Final days on Olkhon

---

After a great trip around the north and east of the island we take one further excursion to the only inland lake on the island. We are joined by two Russians and the Koreans and Magdalene a Polish lady teaching poilsh at Irkutsk University. It is a bank holiday in Russia to celebrate Victory Day over the germans - and so the Irutsk people come over to spend some time here. Another dirt track drive and we end up in a valley area and trek down for an hour to the coastline where we find a protected bay to the main Baikal lake. We are all taking pictures and then Youron starts the daring and so I am first into the water. This is the east side of the island so all the ice is practically gone now - but I can promise you that it is the coldest water I have ever experienced and that I really could not feel my legs after a couple of minutes. Youron dives in and after checking that the Koreans are not scared of flesh he jumps in and his face tells the story. Finally Florian braves it and really freezes as it is a real shock to the system - The rumour is that you get 25 years added to your life for the full body - a year for the hands and five for the feet. We don't last long but the twenty five will come in handy as there was way too much partying in London and the smoke filled trans-manchurian would probably cost me twenty seven years! Our driver has prepared lunch again and we eat - fish - again - but it is ok and then some tea and cake and we are off to the inner lake. We stop at an imitation Buryat Icon - the Koreans get a little embarrased and the pictures show why! and then we arrive at the inner yellow lake. We walk around for an hour or so and then head on back to the village stopping above the hills to take pictures looking down on to the village scene. Later we go to see the local museum which does suffer from the worst taxidermy I have ever seen - but is well worth a trip for the comedy value at least - and there are some very interesting parts. Later it is back to the Hostel for a music concert and plenty of piva. Youron is a submariner from Israel and very very funny - we all enjoy telling a few stories at night after some food and a banya we usually end up buying all the beer on the island - which is not much but always amuses the locals as they think we have a serious drink problem.

---

Photos

This is cold!
25 years but it was cold - obviously I was worried that my extremely ripped torso would offend the Koreans but Youron got straight in!

Fish Supper
Again!

Home
Our place is on the first floor - great views but no winter garden - value engineered!

Interior
Lots of crafted wood so I liked it!

Youron In Trouble
Alot of deep mud around the inner lake and it smelt very bad!

Fake Buryat Icon
Not something you would want to meet down a dark alley

The group
Genuine Buryat icon in the foreground.