Lake Baikal Day Two

The morning was beautiful, and perfect for a hike. However, I should have known to leave the jacket and scarf in the room rather than carry it with me, but it wasn’t supposed to get that warm.

We met our guide in downtown Listivyanka and began the hike. Of course, like any good hike, it began inside the city and you walked to leave the city (not sure if they count this as part of the 18km or not, my guess is not. Which means we walked more like 20-22 km (more like 12-13 miles). They had told our program coordinator that it was an easy hike ALONG the shores of Lake Baikal. When you hear ALONG the shores, you picture a flat easy to walk hike, no?

NO.

We were trekking across a mountain on a straight up part for 800 km part and then a bunch of the rest was generally uphill.

I. Was. Miserable. I don’t do hiking, or climbing mountains. Or other big exciting outdoorsy style stuff. I’m a theater and museum type of gal.

The guide set up what I thought of as a brisk pace. Within the first hour, I was wondering if it wouldn’t be better to just turn around and go sit on the shores of Lake Baikal. (Note to self, it would have.) For those of you who don’t know me well, I have knee and heart issues as well as am still within a year of a partial lung collapse. Everything hurt, and at one point I almost passed out. But two of the boys were wonderful and found a walking stick I could use (at some points, I was only walking because I could use my upper and lower body to drag myself up the mountain side).

At one point, we stopped and had lunch along the shore for about an hour. The guide said the rest would be pretty flat. Now, when your Russian guide tells you “it will be pretty flat” assume it’s like your math teacher saying “this will be fun” or your ballet teacher saying “one more time.” It’s a falsehood. Well, more like a half truth. It wasn’t has high as the mountain we had just crossed, but it was the foothills.

We finally made it to little village where we would be catching a boat back to Listviyanka. The boat ride took about 30 minutes. Then there was a 2-3 hour drive back during Sunday traffic.

To me, the hike and views didn’t make the pain and suffering worth it. There was very little that I couldn’t have seen from a boat. However, if you like hiking and 12 miles treks across mountains- YOU WILL LOVE THIS HIKE. However, you will also need a guide, as you could very easily get lost.

See you around the globe!

Lake Baikal: Day One

Intro to the group: Zach, Brandon, me, Haley, Daniel, Adam, and Steve

June 7^th is City Day in Irkutsk, and I was sad to miss it. I’ve never been in Russia on a public holiday with celebrations and it looked like it was going to be a big one! It was their 353^rd year as a city. However, our program thought it would be best to let us “escape the madness” so we went to Lake Baikal.

Lake Baikal is pretty impressive. It is a UNESCO world heritage site. If the entire human population was to need to live on the freshwater in Lake Baikal alone, it would last 50 years. There are over 2,000 endemic (native only to Baikal) species in/around this lake, including both plants and animals. It’s about an hour drive or so away from Irkutsk. The river that flows through Irkutsk is the only river out of 334 that flows OUT of Baikal rather than into it.

However, we weren't just driving straight there. We were stopping by two museums along the way. The first was the Taltsy Museum of Architecture and Ethnography, which even lonely planet calls “impressive.” It is essentially an open air museum of structures that were in danger of being demolished in the surrounding region, but are of great cultural importance, so they were simply moved, refirbed a bit and made into a tourist trap. A fun and very enlightening tourist trap, to say the least.

It was a brisk summer day (read in the 50s) when we got there with our tour guide. It was pretty cool to see all of the structures and learn a little about how traditional houses were built in Siberia. The families would often sleep on the chimney/fireplace for cooking because that at least stayed warm. They were tiny log cabins with itty bitty doors and windows (not because people were shorter or anything, but because they were smart and knew that smaller doors meant less heat would escape and they would be warmer.

 We got to learn fun facts, like in the olden times, homesteads were taxed on the number of yards they had, so families would build the house together and mom and dad would live with son and wife (and you thought modern Mother in Laws were supposed to be bad…)! Also, the number of barns you had and if your inner yard was covered in wood were status symbols. Or the fact that the windows were originally made out of this clear mineral found locally whose name totally escapes me.

