30 May
We rose at our usual hour, before 6am, with the morning sun streaming in. After a leisurely breakfast and final packing, there was time to finish reading ‘Penric and the Shaman’, which I commenced on the train from Ulan-Ude to Irkutsk. Got a start on ‘The Ballad of Black Tom’.
We checked out and waited for the minibus we’d booked on arrival in Irkutsk. It arrived half an hour late, at 9:30am. Driver gruff and grumpy. Minibus full, and we got the booby prize seats at the rear. Luggage on a rack on top, so no trouble with space, though Minuk’s heavy bag was a pain to lift. Two more pickups after us, then off on the relatively smooth highway to the north, under a glowering grey sky. The land was flat and agricultural, with small settlements every few kilometres.
A toilet stop and a lunch stop en route. These were fairly short. Lunch was a rolled chicken, filled with vegies – OK. Cost 202 roubles ($5). Afterward, I took the opportunity to listen to ‘Foreigner’ on audiobook, revisiting CJ Cherryh’s great series.
After lunch, the trees thinned out and the land became drier and more rugged. More so as the route turned back toward Lake Baikal. Finally down a dirt road to the lake at about 1:30pm to drop off one customer at a small mainland town, seemingly full of hotels and holiday cabins. Road braided and rutted. Back to the bitumen for the final leg to the ferry port, where we arrived at 2:00pm. Next ferry at 2:30pm, so half an hour to stretch legs and walk was a pleasure. The bus ride is very bouncy. I began listening to ‘Foreigner’ on the way.
Ferry ride was only 15 minutes or so, but the breeze was bitingly cold in unsheltered areas, whilst the sun is warm. On the Island, the road is dirt, but the driver took to it like a bat out of hell, passing many of the vehicles which had driven off the ferry before we did. Then, for reasons unknown, left the graded road, and drove for 15 or 20 minutes on rutted tracks on hillsides parallel to the graded road. It was a seriously bumpy and unpleasant ride. We were grateful to be dropped off at Nikita Bencharov’s quite soon.
We checked in, paid the balance of our accommodation (9800 Roubles, plus another 200 roubles each to register our visas). We were guided to our room at the rear of the sprawling complex. ‘Provence’ is bright, rustic and lime-washed, with a fine view of the iconic Shaman Rock (framed by powerlines and ugly fence, but still nice to look upon). A cuppa, and smoked omul sandwiches to celebrate our arrival. The clouds had broken up, and we were blessed with sunshine, though the wind remained cold.
Afterward, a walk around to the Shaman Rock, and to the Shaman poles lined up on the nearby hilltop, gave sparking and spectacular views.
There was quite a crowd in the dining room already when we arrived just after 7pm. Dinner was hearty home cooking. Our first serving of Borsht (yummy), with mains of fried chicken, fish quernelle and potatoes with vegetables. There was a good tasty salad table. Teas and instant coffee were provided, or you could buy soft drinks. Desert was baked cheesecake crumble, plus a meat pastie, which probably did not qualify as desert. Filling and enjoyable anyway. I booked the day tour to the north of the island (900 roubles + 100 rouble National Park entry, $40). Minuk chose a day of rest.
After dinner I went for another stroll by the lakeside to take sunset shots. Then some blogging before bed.
31 May
Woke during the night to see a pink sunrise at about 4am! Slept until about 5:50am, then muddled about until the late breakfast at 9am. Another filling spread. Chicken Soup, eggs, pancakes, porridge, salads again, plus cheese and bread (French and plain). Tea and instant coffee too.
Set off on tour by 10am. Our group included two Russian women, two women from Seoul, and a two Chinese, both from Shanghai. I scored the front seat in the ubiquitous grey Russian built 4WD minibus, which is de rigeur for the rough, rocky and sandy tracks. There were perhaps eight of these making the circuit today, so sometimes the various vehicles were chasing along in convoy style, congregating at attractions, then splitting up once more. First stop was at Kharantsy cape, expansive views and a pebbly beach, and water smooth enough to skip stones. Cows on the beach a little way north. Spied a chipmunk or gopher on the way back to the bus.
