During our time in Russia we have enjoyed countless hours observing and watching 'the natives'; unfortunately this is a past time that is very hard to share through a website… but we hope the photos below give you a glimpse of what we saw….

Someone call the fashion police!	Where can I get those trousers?

Comfort doesn't seem to be a consideration.

Signs of the '80's….legwarmers!

Girls strutting their stuff in the park.

No comment.	The stereotypical Russian family.

Girls out for a night on the town.

The Dude.	The Sailor.

Day 50 in Russia!!!

We spent the last couple of weeks in the Lake Baikal region, basing ourselves in Irkutsk and venturing out to villages around the lake.

Irkutsk
Population: 591,000
Distance from Moscow: 5,185km
Famous for: Founded by a Cossack garrison; for a long time Irkutsk served as a springboard for expeditions to the far north and east as far as Alaska – which was referred to as the 'American District of Irkutsk'.  In later years the town transformed itself into eastern Siberia's trading and administrative centre.

Our final stop along the trans-siberian route has landed us in Irkutsk, the large gateway town to Lake Baikal – our ultimate destination.  We were determined to quickly complete all our necessary errands before putting on our swimsuits and hiking boots and heading down to the lake.  Our tasks included purchasing our train tickets to Mongolia and obtaining our 30 day visas into the country. 

The very busy train station in Irkutsk.

With nearly six weeks experience in dealing with Russian train stations and buying tickets, we quickly booked our final seats aboard the 36 hour train to Ulaan Bataar – the capital of Mongolia.  Obtaining our Mongolian visas was equally straight forward but involved an unexpected exchange with the official at the embassy. 

The visa form included an 'optional' space for applicants to write in their current job title and employer.  We initially agreed to leave this space blank; however upon reading our forms, the official immediately requested that we input the missing information.  Fearing we might get our visa request rejected by writing 'unemployed', we wrote down our previous job titles and employers.  The job titles 'financial analyst' and business analyst' aroused great interest in the official who then proceeded to question us abour our roles.  It transpired through our conversation that the official had personal ambitions to train as an analyst and used her position of interviewing visa applicants as an opportunity to 'pump' them for information on good qualifications and courses to complete.  She even went as far as requesting a CD of any of the latest training material we may have had – we're not sure if she ever managed to find any tourists who carry training manuals with them on holiday!!

We spent a total of three days in Irkutsk in the midst of a mini heat wave during which many ice creams were consumed.

Eric enjoying an ice cream after a busy day!

Olkhon Island
Population: 1200
Famous for: A long undulating island of subtle beauty, considered to be one of the five global poles of shamanic energy.

Our first trip out to the lake was to Olkhon Island, a six hour bumpy bus ride along winding dirt roads.  Having spent so much of our time in Russia in large 'civilised' towns and cities, life on Olkhon Island came as a refreshing change.  The island boasts great natural beauty which comes in the form of rolling hills, rich green forests, sandy plains, marshlands, and beautiful unspoilt beaches.

The crystal clear waters surrounding Olkhon Island.

Large stretches of sandy beaches and forests…. and no tourists in sight.

View of the Shaman Rocks.

There is no running water and certainly no hot water to be found, even in the largest village – which is where we stayed.  We were lodged and fed in a wonderfully run guesthouse a stone's throw away from the fabled Shaman Rocks.

Our lodgings in the village came complete with friendly guard dog.

Eric washes his hair in the world's biggest bath!

The town sits on top of cliffs overlooking the lake.

Only the cows venture out on a rainy afternoon.

We were very reluctant to leave the beauty of Olkhon Island.

Listvyanka
Population: 2500
Famous for: A small fishing village, Listvyanka's concentrations of old wooden cottages tumble down three seperate valleys and hug the banks of Lake Baikal.

An hour's ferry ride away from Irkutsk, nestled at the mouth of the Angara River is the fishing village of Listvyanka.  We spent our time exploring the three valleys in which the settlement has grown, admiring the views across the lake from the hill tops and sampling the delicious fresh fish which is smoked and sold in the market place by the fisherman's wives.

Listvyanka hugs the banks of the lake.

Great views from the hill tops.

Local women dry and sell their fish in the market.

Catch of the day!  …Omul (the famous Baikal fish)

Bolshie Koty
Population: Less than 200?
Famous for: Founded by 19th Century gold miners and named 'Bolshie Koty' for their 'Big Boots'; this picturesque village sits sheltered in a small valley surrounded by untouched forests and hillsides and the magestic waters of the lake. 

A tiny quaint fishing village accessible only by boat, there were no hotels, no shops, no restaurants….simply a cluster of picturesque wooden cottages.  The village is completely cut off for three months of the year when the lake freezes over as there are no roads in or out of the valley.  Only those courageous enough to attempt a drive over the ice can make it into the village during this time.

Bolshie Koty is surrounded by hills and cut off from the rest of Siberia.

Sailing into Bolshie Koty's harbour is the only way to get to the village.

A typical house in Bolshie Koty.

