City History Museum

While others decided to go off to Ulan-Ude for the weekend, my pocketbook and I decided to stay here and explore. I went off to explore a museum I had wanted to see: the City History Museum. They created it/renovated it for the 350^th Anniversary Celebration and it was very tastefully done.

When you walk in you have to put these little bootie things on your shoes, but these ones are reusable and they wash them! However, they make your feet even hotter in the summer! Like many museums this one charges different prices for Russians and foreigners, but the foreign student price was only 100 RUB/ 3.10 USD.

The museum was totally in Russian, so I suggest a guide or an understanding to not understand. However, if you speak Russian, it was a good museum. It had 5 exhibit halls, dedicated to different time periods, plus a random hall I’ll tell you about later!

A layout of the original fortress at Irkutsk

It started off in the pre-Russian time, with Mongols and yurts, introducing the Irkutsk Archeology Club. What was cool in this room, was that they had spear tips and other random things, but they also had drawings next to them, showing you how they were actually used!

Slowly, you move through the years as you walk through the museum. Part of reminding myself that this is Asia and not Europe comes when you run into Buddhist stuff in museums. Or Japanese stuff. Apparently Russia was the first country you could study Japanese as a foreign language in. The next room was totally dedicated to the 25 or so churches around Irkutsk. Lots of beautiful churches, most of which survived the USSR.  

The final normal hall was dedicated to the Soviet time period. I wish I had understood Russian a bit better, because it described what happened in Irkutsk at the time of the 1917 revolutions. The more modern times often have early Aatari or tape players, and I want to know in 50 years, what will they pick from the early 2000s? A ipod? Jeggins? Uggs?

Then there was one last hall to see, off to the side of the others. I walk in and it is dedicated to Kim Il-sung, from North Korea. I almost laughed out loud. I mean it was like the were revering him and his works. It was a little odd to say the least!

After the museum I wanted towards a honey festival, because they have “women’s honey” here. No, it is literally called “Women Honey” and I wanted to get some. I didn’t find it, but I did find another one that was super delicious. Now if only I had a working oven to make some biscuits.

See you around the globe!

Olkhon Island (AKA 4th of July Party!)

We wanted to do something special for 4^th of July (my first ever outside of the US). So we decided to go to Olkholn Island, the largest (only?) island in Lake Baikal. It is considered onf of the 5 world poles of shamanic energy by the Buryat people.

This is the place to go if you are in Irkutsk for any length of time. However, it is an 8 hour bus ride there and back with limited amenities on the island. We went as a large group of 6 Americans and only got one day on the island.

We got there about 4 pm or so and wondered around the island, getting to see Shaman’s Rock. The destination on the island. It was a bit chillier than expected due to the wind, but oh so beautiful. We cooked our own dinner both nights we were there. The place we were staying wanted an arm and a leg for us to eat their prepared meals.

Shaman's Rock

Saturday dawned nice and lazy. No one told us that the tours all left at 10 am, so when we showed up at 11, there weren’t any still going. So we rented bikes. Which was an AWESOME idea and tons of fun! I definitely recommend it. Besides you have to admire the business model. Wait for all the tours to leave, stand outside with your bikes and a sign saying 400 RUB/day.

Me, Hayley, Adam, and Steve

Hayley, Steve, Adam, and I rode together (early starters) and rode out to a little point, through a tiny village (is there something smaller than village?) where we just relaxed and took in the beauty of Lake Baikal.

Upon our return to town, we had ice cream (and hot chocolate, cuz why not) at Hedgehog Icecream (it rhymes in Russian Ёженне Мороженне). Because why not?

Then Steve and I bailed because we wanted to still have feeling in our legs. Later we all joined up and ate dinner. Then we had a бання/banya for 2 hours. It was one of the most relaxing things ever. A banya is essentially a sauna. We spent time in and out of the sauna, and Hayley showed us how you were actually supposed to bathe in there and how to do it. It did get SUPER hot at some points.

A memorial to those locals who died in the war. 

The next day started early, when we had to catch the bus back into Irkutsk at 9 am. We had expected the ice cream place to be open (because the sign said it would be) but it was not.

It was fun to go visit Olkhon Island, but unless you can spend 2-3 days here, in my opinion it isn’t worth the hassle and cost to get here. Visit Listviyanka to see the lake and beauty.

See you around the globe!

One Month In

Usually I start these “blank months in/left” with a OMG I can’t believe that it has been this long, but not this time. This time I know it has been a month, and it has felt like it has been a month.

My professor says she sees me making progress, but I don’t feel like I am making progress. I need to spend more time doing homework and applying myself, but this whole roommate thing plus the whole “the other kids don’t find the need to study so they come bug me all the time” really detracts from my ability to study.

I miss home too.

The city I super interesting and I can’t wait to keep exploring it! The people are WAY more friendly than in Moscow or St. Pete. They smile on the street, they ask politely rather than yelling at you for different change.

The food however, is not as great as in other European countries I have been in. They have to hothouse or ship in most fresh veggies and the taste is affected (much like it is in the states!). You have wide access to rice and pasta (and pirogues style things), bread, and ice cream. Everything else is a little iffy. If you cook for yourself, it is as easy as it is in the states to eat healthy, but without the wide variety of  veggies to supplement.

Another thing I have to keep reminding myself is that while I am in Russia, I am also in Asia. I’m not in Europe, so my expectations are moot. However, I do get to check off another continent off of my bucket list! (If you are counting, this leaves Africa, Australia, and Antarctica.)