A snack and souvenir shop greeted us at Peschanka village, where old houses are being covered by sand dunes, and new holiday shacks are springing up. The rutted track continued through a pine forest, where vibrant purple flowered shrub was a striking contrast to the spring green of the trees. Once through the forest, the track once again led through open grassy steppe to the Three Brothers Rock Cape (aka Sagaan-Khushun Cape), and thence to Cape Khoboy, the extreme northern tip of Olkhon Island. The cliffs were precipitous at each of these sites. After a hike to Cape Khoboy (further than it looked), we dined on a packed lunch (fish and rice, cheese sandwich and a brownie, plus tea). Last stop on our trip was the curiously named Cape of Love and Uzury. Then a long retracing of the route out to the cape. Arrived back at about 4pm. The afternoon is greyer than yesterday, and not as inviting for strolling to Cape Burshan for sunset pictures. Indeed, the sunset may be underwhelming tonight.
Picked up our passports and are now secure in the knowledge we are legal in Russia. Dinner was more home cooked food, a slight variation on that served yesterday.
All that is left to do is some reading and packing for departure tomorrow after breakfast. Rain (rare) is predicted for tomorrow, though it is supposed to be fine in Irkutsk.
1 June
We woke, as usual between 5 and 6am, to witness the first really poor weather of this trip. Low grey clouds and a persistent drizzling to steady rain made the roadways around Nikita’s muddy, dampening us as we walked to and from breakfast. The rain continued as we struggled to carry the bags to reception without clogging the wheels with mud. Pity help the poor souls who are staying on the island, and have booked tours today! Bus eventually turned up, a reliable few minutes late at just after 10am. We suspect we were sold to another bus, as this was the one which had left 15 minutes earlier with some other guests from Nikita’s. I was lucky enough to score a front seat, whilst Minuk got to sit up the back with the luggage (no roof rack, so luggage in the aisle. Probably for the best, due to the rain).
Slow drive down to the car ferry crossing, averaging only 30-40kmh on the rutted road, in steady rain. Driver seemed to be radioing the ferry asking them to wait (got there at 11:15). So we were last on and first to reverse off. The rain finally ceased as we reached the mainland, heading west. Began to listento more of ‘Foreigner’. By the time we reached the main highway, just 130km from Irkutsk, the sun was peeping through the clouds.
Lunch was late, at the same place we’d stopped on the way to Khuzhir on Tuesday. This time I had a tasty cheburek (ground beef in a deep fried pastry), whilst Minuk ate salad. We were on the road again within half an hour, and in Irkutsk just after 3pm.
Dropped off at the apartment and met again my Maxim. We asked him to book a taxi for us to the train station at 3pm tomorrow, so our poor grasp of Russian is not put to the test. After a rest, and a load of washing, we changed some USD into Roubles ($300 = 16740 r), went supermarket shopping to get supplies for the long train journey. Thirty hours will be quite the stretch.
Later, had dinner at ‘Entrecot’ once more, this time at the very crowded one in the Mall at 130 Kvartal. My pork chop with chips was OK (but still dry), whilst Minuk’s calamari was underwhelming, the home made crisps were more impressive. Entrecot is stylish and unthreatening with its English menu, but the cooking could do with a tweak (meat is just slightly overcooked, meaning it is dry), as it is resolutely average. The shandy drinks are quite good though – Minuk tried the Cherry Porter this time. Bill came to 845 Roubles ($21). Quick trip to supermarket to see if we could find margarine. No such luck. It seems Russians often put jam on bread without butter, and margarine is not used widely, if at all. There were many cheese spreads to choose from though. Eventually chose the cheapest butter, which turned out to be harmless.
Back to the apartment for coffee and tea before bed.
