Tuesday 5th May
This morning at either 2.30 am or 7,30 am we arrived in Irkutsk. Russian trains run in Moscow time even though here we are 5 hours ahead of Moscow and 7 hours ahead of the uk!
We and Andrea were picked up by two different Audleys guides
Ira our guide told us that many people arrive at the station to find their train left 5 hours ago. We will rely her to get us to the station on time when we leave!!
We were driven out to Listvyanka which is on the shores of Lake Baikal and about 70km from Irkutsk.
We checked into the Anastasia VIP hotel and were told that the village is 2kms away. We were hungry so had breakfast
Fabulous views out over the lake which is 500 miles long and 40 wide so we could not see it all!!
I will get to the Kazak in a minute!
We were quite late so were not asked what we would like except if we wanted tea or coffee.
We were given two bottles of Lake Baikal water, apparently drinkable straight from the lake, a plate of cheese, ham and cucumber, immediately we were presented with a bowl of kasha, porridge with a sweet butter on it, and a plate with breads and two yogurts on it. Good breakfast we thought.
We were making our way through this leaving out the ham, cheese and cucumber when we were presented with a plate with two fried eggs on it. Abandoning the yogurt we ate the eggs and left feeling full and ready for the 2km walk into the village.
Not so fast said the receptionist. Or the equivalent of not so fast in Russian. Actually we conversed in French most of the time, there being an absence of Russian on my part and English on hers.
"The village is 10 minutes by car and an hour and a half to walk. And the road is busy"
We gave in and ordered a taxi thinking we would walk tomorrow.
We were dropped by the Tourist Office with a request for the taxi to return at 4pm. Now it was noon.
There were no maps in the tourist office except the one on the wall.
Listvyanka Village is a fishing village which in some ways you could compare to Salcombe. Not in many ways it turned out!!
If you remember we are many thousand miles from anywhere much here and suspend your thoughts about what a small fishing village in a beautiful location might be like you will find this place wonderful.
There is one paved road and all the side roads are tracks. There are many wooden gingerbread type houses and the occasional modern building, the main one being a large hotel painted in shades of yellow and not open because the season does not start till the 1st June and ends on 31st August.
There is also a big market selling every kind of dried and smoked fish, trinkets and baskets etc. plus lots of kebabs on charcoal BBQs and some large pans selling something with a rather odd smell which looks like a fish paella, we were not hungry enough to try, maybe tomorrow!
No one speaks English but everyone is very friendly.
There are tables and benches in little shelters along the beach and because it is Easter Sunday there are families in them eating the smoked fish and the other produce they have bought in the market and drinking vodka with a fruit juice chaser.
Outside many houses there are people with fish smokers smoking their catch.
In a green space on a hill on the edge of town there is a similar set of shelters equally popular with the locals.
But it is freezing cold. I have my thermals on and the lake is frozen.
I am nearly at the bit about the Kazak!
We decided after walking around for some time to stop for a cup of tea. Now we can order black tea in a sort of Russian! Lizzie also successfully acquired a large pasty type structure which turned out to be like an apple turnover which would probably have fed a family for a week!
In the café we were the only people only drinking tea. The rest were families eating the fish and food they had bought from the market, drinking vodka with fruit juice chasers and then buying some bread and perhaps tea from the café.!! Imagine going into Starbucks anywhere we know and getting out a picnic and just buying a coffee. I don't think so.
All this communal eating whether in the park or the beach shelters or in the cafes must be related to the lack of personal space thing Andrea told us about.
When we first were dropped off in Listvyanka I was not impressed. Within an hour I got my brain into gear and found the whole place wonderful. It is certainly not walkable from the hotel. It is cold and windy and at least 5 km on a main road. There are no paths because people don't go anywhere, certainly not for pleasure.
Everything is in Russian because non Russians don't come here much and long may that last. So we give in and take a taxi and will do the same today when we go to the museum.
The likeness to Salcombe? Fishing boats, frozen in at the moment, a close knit community and wonderful scenery. Great place
When our story was published in the Daily Mail there were comments on the fact that this was not an epic trip and we were not intrepid. You come here and see if you don't think it is epic and that is only two weeks in and if you were here and did not feel a little intrepid you have no soul.
Now, that Kazak
Sorry for the wait but there is so much to report.
Whilst we were waiting for our taxi we sheltered from the biting wind behind a small coach (coach here but not as we know it) Immediately a man got off and approached us and shook our hands. "Me Kazak" he said "English" said Tone. He friend came along to have a fag, "He Russian" said the Kazak, he made a rude gesture to the Russian who just smiled. They had had a good day. No fish I suspect just the vodka and fruit juice chasers. The Russian produced a Jews Harp which the Kazak took off him and offered to Tone who indicated that he could not play!
After much chat, all very friendly but not one word understood on either side Tone realised they wanted him to have the Jews Harp. He thanked them and with that our taxi turned up
odd really because my Dad played a Jews Harp, badly but it was one of his party pieces when we were kids!
This encounter was quite moving really. Tone is practicing. They say practice makes perfect. We will see
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