Blogs from Lake Baikal, Siberia, Russia, Europe - page 4

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Europe » Russia » Siberia » Lake Baikal July 31st 2012

While our Mongolian visas are being processed at the embassy in Irkutsk we go off for a couple of days R&R on Lake Baikal. The easiest option is to ride 70km down the nice straight tarmac road to Listvyanka but when do we ever do anything simple and anyway we went there 2 years ago. So instead we set off to explore the Olkhon Island a mere 300km away from Irkutsk. The first stage is a 250km ride to the “ferry port” at Sakhyurta half way up the western shore of the lake. You don't get to see the lake until the last minute when you are a few km away from the ferry – just about the point when the tarmac stops and the dirt starts. For most of the 250km we are riding through ... read more
heading along the western side of the lake...
... through rolling green countryside
we are in Buryat territory where shamanic shrines line the roadside

Europe » Russia » Siberia » Lake Baikal July 20th 2012

Okay the area is starting to grow on me, but only if I ignore the main street and only think about the unpaved roads and the strange wooden houses. We started the day with a hike in the Siberian forest that surrounds the lake, it was pretty hot day so we ended up sweating bucket loads. Our guide was not very talkative and mostly marched ahead of us. The hike went round the mountain and down to a secluded spot by the lake for lunch where we met a few Russian students who wanted to practice their English. The hike was enjoyable but it seemed a little intense for a leisure hike, they didn't mention this when we booked it! Fortunately we had walking gear (decent boots, long trousers and shirts to avoid in horse flies ... read more
View as we started the hike
Lunch spot
John hiking

Europe » Russia » Siberia » Lake Baikal July 19th 2012

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 ... read more
Listvyanka Church
Scenery
Road to the ugly village

Europe » Russia » Siberia » Lake Baikal July 16th 2012

Apologies for the delay, but normal blog service is being resumed, slowly... Katya met us at the Irkutsk railway platform and whisked us to Listvyanka on the shores of Lake Baikal about 60km away.The drive took us swiftly onto the main road linking the two towns cutting a swathe through the forest.The town of Listvyanka consists of one road that stretches 4.5km along the lake shore with 3 valleys that run inland.It has a couple of restaurants,the Lake Baikal museum, a few hotels,some bed and breakfasts,a market,tourist offices,the Nerpinarium-more of this later,a post office,a few small shops and a cake shop.We stayed in a two storey wooden bed and breakfast 5 minutes from the Lake shore.There is no public transport so walking was required to get anywhere.We had a nice meal on our first evening next ... read more
Sunset on the lake
Our breakfast room
Local herb teas

Europe » Russia » Siberia » Lake Baikal June 26th 2012

That's the deepest part of Lake Baikal located in the middle of Siberia where I spent the last couple of weeks after St. Petersburg and Moscow. The average depth is over 2000' easily making it the world's deepest and most voluminous lake. The pictures do not it justice as it the lake is gigantic. Now in Krasnoyarsk well west of Lake Baikal but still in Siberia. $1US ≈ 33p. (Russian rubles) Arshan I did not love Arshan, partly because of the heat and partly because the town was not at all set up for individual travelers. It also did not help that I headed straight there at 11:00 am after arriving in Irkutsk on the red-eye from Moscow at 8:30 am. There is purportedly good hiking and a climbers’ center but I could not find it ... read more
Circumbaikal Railway
Circumbaikal Railway
Tunnel 18 on the Circumbaikal Railway

Europe » Russia » Siberia » Lake Baikal June 9th 2012

After a train trip that lived up to expectations (12 hours of actual moving on the train, 6 hours of inexplicably sitting on the platform doing nothing, 6 hours of border processing), we arrived in Ulan-Ude at the sparky hour of 11pm. After a quick glimpse of the giant Lenin head in the city square it was off to the hotel. The next morning we shivered our way onto the bus, with the expectation of snow in the air. Hello Siberia! First up - an inspection of Lenin up close (the locals call him the 'Chuppa Chup'), it was off in our tizzed out mini-van (a frequent thing in Siberia apparently, think tassles, curtains, hardly any glimpse outside) to an Old Believers village for some history learning and lunch. Some of the first exiles to Siberia, ... read more
Chuppa chup
Ulan-Ude
Siberia

Europe » Russia » Siberia » Lake Baikal April 14th 2012

We arrived in Irkutsk early evening and stayed in the Transiberian Hostel – highlight of which was a dog named “Mushy” –Russian for fly apparently. He was a very friendly small black Labrador that sang when cuddled. Irkutsk is a pleasant city and was warmer than we’d been used to; the next day was spent wandering round the centre and the markets, also searching in vain for a tour to Lake Baikal. We discovered we’d arrived inbetween the frozen and unfrozen window on the lake. That meant the ice wasn’t thick enough for driving over or dog sledging, but hadn’t melted enough for the boats to run! Our planned visit to Olkhon Island on the lake was clearly not possible! Not deterred we made our way the day after via tram (the female conductor was very ... read more
Baikal Shore
Woodpecker
Icy Mass

Europe » Russia » Siberia » Lake Baikal September 29th 2011

I was quite amazed that I woke up on time right before the alarm was due to on, even though I had very bad moment before I went to sleep due to some other fellows in the hostel were thunderous snoring, but I still had a very good sleep, after my long tiring rides from Olkhon Island. To see this great lake in Siberia, there is another way to explore - The Circumbaikal Railway. The 94km long railway, an essential way to explore the lake by tons of travellers nowadays, used to be part of Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow in early 1910s but did not really used until they constructed and extended into Mongolia. Nowadays the railway still running as twice weekly return purpose, mostly packed with local visitors or weekend break students. My main reason ... read more
Second Class
Goes Through The Forest
Through Above The Lake

Europe » Russia » Siberia » Lake Baikal September 29th 2011

No trip to Siberia is complete without going Lake Baikal, while no trip to Lake Baikal is complete without going Olkhon Island. I was not planning to visit this huge island when I was planning trip to Lake Baikal, as it's not so easy to get there and takes plenty of time, considering the distance around 110km from Irkutsk, the trip takes exceptionally long. Lake Baikal, located in Siberian Far East of Russia, although it's not the world's largest lake, but it's the world's deepest, 1800m in depth, the oldest, 2500 years, and contains 25% of world's fresh water. On my second morning in Irkutsk, I was picked up by the Full of people's Minivan and I crammed myself in the last only seat, and headed Northeast. The 9 hours rides was really bumpy and not ... read more
Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal
Our Russian 4WD Jeep

Europe » Russia » Siberia » Lake Baikal September 28th 2011

As my flight from Moscow approaching Irkutsk after 5 hours, the largest city in the Russian Far East, and the city next to the world's deepest lake - Lake Baikal, I woke up just before the the sun rises and I slightly open the window shade, the view out of the plane was impressive, and as the plane got closer to the airport in Irkutsk, I started to see more signs of city, but even being the largest city in Russian Far East, then the city is compact, and still looks green, tidy and neat from above. The airport is very basic and small, generally it's just two rooms shack, I entered one room after walking from the plane, and when walk 10 meters further, I am outside already, exiting the terminal building and into the ... read more
Siberian Wooden House
Irkutsk Trams and Trolley Buses
The Main Street




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