We rose at our usual hour, before 6am, with the morning sun streaming in. After a leisurely breakfast and final packing, there was time to finish reading ‘Penric and the Shaman’, which I commenced on the train from Ulan-Ude to Irkutsk. Got a start on ‘The Ballad of Black Tom’.
We checked out and waited for the minibus we’d booked on arrival in Irkutsk. It arrived half an hour late, at 9:30am. Driver gruff and grumpy. Minibus full, and we got the booby prize seats at the rear. Luggage on a rack on top, so no trouble with space, though Minuk’s heavy bag was a pain to lift. Two more pickups after us, then off on the relatively smooth highway to the north, under a glowering grey sky. The land was flat and agricultural, with small settlements every few kilometres.
A toilet stop and a lunch stop en route. These were fairly short. Lunch was a rolled chicken, filled with vegies – OK. Cost 202 roubles ($5). Afterward, I took the opportunity to listen to ‘Foreigner’ on audiobook, revisiting CJ Cherryh’s great series.
After lunch, the trees thinned out and the land became drier and more rugged. More so as the route turned back toward Lake Baikal. Finally down a dirt road to the lake at about 1:30pm to drop off one customer at a small mainland town, seemingly full of hotels and holiday cabins. Road braided and rutted. Back to the bitumen for the final leg to the ferry port, where we arrived at 2:00pm. Next ferry at 2:30pm, so half an hour to stretch legs and walk was a pleasure. The bus ride is very bouncy. I began listening to ‘Foreigner’ on the way.
Ferry ride was only 15 minutes or so, but the breeze was bitingly cold in unsheltered areas, whilst the sun is warm. On the Island, the road is dirt, but the driver took to it like a bat out of hell, passing many of the vehicles which had driven off the ferry before we did. Then, for reasons unknown, left the graded road, and drove for 15 or 20 minutes on rutted tracks on hillsides parallel to the graded road. It was a seriously bumpy and unpleasant ride. We were grateful to be dropped off at Nikita Bencharov’s quite soon.
We checked in, paid the balance of our accommodation (9800 Roubles, plus another 200 roubles each to register our visas). We were guided to our room at the rear of the sprawling complex. ‘Provence’ is bright, rustic and lime-washed, with a fine view of the iconic Shaman Rock (framed by powerlines and ugly fence, but still nice to look upon). A cuppa, and smoked omul sandwiches to celebrate our arrival. The clouds had broken up, and we were blessed with sunshine, though the wind remained cold.
Afterward, a walk around to the Shaman Rock, and to the Shaman poles lined up on the nearby hilltop, gave sparking and spectacular views.
There was quite a crowd in the dining room already when we arrived just after 7pm. Dinner was hearty home cooking. Our first serving of Borsht (yummy), with mains of fried chicken, fish quernelle and potatoes with vegetables. There was a good tasty salad table. Teas and instant coffee were provided, or you could buy soft drinks. Desert was baked cheesecake crumble, plus a meat pastie, which probably did not qualify as desert. Filling and enjoyable anyway. I booked the day tour to the north of the island (900 roubles + 100 rouble National Park entry, $40). Minuk chose a day of rest.
After dinner I went for another stroll by the lakeside to take sunset shots. Then some blogging before bed.
31 May
Woke during the night to see a pink sunrise at about 4am! Slept until about 5:50am, then muddled about until the late breakfast at 9am. Another filling spread. Chicken Soup, eggs, pancakes, porridge, salads again, plus cheese and bread (French and plain). Tea and instant coffee too.
Set off on tour by 10am. Our group included two Russian women, two women from Seoul, and a two Chinese, both from Shanghai. I scored the front seat in the ubiquitous grey Russian built 4WD minibus, which is de rigeur for the rough, rocky and sandy tracks. There were perhaps eight of these making the circuit today, so sometimes the various vehicles were chasing along in convoy style, congregating at attractions, then splitting up once more. First stop was at Kharantsy cape, expansive views and a pebbly beach, and water smooth enough to skip stones. Cows on the beach a little way north. Spied a chipmunk or gopher on the way back to the bus.
