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.