If the world would run out of drinking water tomorrow, lake Baikal could supply the whole humanity for the next 40 years. (I read it somewhere, so better double check before you reference to me.)
We started from Tomsk around midnight by a so called elektrischka that turned out to be a pretty old regional train stopping 20 times in the middle of nowhere in our way to taiga. Who thinks taiga means deserted place never spend 4h in the middle of the night in its train station. It’s pretty crowed with people waiting for trains to different directions.
A very different way to install a european style toilet the russian way.
The rather sleepless start of our journey caused that we again spent 80% of our time in the Transib sleeping. The other 20% we chatted with some Spanish guys (finally some English speaking people).
After we finally found the hostel in Irkutsk, we managed to arrange us two sleeping mattresses, a tent for rent (we actually never got it) and a bus going to Olchon island at 8:45 the next morning. The bus arrived at 9:45 and we spent the next hour driving to another hostel close by to pick up the last passengers filling the minibus efficiently and resulting in the bondage of my backpack on the roof of the bus. As badly as our driver knows the streets of Irkutsk as badly does he know how to drive a bus safely and comfortable. I guess his motto is why driving 100 km/h when you can drive 140 km/h, ignoring rules about safety distance, shaking leftover milk to butter (road conditions were not the best either) and resulting in some very green Spanish people. Surprisingly my backpack was still on the roof, when we arrived.
Our very impatient, disoriented, downward smiling bus driver and his bus.
When we arrived at the ferry we got a first warning that Olchon island will not be as lonely as we anticipated. The queue continued for several hundred meter and we waited three hours to cross the 500 m Baikal lake.
Waiting for the ferry can get a little time consuming.
The long waiting time had the big advantage that our russian companions got enough whiskey and rum to become talkative.
Our new russian friends, Lara and me.
We decide to stay in Nikita’s Homestay, the most popular one on the islan and run by a former table tennis profi, who made Olchon accessible for traveler. It was a little more expensive but considering the twin room, a hot shower, table tennis opportunities and numerous Blinis for breakfast you got plenty value for your money.
Nikitas homestay, a very cosy place to meet people and eat pancakes.
During our time on Olchon we got lost in the woods on our search of the other side of the island, made a trip to the „north cap“ in a Bread, and walked the sandy beaches finding russian numerous banjas and rare fresh water seals. We also took a swim in the lake, which is prolonging your life by five years, I heard rumors. However, the island is packed with Russians and Backpackers during summer time, so I would definitely recommend to get here in off season if you only come for the nature.
Chuschir, a very remot place in Siberia, if you exclude all the people coming during summer time.
Olchon woods criss-crossed by sandy paths.
Olchon is also a an area of shamanic spirits, we heard.
Frequent companion on the sandy paths of Chuschir are the cows, making the place a little indian like.
Olchon sunset, enjoyable 300 days a year due to the special clime on the island.
Tom and Tommy watching the sunset.
Several „breads“ as russian call the off road cars are making the trip to the north cap each day.
It actually feels like being on the sea, except that you are able to drink the water.
Happy greetings from the north cap from Tom.
The north cap trip also included fish soup from the typical Omul prepared by a bus driver in a bucket. Jummy
Despite the enormous amount of fresh water in the lake, a great part of the island consist of steppe.
We spontaneously decided not to go back to Irkutsk but to take the ferry to Ust-Bagasin. The village on the eastern shores if the Baikal lake. We were not the only ones taking this trip and found us together with 100 other passengers and their backpacks, suitcases and bikes at the beach waiting for the boat.
How needs a harbour, we had a beach and a ladder. Only the bike got a bit in trouble getting his bike on the boat.
Arrived in Ust-Bagusin, we actually did neither find a passenger friendly harbour.
Arrived in Ust-Bagasin together with another German backpacker the group leader of a German travel group help us finding a bed (space for the sleeping bag) for the night. Our landlord however was the most grumpy person we met in Russia and charged us a pretty nice price. Therefore we ended up for the first in a Russian banja (sauna) because non of the houses in a Russian village has a shower, but all have a banja.
She also ordered a place in the Marschrutka to Ulan-Ude for the next day for us. We wouldn’t have found it on our own, since there is no Bus station in Ust-Bagasin and you are supposed to call the bus company to pick you up in front of your house.
Waiting for the Marschrutka in Ust-Bagusin.
The next day we drove knee to knee with 12 russians, non working safety belts and ventilation in a mini-van to Ulan-Ude.
We had plans to go from here to Ulan Bator the next day, but we did not expect this route to be that popular. All train and Bus tickets were sold out and we were not up for hitch hiking. Instead we spend three nights in three different hostel (they were full as well), saw the most impressive fountain and the weirdest Lenin monument in whole Russia, met many nice people, ate some vegetables (Mongolia is supposed to be just meat and dairy products) and bought a cheap tent.
Evil twins.
man weiß gar nicht was man schreiben soll – sehr interessant – gefällt mir – wo seid Ihr ?
Schöne Grüße aus CPH
Stephan