A dirty weekend

Well I've had a fun weekend. About 300 kms North east of Irkutsk is Olkhon Island which is the only (I think) inhabited island on Lake Baikal. I had been a bit ho-hum about visiting it but then heard that the last 100 km of road was dirt so I decided a visit was worthwhile. A very good decision.

The first part of the road up was fairly uneventful – but livened up by passing a little airport where they seemed to be running a parachute training school and a storage yard for old biplanes and helicopters.

Whilst some of the planes and helicopters were obviously derelict, despite the appearance at least some might fly – the one in white had engine running at power and flaps and rudders being tested whilst I watched (although I never actually saw it move). Given the general state of the rest of the planes doing your parachute training before your first flight seemed like a good idea.

 

 

[caption id="attachment_330" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="A graveyard or a working parachute school (or both)?"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_327" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="One of the more intact one's - but check the one behind."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_328" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="This one certainly runs - but does it fly?"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_331" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="and helicopters as well."][/caption]

 

Journey was also enlivened by my first significant navigational mistake; only one turn-off to get right and I overshot it by 30 kilometres. Having got myself back on the right road I found lovely winding tar through beautiful countryside.

 

[caption id="attachment_333" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="More stunning views."][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_334" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="A fairly non-descript village"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_335" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="A bikers delight. Beautiful winding tar with the dirt in the distance."][/caption]

I eventually hit the dirt and it was nasty potholed corrugated mess but great fun – just like outback roads and for the first time I was shooting past the cars and minibuses rather than the reverse.

 

[caption id="attachment_337" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="View to the lake."][/caption]

 

There was a ferry crossing then to the island – no charge, but very Russian in its operation. You wait for an hour then the two ferries that service the island come over together. They are both double – ended so I assumed they would be drive on forward, drive off forward. Nope, on both ferries you drove on forward and then the cars all reverersed off (and Russians are not good at reverse) at the other end – maybe only one of the ramps actually worked – but on both ships?

 

[caption id="attachment_338" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Island ferry "][/caption]

Once I hit the island there was another 40 kilometres of dirt to the only village. Again the road was a mess – but running alongside it were multiple tracks all heading the general direction – as one track got rough or boggy a new one was obviously just created. Again great fun riding and just right level of difficulty for someone of my mediocre dirt skills.

 

[caption id="attachment_339" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Dirt road .."][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_340" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="and more!"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_341" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="And there's more than one type of horse power."][/caption]

The village is called Khuzir and is very picturesque in summer in sunshine with all its wood houses and dirt roads – but winter must be a different matter, talk about isolated. I had a small touch of that feeling when it rained heavily on one day and the place turned into a dismal quagmire. Fortunately six hours later the sun came out and everything dried out reasonably quickly.

 

[caption id="attachment_342" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Pouring down -"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_343" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption=" everything turned to mud."][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_344" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="But it looked much better when the sun came out."][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_345" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Abandoned, and stripped, fishing fleet at the harbour."][/caption]

The village is slightly elevated and faces the near shore of the mainland and from the hilltops you have some fantastic views of the lake. Suddenly I saw the beauty of the lake. I'd been a bit underwelmed given all its hype up then, but from the island you suddenly do appreciate just how large and pristine and special it is. As usual photographs don't do it justice.

 

[caption id="attachment_358" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Main beach"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_356" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="No photo evidence - but those are my clothes in the foreground."] - complete with bogged 4WD

Of verbs and old buildings (and pretty ladies)

Well I've done my week of learning Russian and its been tough! Three hours of one on one tuition, on average three hours or more of self revision and net result – I'm not certain. My vocabulary certainly improved, I can even manage past and future tense of verbs now – but actually stringing a sentence together under pressure is still really hard – and as for understanding anything that is said in reply to me well that is still hopeless. Despite the pain  I've actually enjoyed it – but I've decided to shorten week two to just a couple of days as I think the gains from anything more are not going to be worth the lost time.

When not studying lists of verbs and adjectives I've been walking around Irkutsk – its a lovely town that somehow almost completely missed out on the Soviet 50's era concrete “Kruschev flats” and still has a mass of older buildings and houses.  The buildings in the main street (Karl Marx Street -  a change from Lenin Street in most towns) are ornate stone and usually either beautifully restored or well on their way to be restored.  You feel there is money flowing around this town.

