Iturup is the largest...

of the southern Kuril Islands, and the location from which the Japanese launched their attack on Pearl Harbor. Today, however, the island is claimed by Russia, and we visited an old border patrol station and fishing village:

We found enormous bear tracks on tidally exposed beach sands, that is, just a few hours old:

This old fish processing plant is now defunct, but it contained wicker baskets and barrels of salt for preserving salmon:

The weather was sunny and warm, in stark contrast to the day before, and most passengers were happy to be on shore: