Arrived in Irkutsk at 07:40 -11 C the station platform had crunching ice on it. Before we got outside the station guys yelling out taxi taxi. Got outside and they were charging 1500 roubles to the Rolling Stones Hostel. The 2nd driver accepted 400 roubles. We arrived well early for check in but our room was not used a double private so we unloaded our gear and Penny was not feeling too well and crashed. I went for a walk around the city it was snowing. There were sign post of interest in English as well. There were a lot more Asian Russians present.
Went back to the hostel very clean and well run the Russian people running the place spoke excellent English. I got them to book us a bus for tomorrow to Olkhon Island and I looked on Booking.com for accommodation in the main town. Got 3 nights breakfast and evening meals included for £89. Bus will pick us up at 09:00 tomorrow. Penny was feeling better so we went for a walk and later on went out to a local food restaurant.
Met a kiwi couple waiting for our bus, who had arrived early they were travelling from London back to NZ heading off to Mongolia and Beijing the next day. Went to the bathroom full of young Chinese females one with a green mask on her face, water all over the place, 2 had mobile phones in use as they were washing themselves.
Maurice's Travel 