[caption id="attachment_304" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="The Town Hall (or something similar) - at rush hour there are 8 lanes of traffic here and using the crossing in the foreground requires some nerve (or in my case walk closely behind the locals)"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_305" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Typical street facade"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_306" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="and another (look carefully and you'll see assorted weaponary in front of the building - this one is some sort of military museum)"][/caption]

Off the main street many of the older buildings are of wood, much larger and ornate than those I've seen in the villages - remarkable structures in varying states of repair as can be seen in the photo's below. Whilst their lovely to look at and some are obviously renovated and well cared for many others are obviously very basic – its very common to see people collecting water from the standpipe out in the street so many obviously don't have running water (so we won't think about bathrooms and toilets). Talking to the girls who run the hostel I've been staying in it seems at least the importance of the houses is recognised and a lot of effort is being made to preserve them and not simply knock down and replace. In fact you can quite often see old ones that have semi collapsed being carefully taken apart with each log numbered presumably to allow later reconstruction.

[caption id="attachment_307" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="New wood houses being built"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_308" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="A restored one - still in the minority."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_309" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="and a grander one."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_310" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Ripe for renovation"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_313" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Might need a bit of work on the foundations."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_314" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="as might this one."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_315" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="and this one is in the take down and reconstruct category."][/caption]

Talking of reconstruction - here are a few photo's of typical construction practice; as I've mentioned before health and safety laws are obviously not as strong here as we are used to.

[caption id="attachment_316" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Look carefully at the roof."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_317" align="aligncenter" width="338" caption="no safety lines or harness."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_318" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="same again"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_319" align="aligncenter" width="412" caption="meanwhile at ground level the electrician disconnects a street lamp."][/caption]

Finally just so you don't think I spend all my time looking at buildings and work practice here's one of a pretty lady on the street - and the streets are full of them - usually in impossibly high heels which they seem to walk about in as easily as if theywere born in them.

Cruising the shores of Lake Baikal

Well since Ulan Ude I've been cruising the shores of Lake Baikal. For that reason I'll dedicate this post to Naz who has told me it is her ambition to visit here. Naz is the unsung heroine of this blog, she is the person who has set up the website that hosts the blog, pays its fees and running costs and generally makes sure it all works. Many thanks Naz – it really is appreciated and I hope you like this posts photo's.

However before getting to lake shores I had to get out of Ulan Ude and on the way I wanted to stop at the “Museum of the Train Repair Factory” - it was advertised at the hostel and what engineer could resist a museum with a title like that. Well in the end I spent an hour driving around where it was suppossed to be – an industrial estate unmapped for 'security' reasons – gave up drove out and promptly tripped over it. The museum was exactly like I suspected it would be, set up much more for those ex-employees of the factory who ran it rather than for any visitor, but it was lovely. They obviously get minimal outside visitors and certainly none from overseas so all the staff came out to see me then the factory 'journalist' was fetched and the official photographs were taken followed by tea and biscuits with the staff. All great fun and all with nil english on their side and my minimal Russian. But we all parted great friends and its a lovely memory of more spontaneous friendship.



[caption id="attachment_263" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Australia - Russia detente"][/caption]

 

After getting out of town first night was at Turka which is the closest spot of lake shore to Ulan Ude. I stayed in a “homestay” which is rooms at someones house; basically bed and breakfast but in this case the rate included all three meals, and the lady of the house was making sure I got my moneys worth. I turned up at 5pm (as arranged) but lunch – all three courses was waiting for me, and as soon as I had finished I was asked when I would like dinner. Given this was now 6pm I pushed it as late as I could but nothing I could say prevented her presenting me with another 3 courses three hours later. I tried hard, but this one beat me – only 2 courses achieved. I went to bed feeling extremely bloated. Fortunately by breakfast I had recovered.

