Lake Baikal
Trip Start
May 08, 2006
1
29
108
Trip End
Mar 07, 2007
Lake Baikal and Irkutsk,
Russia
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Ahhh Mother Russia. Where 8 out of every 10 girls are absolutley stunning and the men look like the ogre things from the lord of the rings. But then one wonders. What happens to the all the pretty girls when they reach their 30's or older. You dont see any of these girls at an older age..... I found out what they become..... They Become Baboooosshkaaas!!! (Russian for old ugly lady). "Insert song from Little Britain" Ba ba babooshka bababoshhkaa. Sorry. It has become my much used word Baboshka!
We arrived at Irkukst and left straight away for an hour drive to the biggest fresh water lake in the world.
Russia and Lake Baikal in particular is so 80's its amazing
1. Bratislava!!!
. Denim jackets with denim jeans and leather vests are the norm, and the moustache with the mullet seems to be the hot new look right now. For the men and the Babooshkas! And who could forget all of Russias favourite item of clothing, CAMO GEAR. Everything is camoflauge, I think everyone is in the army. And the final trendsetter is the workout outfit, the Vicky Pollard outfit with the matching top and bottoms. Yes they wear it to nightclubs! The street we stayed on reminded me of Bratislava from Eurotrip. I was waiting for a dog to walk out with a hand in its mouth and a man to say "Miami Vice top new show!". Instead all there was, was young girls laughing at me and calling me a dork as i walked up the street and "stroked" their puppy.
Lake Baikal had a cool market filled with Russian Dolls, one i paid 10 times the price for, which i didnt find out until just the other day!!! Its cool though, its a communist Russia doll, Its got Stalin, lennon, the works!! And yes i bought authentic comunist miltary badges. They are so cool!! I now even have soviet cufflinks!
There was yet another boat ride, where some people jumped into the icy lake, and a boring museum and boring church
10. Irkukst
. But the highlight on Lake Baikal (or should i say Listtvyanka) the town we stayed in, was the Big Night out.We went out this night to pretty much the only 2 pubs around. Right next to each other. Hanging out with Dimtriyi and Roman in one, and another Dimitryi and in the other. Our Honcho Eugene, said that Romand and Dimitriyi were not safe to hang out with and so did some other random girls. That didn't deter the crazy Ed or Ciaren. There were a lot of drunk russians with mullets and girls with massive sunglases. And there was music which varied from Russian Techno to Ace of Base to Hillary Duff!. My conversations varied from "Nyet Russian" to Yefgani Kafelnakov to Dasvadanya over and over again. It was a wierd place with girls dressed up as supermodels and guys in soccer uniforms.
I drifted from bar to bar, from Dimitriyi to Dimitryi and coming back when I heard a classic Hillary Duff song come on. To see Ciaren drunk and fall on Romans Gf, spilling alcohol on her and making her cry. Then to see Roman tells us to "Get the F** Out". They patched things up, until i was sitting in the other pub and saw a Ciaren, who was pushed in lake baikal and ed running up the street getting chased by crazy russians. That was our queue to leave! The other Dimitryi came out to protect us, and then there was more police
11. Lennin!
! Ed Ciaren and Mike dissapeared and Eugene had to be woken to help find them. We found them drunk and lost hehe. But safe and sound. My group was doing a good job of turning me off drinking completley, and after Rice Wine in Vietnam, and gagging trying to drink Fermented Mares milk which tasted like Rice wine in Mongolia I am nearly there!!The next night was a chillout night, with the classic movie Indiana Jones!! (no i did not pick it!). There was recovery carried out and a Banya was had. A Banya is like a sauna but so much hotter and you get whipped with leaves. When u walk out of the Banya section and into the cooler sauna section, u get icy Lake Baikal water poured on you. Which is so ache for after the heat of the Banya. Quite a bizzare experience
I cant forget the crazy honcho, Eugene, (not spelt that way). He wore pyjyama style clothes every day, and even had matching shorts. His favourite movie was terminator 2 and he loved to do quotes from the movie :( He also reminded me of John Battam (ASI) because he also talked like a black gangster, saying all the time "watsup my nigga!" He thought he was cool and wouldnt stop talking about all the women he has been with. You have to see the picture and think who does he remind you of!
We returned for a half day in Irkutsk where i saw a guy next to me on the net looking up porn, before heading off on a 4 day trip to Moscow
All the rest is in the photos