We got to see a school, church, fortress, houses, and even a Mongol round house. However, the most fun part was the swing set they had that a bunch of college students (ahem, me included) decided would be fun to play on right next to the small children- definitely got some weird looks. But it was pretty awesome. You really would need a friend to play with, or it would be super difficult.

Then after a quick bite to eat (did I mention how delicious blini/crepes with condensed milk are? No, well they are AWESOME!), we headed out to the Baikal Museum/Research outpost, dedicated to the scientific research on Baikal. There are a ridiculous number of endemic species in Lake Baikal and this museum/research outpost is dedicated to them. The most famous are the nerpa (нерпа) seals. They are the only freshwater seals in the world. They look a little bit like a giant torpedo.

After the museum we went up a ski lift to see the lake from the top. It was pretty awesome views and made me extincted for the hike! 

Then we bought some food to make for dinner, followed by just relaxing at the hostel. The boys decided they wanted to jump in Lake Baikal, so we made a quick excursion to do that…across the street from the hostel. It was a kind of early night, since we had to be up the next day bright and early for our 9:30 am 18 km hike.

See you around the globe!

Trip to the Apteka (Pharmacy)

We found out we were going hiking in the woods and would need tick spray only once we got here. And I conveniently forgot sunscreen and my knee brace.

All of this added up to a trip to the pharmacy/apteka/аптека. Pharmacies in Russia/Eastern Europe are different than in the US. In the US everything is out on a shelf for you to look at/maybe go ask the pharmacist about it if you don’t just look it up on your phone. In Russia, everything is behind the counter (and you don’t necessarily need a RX either). 

I asked my professor how to ask for a  knee brace and she wrote it down for me. Our local contact had told us the word for “ticks” and I had looked up “sunscreen” (and came really close with “the thing that prevents sunburns” that one I knew would be tricky!).

However, I wasn’t expecting what happened to happen. Everything is more difficult in Russia, in part simply because you don’t know the language, and there is a large communication gap. Another part is cultural. And the third part is that US bureaucracy has NOTHING on Russian bureaucracy. NOTHING. 

So I walk in and immediately see the sunscreen- SCORE. But the nice seller lady comes over to me and (presumably) asks if I need anything. I attempt to say “tick spray” from memory, but it’s not working. So I pull out my list of words and show it to her. She goes two steps over and pulls out OFF! brand spray and tells me it’s the only thing that works. It’s an itty-bitty can and costs like $10 (knew I should’ve of just brought some with me!). But hey, when you don’t really want to try out the Russian healthcare system, you buy $10 tick spray.

Then I point to the knee brace word. She walks me over to a wall of braces, and pulls like three for me to try on. None are the wrap around kind like I’ve been using post-surgery, but beggars can’t be choosers when they have an 18 km hike in a few days.  So I try one on, and it fits and it happened to be the cheapest (like only $25 instead of $30, I mean come on guys, seriously!). But the poor seller lady keeps trying to ask me questions and I just keep smiling and not understanding. But she is persistent and keeps trying. We’re both laughing at this point about our mutual inability to understand each other when she asks if I need anything else (this in words I knew!).

Since I knew where the sunscreen was, but just needed to look at it, I go back over and pick up the SPF  50+. In the US, I usually get SPF 50 or even 80 if I know I will be outside a lot. But this SPF 50 specifically said “for children” which in my head meant it probably was good for movement and sweating. Considering the next highest was an SPF 30, I was planning on getting that one. But the seller lady had other ideas.

She (I assume, didn’t quite know the words) asked me “But don’t you want a tan?” while gesticulating over her stomach and arms. I trid to tell her was was “very white” and get “very red” but she still looked concerned over me picking the “for kids SPF 50” so she dragged me over to another seller lady and that lady said (in English), “but that one is for children.” I said “I know” and got weird looks.

