Olkhon Island on Lake Bailkal
Trip Start
May 03, 2007
1
3
65
Trip End
??? ??, 2008
Irkutsk,
Russia
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
It took a 3 1/2 day train ride to get us from Moscow to Irkustk. We'd booked two beds in a 4 berth cabin and expected two more travelling companions for company. We'd heard stories of fellow passengers forcing you to get hammered on Vodka - refusing a drink from a Russian is just plain bad manners. As it was we ended up with the cabin to ourselves. Which meant we could spread out and sleep whenever we wanted - which was a lot since we were worn out from St. P and Moscow. We were the only foreigners in the carriage and being surrounded by families meant we had a quiet time of it.
Irkutsk - much smaller in comparrison and much, much cheaper to sleep and eat. We only spent two days there before heading for the lake. After a 5 hour journey on the locat minibus we crossed the lake to the island, by fishing boat, and were met on the other side by someone from Nikita's homestead.
The main town on Olkhon Island is a ramshakle place, all of the buildings are made of wood (just like any typical Siberian town) and the only fences are around the houses. Other than that you are free to go where you please.
We stayed in a lovely log cabin which had its own wood burner. One lot of wood burned would heat the cabin for two days easily. It could get pretty parky at night.
We were joined on our walks by a new companion in the form of a huge black dog called Ors (French for Bear). He was super lovely and very gentle. Even when he had two smaller dogs hanging off his legs by their teeth and one biting his neck he stayed very calm. He did let them know when he'd had enough though.
We stayed on Olkhon for 6 nights.
It was a bit of a wrench to leave. The people we'd met there were really lovely. Great company. Somehow they managed to maintain a really relaxed atmosphere whilst being very efficient. I'd like to know their secret.
On the same day that we left Olkhon Island we got on the train to Mongolia.
