My preconception of Irkutsk was a misconception. It isn't a barren concrete jungle in the middle of Siberia. It isn't freezing cold. The people aren't all rude. In fact, it's a quaint, pretty and vibrant town with a population of 587,000 people, and almost as many statues. Lenin, Alexander III and many lesser known figureheads are immortalised in stone and are omnipresent amongst the city's many parks and gardens, marking a bloody and violent history that has paved the way for a modern society.
Richard's introduction to Irkutsk was less than memorable. A dodgy meal of chicken and noodles rewarded him with a violent bout of food poisoning and a night locked away in the hostel toilet. Consequently, our following day of sightseeing was built around an itinerary of toilet stops: Kirov Square, toilet, Saviour's Church, toilet, the Old Town, toilet, Chinese Market, toilet, Volkonsky House Museum, toilet, Karl Marx Street, toilet. Fortunately, the bug passed within 24 hours and he was soon on the mend.
Volkonsky House was fascinating. It is the preserved home of Decembrist Count Sergei Volkonsky and his wife Maria Volkonskaya, who were exiled to Siberia in the mid 1800s. This small mansion epitomised to me the life of Russian high society. It was all the more fitting given that both Richard and I are currently ploughing through the 1600 pages of 'War and Peace' to while away the time on the trans-Siberian railway.
Our day trip to the tiny town of Listvyanka on Lake Baikal was a wonderful experience on the whole. Every weather forecast we checked, predicted temperatures in the mid twenties, with blue skies. We were super excited. Arriving on the shores of the deepest lake in the world (deepest point 1637 metres) we were horrified to find a temperature barely above zero due to the extreme wind chill factor. Richard, in only shorts and a tshirt, looked like an ice block, and my jumper did little to stop my body being chilled to the bone. I was shattered and at my physical limit so I sheltered in a cafe while Richard braved the cold to see St Nicholaas Church and the Retro sculpture park. My lunch of fried omul (local fish) was tasty. The still-frozen chips weren't.
The thirty minute nerpa seal show was a highlight for us both, firstly because it was indoors, but also because of the amazing tricks these Lake Baikal locals could perform. Sadly, photography was banned so the only image I can offer on this blog is verbal: picture two of the fattest seals you've ever seen in your life; one barely able to break the surface of the water with his gargantuan rotunda of blubber, while the other, at a struggle, played basketball, painted an artwork and danced circles around his massively obese lump of a friend.
The planned itinerary of our three hour Lake Baikal boat tour was altered due to the high wind and wavy conditions on the lake, which, according to our guide Kristina's broken English, could be 'dangerous to your life'. We bounced across the lake to see Port Baikal and the old circum-Baikal tourist train line, which, due to its many old tunnels, is also apparently 'dangerous to your life'. Despite the seasickness-inducing waves, the scenery was stunning, especially the snow covered Khamar Daban mountains in the distance.
Surviving the one hour minibus ride back to Irkutsk, I was sandwiched between two old Russian women and their menagerie of fish-smelling bags. They enjoyed yapping away to me in Russian, and weren't fazed at all that I didn't have a clue what they were saying.
We bunked down in our hostel for the evening, biding our time and struggling to stay awake while waiting for our 3:00am train to Yekaterinburg.
Goodbye Asia, hello Europe!
We bunked down in our hostel for the evening, biding our time and struggling to stay awake while waiting for our 3:00am train to Yekaterinburg.
Goodbye Asia, hello Europe!
again another very interesting blog
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