Blogs from Irkutsk, Siberia, Russia, Europe - page 16

3 days and 4 nights - that’s how long it took to get to Irkutsk on board the Baikal express. Plaskarte (3rd class) is the class that most Russian travellers use and most guidebooks warn you to avoid, describing it as resembling a refugee camp after several days onboard. In plaskarte you have a bunk bed and the cabin is open plan, so that all the passengers can move about freely. In each section, there are 6 beds, separated by partitions. Sharing our compartment, were 4 women, Kalina, Oxanna, Alex, and Oliba. Oxanna (18) had been on holiday to Moldova with her brother and was returning home. Alex (27) was on her way to meet her fiancés parents, and was visiting Irkutsk for the first time. As for Kalina and Oliba, we didn’t really learn their ... read more

Once we arrived at the village the weather had taken a turn for the worse. It was quite misty, not wet but dark clouds were looming and the Siberian wind is rather chilly too. We pulled into a little hamlet of houses and were a little suprised. We knew it was a kind of homestay but these houses only just about had a roof! We were the first ones off with another guy, Peter. I likened him to a bit like stato from that program with Baddiel and skinner some years ago. Anyway it turned out they only had 1 small room left as they had overbooked. There was no room at the inn so Mary and Joseph, sorry, WE were taken on a short walk to a rather nice B&B with an inside toilet and ... read more

Travelling along the Trans-Siberian and camping at Lake Baikal enabled us to see some of the countryside, a contrast to the cities and town life. We've seen a vast expanse of land unoccupied by humans! Lake Baikal is the home to many species only found in this place in the world. The lake holds a fifth of the worlds fresh water and the fauna and flora apparently is unique too. We walked along the Circum Baikal Railway, a trek many Russian hikers like to do (even though we didn't come across hardly any people while hiking!). So while hiking along this railway, we became in harmony with butterflies fluttering in our pathway, crickets leaping from sleeper to sleeper and numerous buzzing insects. We weren't so happy with the mosquitoes wanting our company though! While walking, the ... read more

UntitledCHRIST THIS PLACE IS HUGE!!! There, that's the bloody obvious out of the way and now I'm lost for words. Actually not lost for words, just too many bouncing about to collect them properly. I'm not totally convinced I'm having a great time but it's certainly an experience. The cities are pretty much like cities everywhere with terrible traffic, high prices and a vague undercurrent of hostility towards foreigners. Both Moscow and Yekaterinburg were covered in dust from the ubiquitous luxury apartment developments. There's a lot of money here (for some) and the whole country seems to be developing at a crazy pace. The sights of Moscow were incredible, as much for the simple fact of being allowed to be there as for their intrinsic qualities. Finding the office of my trans-sib ticket agent was a ... read more

Efter at have set highlights i Moskva (den roede plads, Lenin, st. basils kirken og Moskvas nye katedral) tog vi soendag aften videre oest paa mod Irkutsk. Togrejsen tog 3,5 doegn (4 naetter), men trods den lange rejsetid gik tiden hurtigt med spil, laesning og leg. Endvidere bidrog samovaren konstant med kogende vand - saa en kop te/kaffe eller en noodle pot/suppe var hele tiden hoejst 2 min vaek. Torsdag morgen paa vores bryllupsdag (10 aar) fik vi endelig fast grund under foedderne her i Irkutsk, hvor vi har tilbragt formiddagen med sightsseing. Vi er er privat indkvarteret hos en venlig russisk familie, hvor vi foreloebig skal bo en nat inden vi tager videre paa en tre dages tur til Olkhon oen ude i Baikal soen. Vores vaerelser er store med hoejt til loftet.... isaer ... read more