With no working phone lines, therefore impossible to make a reservation, we crossed our fingers and headed to the infamous “Bearded Baboushka's” house to ask for a room (her address had been given to us by a friendly travel agent in Irkutsk).    Luckily for us her living room was vacant and she soon made up the two couches into comfortable beds.  The accommodation included three delicious meals a day, each made using an abundance of home grown fruits and vegetables.  We looked forward to every mealtime, eagerly devouring the potatoes and home-made jam in particular.

Nikki tucks into lunch in the Baboushka's kitchen.

We spent our time hiking along 12km of trails along the lake.

Annie (another guest of the baboushka), the baboushka and Nikki.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMMA!!! (Nikki's sister)

The infamous 'Bearded Baboushka' sends her regards!!

We have now arrived in Irkutsk – a city of 500,000 people deep in the heart of Siberia.  Since our last post, ten days ago in Niznhy Novgorod, we have covered close to 5,000 kilometers, spent a total of 70 hours on trains, crossed the Euro-Asian border, and travelled through 5 timezones.  We both continue to experience a mild form of jetlag as we cross Russia's timezones.  This is certainly not helped by the need to keep our watches on Moscow time for the trains.  Train timetables and clocks in the train stations throughout all of Russia are set to Moscow time!! (Considering the rail network covers over 8 timezones, this is probably the only way it could work).  We both look forward to the day we don't have to double-check our time calculations and alarm settings.

YEKATERINBURG
Population: 1.26 million (Russia's 5th largest city)
Distance from Moscow: 1,816 km
Famous for: Playing a key role in the consolidation of Communism with the murder of the Romonav family (the last Russian Tsars); providing the setting for the Cold War 'U2 affair'; and being the birthplace of Boris Yeltsin.

The journey from Nizhny Novgorod to Yekaterinburg was our first long-haul (23 hours) Russian train experience.  Not knowing what to expect we made sure to fully stock up on the key essentials, namely several changes of clothes, a variety of travel games, lots of water, and of course plenty of snacks.  As well as these physical preperations, we also mentally readied ourselves for the 'unkowns' – such as our kupe companions (kupe: Russian term for 4-person sleeping compartment), and the formalities and workings of the Russian trains. 

Our roommates turned out to be a friendly middle-aged couple, communication proved to be a little too challenging, but simple mutual respect and polite smiles defy all language problems. 

Eric making his bed.

Our train winds through the Russian countryside.

Spectacular views from the train.

Passing time on the train…. Nikki writing her journal.

We arrived in Yekaterinburg at 11:30 at night, finding the tunnel that linked the platform to the station shut, we were forced to cross 5 or 6 sets of train tracks in order to exit the station.  Luckily, our hotel was conveniantly located across the square from the train station and is described in the guide books as: “conventional….. partly-renovated… though cheaper rooms are falling apart.”  This proved to be an understatement.  The hotel lobby was certainly 'partly-renovated' though it was hard to tell through the broken tiles and plaster debris whether the ill-fitting egyptian theme was being pulled down or put up.  We checked into the hotel for 2 nights, however, because we checked in after midnight we were only charged for one night?? Needless to say, we didn't try too hard to correct the strange logic of the receptionist.  Our hotel room was the worst we have experienced so far, it was not so much the ageing decor, but the layers of dust, mold, damp, and possibly dried blood on the ceiling (??) that we objected to.  We both developed colds a couple of days later, the finger of suspicion points to this hotel!!

Accommodation aside, we both loved Yekaterinburg, not so much because of its museums or churches but simply that it was a very pleasant city to walk around and explore.  Each corner turned provided new parks, statues and fountains to admire and enjoy.

Soviet-Afghanistan War Memorial

Lenin directs the traffic in downtown Yekaterinburg…

Church and Soviet-era statue.

NOVOSIBIRSK
Population: 1.4 million (Siberia's largest city; Russia's 3rd largest city)
Distance from Moscow: 3,335 km
Famous for: One of the world's biggest Opera & Ballet Theatres (and completed in 1945 by women and children as most of the city's men had gone to war).

A 20-hour train ride brought us into Siberia.  We are both feeling like experienced train travellers now, and even used the local supply of hot water to make our 'train dinners'….

At the longer stops (20 minutes or more) people take the opportunity to walk around the platform and buy more food and drink from platform vendors.

'Cooking' our noodles using hot water from the carriage boiler.

A sunset platform break…

Novosibirsk provided us with the opportunity to rest up and recover from our colds, do some laundry, and organize the second half of our journey through Russia.

Lenin guards Novosibirsk's famous theatre.

A small church marks the geographical centre of Russia.

People watching… the local gossips catching up on today's news??

KRASNOYARSK
Population:  817,000
Distance from Moscow: 4,095 km
Famous for: The production of aluminum, car tyres, refrigerators; and one of the major destinations for Russian exiles.

After a very 'short' 12-hour train we reached the city of Krasnoyarsk.  The deeper we delve into Siberia, the hotter it seems to get!!! As temperatures easily reached the mid-30's by 10 in the morning. 

Our time in the city, was spent exploring the pretty town and strolling along its magnificent river.  There were a multitude of outdoor cafes in which we happily took shelter from the midday sun. 

The main plaza provides a great setting for a few beers and a view of the surrounding mountains!!

Eric relaxes by the river….

….joined by Nikki.