After 50 hours, we were ready to depart the train. It was only the last few that felt longish though. Given that we were arriving at 9pm and departing again the next morning, we booked accommodation close to the train station. Go to any city in the world and the area around the central train station is always buzzing and slightly seedy and dodgy. This was a matter of convenience, 250m from the station, up a massive flight of stairs and the hotel turned out to be just fine. Standard hotel room and amenities, bed, towels, kettle and hot water shower. We were not all that tired, no physical movement or 2 days and plenty of dozing meant we had energy to burn. A short walk around the corner and we found a mini-market. I always find it so fascinating to browse the aisles of a foreign supermarket.
The next
morning, Sunday, we were up somewhat early. It was surprise day. At this point Bevan had no idea what was in store. All that he knew was that a driver was collecting us
at 9.20am. We had breakfast, found some drinkable coffee next door and went for a walk to the local market. Our driver, Sergei was a delightful chap. So friendly, full of life and excited to be chatting to us. He drove us to the outskirts of town, turned up a dirt road and we stopped in a clearing. Bevan asked Steph if this was where we were meant to be and Steph's reply was 'I'm not sure...' We stood gazing out over the valley and the Autumn coloured forest, so beautiful! We were a little early, but 20 minutes later, a dot appears over the ridge. Surprise, there's our ride! The helicopter approaches, growing larger and louder by the second. It comes to land in a small clearing 100m from us. Sergei advises that we can approach when the blades have stopped moving. A few moments later, our pilot, Oleg emerges and guides us to our seats. Oleg is even wearing a souvenir t-shirt from Australia. He tells us that his wife lives on the Gold Coast and he resides 6 months a year there with her.
We are going for a 90 minute scenic flight along the Angara river to Lake Baikal and then viewing from above and then returning over the vast expanse of Siberian forest. The Circum-Baikal railway crawls along the lake edge 4 times a week and is primarily a sightseeing branch line after the main trans-Siberian line was rerouted in the 1950's.
The logistics of spending a day travelling the scenic railway didn't fit into our itinerary. So Steph arranged a surprise highlight of the honeymoon unbeknownst to Bevan.
Needless to say, it was stunning!! It took about 30 minutes to follow the river out to the lake. We saw villages along the way and on the lakes edge. We saw Listvyanka, the village we would be staying at for the next 2 nights. We dropped in altitude and we spotted Port Baikal, the starting point of the the Circum-Baikal railway. We followed the twists and turns of the railroad while taking in the immense beauty this giant body of water. Upon reaching Slyudyanka, we turned inland to make our way back to Irkutsk over the dense forest.
Sergei was waiting for us when we returned. We got he obligatory photos in front of the helicopter and with Oleg. What an absolute treat! Much more costly than a trip on the train but totally worth it!
A quick lunch back at the hotel and it was time to head back to the lake, this time in a car. We booked a taxi on a ride sharing app and braced ourselves for the 70km drive on Russian roads. The car that arrives does nothing to allay Bevan's nerves. A boy-racer car that has seen better days. No room in the boot for our backpacks as the boot has a twin speaker subwoofer box crammed in, so they are piled into the backseat. Bevan takes the front seat and Steph squishes into the back, no seatbelt in sight. Thankfully, the turbocharger does not seem to be connected and the extra 200kg or so prevents any sudden movements. Things get a little sketchy when young mate gets confused with the highway roadworks diversions and turns off onto a dirt road clearly going no where. We insisted that he turn around and directed him back onto the section of highway not closed off. It takes about an hour to get out to Listvyanka. When we arrive, we are ready to pay the 1500 rubles as indicated by the app. Our driver had a different idea though, he wanted 2500 rubles. An argument is ensued, one side in Russian, the other in English. In the end we just paid it. What could we do. We were in the backstreets of the small village and not a sole to speak to the same language. If we are going to be ripped off, at least it's only for $20. And I didn't want it to ruin our day. We later learnt from our host that the going rate for a taxi between Irkutsk and Listvyanka is 2000-2500 rubles, that made us feel better.
Our apartment is wonderful. We are about 80m from the lakes edge and slightly elevated. There is a view to the lake from the lounge room and kitchen windows. Our host is friendly and welcoming and offers his assistant to take us to the bus station in a 2 days time. We spend the rest of the afternoon out walking by the lake and exploring the strung out village. By sunset we were enjoying our comfortable accommodation and cooking dinner, quite a novelty after so long.
Lake Baikal is 636km long and 60km wide, shaped like a banana. It is also the world's deepest lake at 1637m. As such, it contains nearly one-fifth of the world's fresh unfrozen water - more than North America's five Great Lakes combined. It is also a living museum of flora and fauna - 80% of which can be found no where else in the world.
We enjoy the best night sleep in a while and wake the next morning early but refreshed. We spend the morning pottering around, catching up on emails, what has been happening in the world and research on future destinations. Late morning, we head off for the walk to the market which is at the far end of the village, a 4km walk along the lake edge. After purchasing some souvenirs and gathering supplies for dinner, we stop for lunch at a cafe and shun the warm indoor seating in favour of a spot on the balcony over the lake in the sun, which is slightly windy and cool. And then the leisurely walk home. A lazy afternoon ensues and another home cooked meal.
The next morning, as promised, Sergei (a different one) arrives to take us to the bus station. He has a beautifully maintained Lada station wagon, which is also a surprisingly smooth ride. The minibuses that ply the route between Irkutsk and Listvyanka don't really have a schedule, they usually depart when close to full. We only had to wait a few minutes before a minibus turned up. We piled on along with about 8 locals and promptly departed again. Numerous stops along the way to drop people off and collect new passengers. It got a bit cramped at times and was standing room only. But an hour later we were safely deposited at the central market in Irkutsk. A cab ride across town and we were back at the train station for our midday train.
We had high expectations for Baikal and it did not disappoint. We really wished we could have stayed longer and have already been chatting about a future back to the serene and picturesque part of the world.