The first seller lady then took me over to a different location and showed me fancy French Woman sunscreen that was SPF 50, but it was like $60 so I said no and that I would take the SPF 30 (mostly to get out of the store and I figured I could just reapply more often.

Still not quite sure why I couldn’t just buy the one for children….

See you around the globe!

First Day of Classes

We had our placement test yesterday and BOY was it difficult! In general, I have problems with grammar regardless of the language. So I didn’t know what to expect.

We were each placed in one of three groups. I’m not sure what the actual group or level is supposed to be, we didn’t get any books or anything. My professor is nice, so far, and seems helpful. We talked about what we needed to learn and she decided to teach us about the city, how to shop, and how to get on transport.

We walked around the city, almost in the exact same fashion as the walking tour, and she pointed out interesting stuff to us while speaking in Russian the whole time and letting us practice our Russian. No homework tonight, but I expect some tomorrow.

I think we will need to buy a book, some of the other classes had to. We will have class from 8am-11:25 every day. Then (I think, we get the schedule tomorrow), we will have a history or ecological science course.  

See you around the globe!

Second Day in Irkutsk

We had a walking tour today with a local guide. I learned that the church I took a picture of yesterday (the white and green one) is the oldest building in Irkutsk while the pretty colored church was used as grain storage during the soviet times. We walked towards the river where we saw a statue commemorating the Kazaks who founded Irkutsk; the city just celebrated their 300^th anniversary.

Some things we saw:

 

This shows the original fort that was built where the city of Irkutsk now stands.

Monument to the Kazaks that built the city.

Memorial to the WW2 soldiers who died. 

Irkutsk region is a great mining center. This is their headquarters.

We wandered around town, making our way towards lunch and passed numerous university buildings, banks, and stores. There was an old orphanage that the soviets got rid of. According to our guide, the Soviets moved all orphanages to the suburbs because there “were no orphans during their time.” Also, the guide pointed out the “Stalin style” which was columns and very decorative pieces, which was different than what I would have considered “Stalin style” (I would have said it was the general “Soviet bloc” style, but maybe that came later?)

There were celebrations in Every. Single. Park we passed had celebrations for “children’s day”. I didn’t get any pictures of the celebrations, but just imagine a bunch of kids everywhere doing normal kid stuff. Some were putting on plays or dancing, some were riding children sized segways, others were getting their face painted, etc.

The wooden houses I noticed yesterday are the traditional of the region, but many were burned down in the Great Fire of 1892 (?). A few were rebuilt. I’ll need to go back and get some pictures to tell you more about what I learned about the houses.

We ended up in the “130^th District” which was rebuilt by the government in the old slums/bad part of town as a gift to the town on its birthday. Now it is an outdoor shopping center/tourist trap. Lots of restaurants, shops, and a general path to walk along. It was very pretty and very crowded. It was a nice area, more than likely expensive.

We ate lunch at a restaurant that is a throwback to the Soviet era homes (complete with cassettes, 50s glasses, home style tables, and decorations. They gave us a lot of different salads and either an eggplant or butternut squash mustard dip thing. I had “verinki with potatos and mushrooms.” Verinki are like pelmini/pot stickers/ ravioli. They were very yummy. Then a friend and I shared a blini (crepe) dessert.

Afterwards, our program coordinator helped us get SIM cards for our phones and then dropped us off to find our own way back (we finally did, the bus stop was across the street.)

See you around the globe!

First Day in Irkutsk

When we got to Irkutsk, the coordinator met us at the airport to take us to the dorms. I live on the 5th floor with a Korean roommate who is attending university here. She is fluent in Russian and only speaks some English. This is baptism by fire! We've already broken out the dictionary a few times because I just didn't know the words. (Although I should probably memorize the answer to 'why are you a vegetarian?!?!)

Some of the people I went walking with. Here we were walking along the lake.

My self and a few others here on a program from the US (the we at the airport) decided to,go try to find the university. We had a map, but that was it. The map did list the buses that would take us back, so we walked a bit and then hopped on a bus. Here you get on the bus and pay as you leave rather than pay as you get on. 

