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Published: July 21st 2012
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Our train arrived on time and we seem to be coping well with the time chages, we work up about 6am local time which isn't terrible. Fortunately the agency had booked travel between Irkutsk and the small lake side village Listvyanka so we were met by a local and bundled into a car much to the annoyance of Ben who not only hadn't booked transport but also hadn't booked a hotel yet (he owes me 350 roubles/£7 so I better see him again!).
Fortunately our room was ready at our hotel, which is a lovely almost chalet like wooden building, and we also were given the hotel breakfast which was appreciated. However we were also had an hour before our walking tour meaning, oh joy of joys, a SHOWER!! I cannot tell you how good that felt after 5 days on a train with 3 days of no air con. While a wet wipe wash is appreciated at the time nothing compares to the real thing.
The walking tour consisted of a trip to a museum based at an institute dedicated to studyling this lake. This sounds over the top until you hear some of the interesting Lake Baikal
facts:
* It contains 20% of the planet's fresh water - if all other fresh water disappeared it could keep the entire human population hydrated for 40 years
* It has 2630 known species living in it - 75% of which are not found anywhere else
* The most famous of these is the only known species of Freshwater Seal
* The lake is 20 million years old, by far the oldest lake in the world
* The water is drinkably pure due to a small crustacean that filters all the rubbish out
* In winter the lake freezes completely and the local council open ice roads normal cars can drive on - complete with lanes and road signs
* The water temperature is never more than 12C even in the height of summer (because of the depth)
* Because of this most species that live in the lake very fatty to act as insulation. In fact there is a fish that is over 30% fat and if you take it out of the water is melts.
See, I saved the best fact until last! After this the walking tour took us to a local church but unfortunately
we couldn't go inside as there was a baptism in progress. Instead we had lunch at a local cafe that baked lovely pastries with either fish or beef inside. I had the beef and very good it was indeed! Unfortunately after this is my love of the village dropped - while the lake and surrounding hills are gorgeous the village really isn't. At least the bit following the main road is horrible, there seems to be no planning regulation so random ugly buildings have sprung up, and there is a nasty market selling overpriced tourist tat and smoked local fish. Our guide told us to avoid the fish at the market as it's usually been sat there for a number of days just being warmed and left to cool time and time. It's a real shame as the setting is beautiful and there is so much potential here but it's been wasted by ugly buildings and tacky stalls.
Dinner was a success as we ate in what I think is the village's only non-hotel restaurant. The guide books and our guide both recommended it but warned it was expensive, we didn't find it any more costly than any restaurant
in Moscow or St. Petersburg. I'm guessing it's just high by Siberian prices but we were impressed. I had the local Omul fish in fishcake form and John went for the something resembling a fish pie. It was very tasty but it's still not turned me round on fish!
Tomorrow we have a hike through the forest and then we might take a walk away from the main road into the old town of unpaved streets and wooden buildings. Hopefully this will have more charm or I'll be very pleased to leave.
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