[caption id="attachment_264" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Repeat after three hours!"][/caption]

 

Turka was an a place in transistion; currently a fishing village but in the process of rapid large scale conversion to a holiday resort. Some major hotel and marina developments are going on and lots of people, like my hosts, are entering the tourist market. Quite a quaint village this year but by next year it will be quite different. I was told it was the only area on the lake foreshores that was being allowed this level of development as the local governments have recognised that though they want to earn the tourist dollar they can't risk spoiling the pristine beauty that attracts people (although they have an uphill battle with controlling peoples propensity to drop rubbish wherever they are). Anyway for all future travellers sake I hope they find the right balance.

[caption id="attachment_265" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Village foreshore"][/caption]

 

 

 

[caption id="attachment_268" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Winters coming"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_269" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="I was tempted to buy a souvenier"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_270" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Dubious renovation - UPVC cladding over log"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_271" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Develepers at work"][/caption]

From Turka it was follow the roads south around the Eastern shore of the lake.  I saw this on the way.  Anyone for a career in church maintenance?

There was no direct road so there was a bit of to and froing to avoid going back into Ulan Ude. I thought I was doing OK but I got onto a beautiful dirt road that went on and on when the map said it shouldn't. Later I realised that I should in fact have crossed the river on this ferry (no signs to indicate this)

[caption id="attachment_273" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="One ferry - no sign"][/caption]

 

which replaced this bridge;

rather than simply going straight on.  Net result I did about 80 km of extremely beautiful but fairly remote and sometimes challenging dirt road to get back to where I needed to be (I could off course have turned around but hey I'm a man we don't do things like that). Fortunately as compensation some of the scenery on that road was stunning and the riding was great fun.

Continuing south I met an American, Jake, on a similar bike to mine heading north so we stopped for a chat.  He was just finishing his trip and was heading to Mongolia to leave his bike there whilst he flew home ready to come back next year (now there's a plan).

 

[caption id="attachment_278" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Gratuitous self image!"][/caption]

 

By nightfall I made it to the southern end of the lake and ended up at staying at a pretty little hotel on the lakeshore just outside the town of Sludyanka. Whilst there I met a lovely Danish couple Kim and Christine and we had dinner together comparing notes on Russia, beer and life in general. They were there to go hiking in the hills.

[caption id="attachment_279" align="aligncenter" width="357" caption="Kim and Christine"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_280" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="Hotel supplied a guard rabbit (Monty Python fans will understand)"][/caption]

 

Here are some photo's of Lake Baikal to wet your appetite – but whilst it is beautiful I can't say I've found it stunningly so; its impressiveness is its size and clarity rather than its absolute beauty.

[caption id="attachment_282" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Trans Siberian beside Lake Baikal"][/caption]

 

The road to Irkutsk was winding tar designed for motorbikes - but sometimes local drivers and merchants made it a bit too interesting.

[caption id="attachment_285" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="A convenient mountain hairpin for a  market (and chaos when around a corner you find a 4WD reversing back to it)"][/caption]

 

After arriving Irkutsk, where I registered for my language course starting next week, rather than stay in town for the weekend I went back to the lake shores. This time at Lystvanka, which is a very holiday village only about 60 km out of town. Quite attractive in its own way the main village street fits on a tiny width of coast line with steep hills behind. The narrowness of the flat land combined with its closeness to Irkutsk means the place is traffic chaos at the weekend. Quite fun – but a place to be a pedestrian not a driver.

I've spent the weekend at a small guest house hidden in a valley off the side of the village. Place has nice ambience, quite reasonable rooms, good wifi and one of the worst toilets and showers of the trip – they really conform to a stereotype of 'foriegn toilets'. Ah well you can't have everything. Since the toilets aren't photogenic here's a couple more general lake shots.

Whilst walking about the town I discovered the obligatory church (actually hard to miss its right behind my guest house and the bells peal to tell me to get up).  Quite interesting as it is made of logs like the houses:



And next to the church I  found a 'sculpture park' - thats what they called it;



[caption id="attachment_292" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Warning - this caption for car nerds only:  I kid you not - this has paddle shift gear change on the steering column (albeit mechanical)"][/caption]

Well thats about all for now. The next two weeks (assuming I last two weeks; I reserve the right to finish after one) will be quite quiet as I will be concentrating on my Russian lessons and not moving around, so don't expect much in the way of blog updates in that time. After that though its back round to Ulan Ude and down to Mongolia which should generate some interesting posts.