To get to where the map said the university was, it took about 30 minutes. We guessed the stop to get off on, but we couldn't find the actual building that the University was in. We wandered for a bit and decided that there should be food near the river, right? Nope. Just FYI food is the other way...

A church near the school

We did eventually find a restaurant near a shopping mall, where i had no idea what I was ordering, but it was a cucumber, radish mayonnaise salad plus mystery soup with pickles. Not the worst thing I have ever had, but I won't be going back. 

We then attempted to find our way back. I mean, the bus that got us here works, no? Apparently, not in Russia. It is a one way circle thing. We ended up going to the airport, and switching to the same bus number but a different bus and finally found our stop. It was interesting to get to see part of the city?

When I got back, my roommate was gone, but she forgot to leave the key, so I was locked out for a few minutes until a floor mate who is fluent went down and convinced the babushka to give me her key so I can get into the room.

a different church, this one is on the river, and they maintain a little garden

After a nap, I went to get some dinner supplies. Spaghetti and what I thought was tomato sauce. Which it was, but only tomatoes no spices. Which was fine but I think I will be trying to buy some spices. I also bought milk, cereal, juice, and yogurt.

When I got back, the floor was starting the welcome party they had planned for us. It was fun hanging out with people who mostly only spoke Russian. I understand a lot, but a few questions didn't make since, since I couldn't hear the words in the noise. 

I ended up crashing about 11pm. I was able to take a hot shower, which was nice, even though it is a handheld shower spirit instead of being able to be placed above your head. (Normal throughout the rest of the world.) 

Some first thoughts...

The city is currently backwards in my mind, for some reason the map in my head is different than the legitimate map.

The buildings are different from St. Petersburg. They aren't as European, not that this is a surprise, they are beautiful buildings, and very intricate. Mostly wooden on the outskirts, but concrete in the center area. 

There are few restaurants in one part of what is considered the center of town. Trust me, we walked it.

See you around the globe!

Arrival in Russia

I began my journey to Irkutsk at 5 am on Thursday, with two layovers in the us and a 12 hour one in Moscow with an arrival time of Saturday.

Everything was smooth, even though we had a delay in JFK for some sort of plane check. (I mean the jokes write themselves...the 'random' plane check that delayed the flight to Moscow is as random as the guy with a turban getting flagged for extra security checks...)

Delta's Economy Comfort was defiantly worth it...for the close to 10 hour flight it was $120.  For that you get to board first, after business of course, and you get extra leg room. I also choose an exit row, which meant that I could stretch out my legs and barely touch my backpack under the seat in front of me!!! Now, legit considering purchasing it for the way back too....but that way at least I have a window and not an aisle. Delta is not as stingy as Virgin with the food, but you only get one big meal, then a sand which, and a granola bar. 

Getting through customs was easy. However, they had a 'for Russian citizens' line and a 'for diplomats' line. It felt silly to go in the diplomats line, but the other didn't make any sense either. Eventually the nice agent people just said go wherever, it doesn't matter. They were looking at the passport and visa for a long time, but it appears they are doing that to ALL Americans. 

Luggage pick up was easy as well. However, figuring out where to go for a connecting flight? Or the capsule hotel I had heard about? Guessing is as good as the signs. I did eventually find the ticket counter and sat down to wait, but I was exhausted. I was trying to figure out how weird it would be in Russia to just sleep on the floor, when I heard an announcement for the 'Baikail Lounge' where for 2,000 RUB you can sleep for three hours, shower, get free coffee and tea,  and I was sold. I was starting to get that dizzy you haven't slept enough yet feeling. 

After the nap, I felt like a human again. Then the shower really helped!

I am currently awaiting my next flight. It's almost 7 local time and my flight leaves around 10:15pm. It's another red eye....we get into Irkutsk about 9 am local time (it's a 13 hour time diff to EDT, so about 8pm EDT). There will be two others in my program on the flight, but I don't know them, so we will see each other there! 

See you around the globe!!