Lake Baikal

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The Gentleman's Room
In the Gum shopping centre in Moscow are what's known as 'the gentleman's room’s, it is not what you may think it is an there is also a ‘ladies room’, for 150 rubles one can conduct the human depository tasks in absolute luxury, and if I may quote the Cranberries, you are inclined to let it linger. Along the shore of lake Baikal too are ladies and gentlemens rooms accept as not a high a standard. For 20 rubles, you can experience a Russian portaloo with the mission of get out as quickly as you can. I am not surprised this has not made trip advisor.
Lake Baikal
Along the lake for 100 rubles you can rent a table with roof covering, after 4 days train travel this was a nice way to unwind, bring your own drinks and food and watch the world go by. It's a lovely hub of marketing vendors selling goods except they all seem to be selling the same thing. It has the feel of a Lakeside holiday resort. Though it is slightly awkward to get to it's a nice place to unwind and chill especially after our long train journey. A taxi from here to Irkutsk tomorrow will cost us 2000 rubles which roughly works out at 24 euro, which is not bad value considering they are 60km apart. I would recommend a Russian SIM card for here as there is no phone signal and we are forced to have an early drink for free wi-fi (poor us 😉).
They saw Us Coming!!
Lake Baikal is the biggest lake in the world, in winter it's ice sheet varies from 5 - 9 metres deep, and the lake is used as an ice road. Previously they put train tracks down on it but apparently people used walk beside the train rather than on it. This is what the tour guide could of told us - BUT DIDN’T
We decided to get up early and so left our hostel at 1pm. A chap tried to get us on his tour boat but we decided to go into a proper tourist office. This nice young lady sold us a too good to be true 3 hour tour with English speaking guide that would take us on a tour of the lake with a tour of the old Trans Siberian rail line. Enthusiastic to such value we signed up and after an hour jumped on board the boat for English speakers, however the other boat contained non English speakers and that is the boat the guide stayed on. Any history on the lake we learned from an English speaking couple from Moscow.
The rail part of the tour consisted of 20 minutes of tour in Russian and 20 in English. Been honest following on from it you probably know more about it than I do, however I did enjoy the experience. On the way back was some nice tea and Russian biscuits. I won't lie, I had 4 and if I keep this up I will have to buy elasticated pants.
From Russia With Love
Tomorrow we leave and head for Mongolia, apparently the border process takes 5 hours and you can't use the loo, for the first time in 40 years I am thinking of buying a potty!!.
I have enjoyed Russia and people correctly told us we don't have enough time, however it gives me a reason to come back 😊 .

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Comments

[remolacha]

Thank you so much for the information. I`m interesting to go to this place. I`ve done already my russian visa even (thanks to this service https://myvisatorussia.com/en/tourist-visa/) But I`m not sure about the season... Which is better? For sure not winter

[Railadventurer]

Hi. I am sorry I am only seeing this now. I done it in the summer. Nice and warm so I recommend it

[Railadventurer]

Hi. I am sorry I am only seeing this now. I done it in the summer. Nice and warm so I recommend it