We’re staying for a couple of nights in Nikola, a tiny town on the Angara River which drains Lake Baikal. It’s near the slightly less-tiny town of Listvyanka, the main tourist destination on Lake Baikal about 75 minutes from Irkutsk. When the hotel in Irkutsk threw us out, we went to catch a bus to Listvyanka. Instead, just because it was there, ready to go, and cheap we ended up on a minibus – for all of $5 each. When they opened the back to put our luggage in, who was there but Dave and Hannah, the Canadian couple from both the Beijing-Ulan Bator and Ulan Bator-Irkutsk legs of our train trip. The omens were good.
What have we learned about Siberia so far? The gardens are amazing; it seems as though every house in a village has its own beautiful garden with deep, dark soil either just planted or now ready to plant.
Gardens
The buildings are beautiful. Lots of wood, lots of color.
Nikola house
They’re not afraid of color here
It looks pleasant
The lake is amazing. By volume, it’s the world’s largest freshwater lake – 20 percent of all unfrozen fresh water in the world is here, more than the five Great Lakes combined. We hiked the four miles into town and then back yesterday for some great views, and then had dinner last night at a hotel in Nikola with a million-dollar view of the lake. Gorgeous.
Lakes, rivers, and birch trees (and heated floors) – just like Minnesota
Leaving Nikola, entering Listvyanka (if your Cyrillic isn’t up to speed…)
Lake Baikal
Boat on the Angara
The Angara River and Lake Baikal during a l-o-n-g sunset
And the food. There is a local fish here that’s described as a distant relative to salmon. You eat it as caviar, raw, pickled, smoked, fried – you name it. All washed down with vodka, of course, and with the tastiest rye bread you’ve ever had.
Just the basics – brown bread, local fish, pickled vegetables and vodka
We’re staying in a little, rustic lodge. It’s not fancy – we’re sharing a bathroom, for God’s sake! – but said bathroom does have a heated floor and a tile representation of the Roman Coliseum! The former seems somewhat more appropriate than the latter and of course makes me feel like we’re visiting Becky in Duluth. Oh yeah, and the lodge has a cat. Guess how long it took Mark to make friends.
Mark and his friend
We’re not entirely sure what’s up for the rest of the day. The young woman who acts as the manager here asked what time we’d like breakfast. Being morning people we suggested 7:00 AM. She countered with 9:00 AM and in our best negotiating style we said OK, so that’s what it will be. There’s supposed to be a 12-mile hike on the lake up to another little town that we’re going to try to do, if we can figure out how to catch a boat back at the end.
We can manage 12 miles, but 24 would be a challenge with a sprained wrist. Otherwise it would be no problem, of course.
Oh what a bummer about the stirrup-horse thing. Clearly your NGP Van horse-cousin-donkey-guardian angel wasn’t looking out for you. Hope it’s better soon. As for Mark’s tennis elbow… mine took one year. I tried the exercises they recommended on the web but what really works is completely resting it… hard to do with all that luggage.
I’m really loving your travelog. Hannah’s bestie, who lived in Moscow for a semester abroad (Russian Studies at Barnard) is going to be a camp counselor for the summer in Tyumen and leaves on Sunday. I’m going to show her these pics when we see her Saturday. She’s a Cambridge gal but her heart’s in Russia.
I’m hoping Mark doesn’t read your “took a year to heal” comment – that wont make him happy! Meanwhile my wrist is healing; I can even hold my iPad with it already.
How soon does Hannah’s friend get to Russia? I think we’re passing through Tyumen soon!
Am I correct to assume that Mark’s new friend is a Siberian cat?
If you are inquiring technically about the cat’s breed, I can’t totally confirm that. If you are asking about her nationality, she is most definitely a Siberian cat.
These photos are fantastic. And I’m sorry that you can’t walk 24 – but 12 miles walking on a sprained wrist is still pretty impressive. I didn’t even know that you could walk on your hands!
Incidentally, living in view of Lake Superior, I’m curious how both lakes are the largest in the world. Does Superior have a larger area, but not the depth necessary? If you know the answer, I would like to know.
And then we didn’t even make the 12 … more on that soon. As for Superior v. Baikal, yes, Lake Superior has (substantially) more surface area, but Lake Baikal is (substantially) deeper, apparently over a mile deep in large parts. So it has a lot more water.
Hope you’re doing well!