lake baikal...!!

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hey all...

we having a dazed kinda surreal day today... we're in ulan ude - our last stop in russia.. crazy has gone so so quickly already... 😞 we're only here for one day - we're both sleepy - bit dazed and confused as we caught an over night train here last night but ended up in a cabin with a guy who snored (...dad think he could've given you a run for your money!!) so pretty sleep deprived as had to get off the train about 6:40am - ergh!! not good at waking and functioning before it's light outside!! it's quite a random place here though - as soon as we arrived this morning beelined straight for a hotel to ditch the bags(still horribly heavy) then went to catch a bus to Ivolgnsk Datsan - a Tibetan Buddhst monastery - the centre of Russian Buddhism - it's the reason we stopped off here. the journey there was hilarious - oh man!! caught a bus (jus a beat up mini van) it turned out we had to change half way there to catch another - however we were quite unaware of this... so when it stopped and everyone spilled out and quickly piled into two other waiting cars - filling these up - we were then left stood by the roadside in the middle of nowhere!! jus us and the hills!! you had to laugh!! it was like a scene from a film!! turned out fine as was standard to wait for the next bus there - it was jus amusing the seed this all occurred as we jus stood there trying to keep up!!

the datsan was really stunning - again it just sits in the middle of nowhere surrounded by hills and roaming cows!! everywhere you looked there were prayer flags tied to the trees - everything there was colourful too - it was quite bizarre as it felt completely different to russia - it was like you were in tibet!! as we walked through you had to walk in a clockwise direction around prayer wheels and temples...

now it's late afternoon and seems funny to think we were there only this morning as ended up coming back to the hotel and crashing out for a couple of hours... it's hard work this travelling lark!!

our past few days we've been in Listvyanka - a tiny village on the edge of Lake Baikal. has been a chilled out few days there - think that's why we are so sleepy - so much frosty fresh air - us londoners aren't used to these things - quite a shock to the system!!

the lake was amazing - it's just sooo huge - we took pics but just don't think they'll do it justice!! some facts... it makes up 20% of the worlds fresh water supply and is 1.5km deep!! madness... we got to WALK on it!!! it's still frozen over.. apparently the ice on the surface is 3-4m across the lake... we knew it was huge before we arrived there but actually seeing it you jus couldn't take it in... unbelievable even though it was right in front of us!! was funny as well because the landscape running alongside the lake looks similar to say nevada desert and then across from that there was just nothing-ness - jus an expanse of white and then mountains to the horizon... we had there days there and each one was entirely different weather wise - our last day there we woke to find it snowing - it looked so pretty jus light fluffy snow from inside - oh my!! when we got outside it was like a full on blizzard!!! it was mad just walking along unable to open our eyes - we looked like such sorry souls when we eventually found our way inside for a coffee... our faces comletely streaming!!! what a sight!!

we tried the local fish here... plucked up the courage as it's not the prettiest of the fishes!! we had Omul which is reccommended and then another called Harious - both were amazing!! yum! glad we tried them... mum you'd liked the Harious - both are smoked and delicious - we are now firm fans!

have to mention the place we ended up staying in - what a place!! it was wicked actually - ended up having our one little abode in Listvyanka - with a view of the lake if you hung your head out of the end window!! the flat itself was just amazing - a feast for the eyes - i swear every surface had a different pattern going on - so many colours, swirls, flowers!! we thought it was the best way - if you're going to go for pattern you should definitely just take it to the extreme - quite the boggle on the eyes!! and the owner - possibly the jolliest russian we've met - Uri what a star!!

when we left the lake... think that was the first time both of us felt really sad to move on... so beautiful there - we said if we ever made it back there it'd be fun to go in the summer and sail out to where we'd been standing on the lake last time!!

sorry for lack of pics... but haven't quite worked that bit out.. it's hard enough just trying to find an internet cafe in russia!! soon though!!

ok, enough the rambling must stop here
take care and write soon
love me.xxx

if certain sentences don't make much sense jus add a 'p' as that letter on the keyboard doesn't seem to respond!!

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Comments

[julia eva and lana and Robert]

wow
hi Steph, your mum sent me the link today and I have been reading your tales voraciously. Your trip sounds amazing and i am really interested to hear wgat happens next. Mongolia sounds brilliant. I think your mum must be commended for her technological abilities, she's obviously very proud! Can't wait to hear what happens next, have a great time and take care of your selves, ~Julia ( roxburgh road) not nearly as exciting as where you are!!!!!!!