm