Irkutsk - ice capital
Trip Start
Jan 24, 2004
1
9
31
Trip End
Apr 01, 2004
Irkutsk,
Siberia,
Russian Federation
Friday, February 13, 2004
13th February 2004
I had no plan . I just wanted to get off here and see lake Baikal. My companion is better organised and she has pre-arranged a homestay - a room in a family house for about 25 dollars a night. Sounds very expensive , but there is little else for us travellers and so I am persuaded to do the same . The owner of the house is Nadia. A pudgy little babushka lady who is the most excellent host. Exactly how much of our 25 US dollars she gets from the organisers is not clear. The house is in the middle of town close to the performing circus which I don't attend . Animals jumping through hoops and all that . Nadia cooks us wonderful breakfasts including steaks , and proudly makes her own jam
Ice pyramid
. Staying here turns out to be an excellent decision . She speaks no English which makes it all the more interesting , though her daughter has a student level knowledge of the English language. And she comes to the rescue when I develop a recurrence of an eye problem . Must be the cold weather. Luckily for me , Irkutsk is a centre for the science of the human eye ! Nadia walks with me to the eye hospital and with her help at the reception desk, the problem is quickly and expertly resolved. The town is compact and easier to self-navigate than St Petersburg. There are ice structures in the park opposite the Angara hotel. One is a house-sized pyramid. Another is a children's slide . Inside the Angara there is a small bar. But I never linger in there since it is about the only tourist hotel here , and therefore expensive . Useful only for changing money and sending mail overseas. Tammy and I search out kebabs late at night and then retire to our separate rooms at Nadia's place. We buy each other valentine's day cards which are unintelligible.
14th February. I observe a young Russian soldier with an AK47 slung across his back. He is so drunk , he is staggering down the street in a zig zag . Past statues of former Russian leaders and a craft fair which offers landscape pictures made entirely of wood bark , among other things . The small pictures contain attractive autumn shades , unlike our present reality which is in monochrome. Along the Angara river the chill factor is face numbingly cold. It's actually becoming painful to keep my eyes open. There are quaint Dachas , traditional wooden houses , lined up either side of a track in what seems to be a place far removed from Moscow's vulgar fashion emporiums.
There is a kiosk type refreshments area. Tammy , Bill and I venture in and scan the impressive selection of drinks available. We begin drinking from tall cans of Gin and Tonic . Something I've never seen before in my life . The river gushes outside in the grip of winter. Inside its warm and a jubilant atmosphere is taking place with many young people enjoying a valentines day holiday. We are brimming with merriment when much later, we leave . Bill soon goes arse-upwards after skidding on a patch of ice. We are unable to find a restaurant that isn't fully booked. Though I have vague memories of an Austrian-themed medieval dungeon that plies us with beer on the promise of a free table which never quite materialised . There were some angry words. Three hungry bellies and the day is done.
We have a new friend , another Vladimir , who likes to walk with us and offer his services as a free tour guide. He is a little morose at times proclaiming how Russians have so little . The drone of his history lessons becomes almost unbearable but he helps Tammy get a bus ticket to Listvyanka for which she is grateful . She returns with stories of the lake . I am looking forward to seeing it myself . Then we wave goodbye one afternoon at Irkutsk station , she's moving on . We promise to meet up in Beijing .
Next ; Listvyanka on the lake