A snack and souvenir shop greeted us at Peschanka village, where old houses are being covered by sand dunes, and new holiday shacks are springing up. The rutted track continued through a pine forest, where vibrant purple flowered shrub was a striking contrast to the spring green of the trees. Once through the forest, the track once again led through open grassy steppe to the Three Brothers Rock Cape (aka Sagaan-Khushun Cape), and thence to Cape Khoboy, the extreme northern tip of Olkhon Island. The cliffs were precipitous at each of these sites. After a hike to Cape Khoboy (further than it looked), we dined on a packed lunch (fish and rice, cheese sandwich and a brownie, plus tea). Last stop on our trip was the curiously named Cape of Love and Uzury. Then a long retracing of the route out to the cape. Arrived back at about 4pm. The afternoon is greyer than yesterday, and not as inviting for strolling to Cape Burshan for sunset pictures. Indeed, the sunset may be underwhelming tonight.
Picked up our passports and are now secure in the knowledge we are legal in Russia. Dinner was more home cooked food, a slight variation on that served yesterday.
All that is left to do is some reading and packing for departure tomorrow after breakfast. Rain (rare) is predicted for tomorrow, though it is supposed to be fine in Irkutsk.
1 June
We woke, as usual between 5 and 6am, to witness the first really poor weather of this trip. Low grey clouds and a persistent drizzling to steady rain made the roadways around Nikita’s muddy, dampening us as we walked to and from breakfast. The rain continued as we struggled to carry the bags to reception without clogging the wheels with mud. Pity help the poor souls who are staying on the island, and have booked tours today! Bus eventually turned up, a reliable few minutes late at just after 10am. We suspect we were sold to another bus, as this was the one which had left 15 minutes earlier with some other guests from Nikita’s. I was lucky enough to score a front seat, whilst Minuk got to sit up the back with the luggage (no roof rack, so luggage in the aisle. Probably for the best, due to the rain).
Slow drive down to the car ferry crossing, averaging only 30-40kmh on the rutted road, in steady rain. Driver seemed to be radioing the ferry asking them to wait (got there at 11:15). So we were last on and first to reverse off. The rain finally ceased as we reached the mainland, heading west. Began to listento more of ‘Foreigner’. By the time we reached the main highway, just 130km from Irkutsk, the sun was peeping through the clouds.
Lunch was late, at the same place we’d stopped on the way to Khuzhir on Tuesday. This time I had a tasty cheburek (ground beef in a deep fried pastry), whilst Minuk ate salad. We were on the road again within half an hour, and in Irkutsk just after 3pm.
Dropped off at the apartment and met again my Maxim. We asked him to book a taxi for us to the train station at 3pm tomorrow, so our poor grasp of Russian is not put to the test. After a rest, and a load of washing, we changed some USD into Roubles ($300 = 16740 r), went supermarket shopping to get supplies for the long train journey. Thirty hours will be quite the stretch.
Later, had dinner at ‘Entrecot’ once more, this time at the very crowded one in the Mall at 130 Kvartal. My pork chop with chips was OK (but still dry), whilst Minuk’s calamari was underwhelming, the home made crisps were more impressive. Entrecot is stylish and unthreatening with its English menu, but the cooking could do with a tweak (meat is just slightly overcooked, meaning it is dry), as it is resolutely average. The shandy drinks are quite good though – Minuk tried the Cherry Porter this time. Bill came to 845 Roubles ($21). Quick trip to supermarket to see if we could find margarine. No such luck. It seems Russians often put jam on bread without butter, and margarine is not used widely, if at all. There were many cheese spreads to choose from though. Eventually chose the cheapest butter, which turned out to be harmless.
Back to the apartment for coffee and tea before bed.