Did I mention that I have a tan in SIBERIA? I haven’t had a tan since before 2011…what is this?

See you around the globe!

Weekend of June 21st-22nd

On Saturday, we went to see the Angara Ice Breaker Museum. The Angra ice breaker ship is how people traversed Lake Baikal in the winter from the mid-1800s until the early 1900s. It’s also how they connected the Trans-Siberian Railway at first, you put the train on the ship and then shipped it across the lake (well, technically not the Angra, but the Baikal ship they had at the same time too).

A picture of it when it had sunk.

The ships were critical in the creation of the Trans-Siberian Railway. They were also used during the civil war in 1917-ealry 1920s between the Red and White armies in Russia. That war actually caused the sinking of the Baikal ship. When the railway was completed, the Angara was left to rot in a ship yard. In fact, it the 1960s, it even partially sank until the people donated money to save it and turn it into a semblance of a museum.

I say semblance because there wasn’t really any displays of information about the ship, unless you had a guide with you. And they didn’t keep it in “period dress.” However, it was definitely interesting! There was no barriers to climbing all over everything, and rusty metal pipes were just left out, mid repair.

The hold was kinda small, and I can’t imagine a bunch of people being stuck in there, but they say the ship could hold 1,000 people!

After the museum, we went to lunch at a nearby restaurant and then paddle boating, or as they say in Russian “driving on a katamaran” (we obviously have different definitions of what a catamaran is. However, Haley and I had a blast! We definitely want to do it again!

On Sunday, we relaxed and went to lay on the beach. I mean how often do you get to sunbathe in SIBERIA? (or get a sun burn.) It was a nice and relaxing day!

See you around the globe!

Decemberists Museum

The Decembrists were revolutionaries in Tsarist Russia. They staged a revolt on December 26 1825 against the tsar because they believed in equality for the peasants they had served with in the war against Napoleon. They essentially wanted a constitutional monarchy. 

The old kitchen

And like any failed revolutionaries in Russia, they were shipped to Siberia. They weren’t allowed to take anything with them, even their families. However, 12 of the 150 men’s wives decided to accompany them to Irkutsk. We see the house of one of those families.

Because Siberia is still so far from Moscow, they were able to create a little cultural capital in the wilderness (which it was at this time) during their hard slave like working conditions.  After the 3^rd revolution in Russia, their sentences were reduced and they were able to just stay in Siberia and live. The family we visited (((THE NAME(((( brought in famous thinkers and musicians to their house to put on little shows.

It was an interesting museum, and to see the type of houses they had was just cool.

A sewing box

They had a greenhouse inside. With exotic plants!

After wards, Haley, Brandon, and I decided to go attempt to find Café Govinda, a VEGETARIAN restaurant in Irkutsk!

It took us a long time, and faulty directions to find it, but when we did was it yummy. It had an Indian feel, but wasn’t straight up Indian food. They had delicious dessert!

Then when we were waiting for the bus/eating ice cream, Haley and I got to see a little dance recital, because today was Russia Day/ their version of July 4^th/a holiday that people only cared about since they got off of work for it. 

See you around the globe!

When You Accidentally See a 4D movie

The weekend after the Baikal trip, we decided to go see a movie. We decided on The Edge of Tomorrow the new Tom Cruise movie about aliens invading because it was an action movie and this didn’t need a lot of dialogue.

However, we misunderstood that the one we were going to see was going to be 4D. We bought the tickets, which were about 100 RUB more than we expected or 400RUB/between $10-15. Then he popcorn and entered the theater, only to be handed 3D glasses.

At this point, I went, well crud. I don’t like 3D movies, they end up making me sick a bit.

Then. Oh then.

We sat down.

And the chairs vibrated.

**Read that sentence again. **

Then we started laughing.

The Russian movie had no previews and had already started when we got there. The movie itself was pretty good- interesting plot and new idea. Actually recommend you go rent it when it comes out.

However, almost 2 hours of vibrating seats whenever there was a tense movement or helicopters (which happened a lot it’s an action movie!) made you feel like you were just shook apart.

See you around the globe!

Getting Bit By a Tick

Getting bit by a tick in Russia is apparently very serious business. In the US, you pull the tick off, and if you get sick later, go see a doctor.

In Russia, you get rushed to the “tick clinic” (I couldn’t make this up). There they give you antibiotics (semi normal in the US according to the internet). But the best part is you have to come back after 48 hours of discovering the tick to see if you got Siberian Encephalitis.

According to the Russians this is an infection and you need to get a shot of immunoglobulin to help prevent it.

According to English language, credible government health sponsored, websites you literally can’t do anything to stop the Siberian Encephalitis and in fact, the immunoglobulin can make it worse. From what I can gather, if you get this version of encephalitis you have a 20-40% shot of dying from complications, so it is pretty serious. BUT it is also a virus, which means we can’t do anything about it except treat the symptoms.

Anyway, I was negative for the Siberian Enchpalitis and get to go back in mid-July to see about Lyme disease (which is another difference between the US and Russia. In the US you just wait to see if you get it. And by the time Russia checks, you would already have the symptoms). 

Healthcare is different in every country, and I’m sure the Russians would have a field day with how we treat tick bites, but it’s always an adventure to go get yourself checked out in another country!

See you around the globe!