We are staying in an interesting newly built wooden accommodation block. 2 levels 16 rooms. We have a double bed which is covered with 2 single duvets placed across the bed. The shower is a capsule cubicle and it rocks with your movements. Has an over head and a shower head off a hose. Bloody well scalded myself a really strange set up but got there eventually. The lady running the place does not speak any English.
Had porridge followed by a sausage, insipid egg and sliced cucumber and a blueberry cake for breakfast. Got talking to 8 Chinese travel agents about the tours of the island and one rang a friend and we were booked on the 10:00 Southern Island Tour which I thanked them very much.
Our driver picked us up and stopped to pick up another Chinese guy who was an orthopedic surgeon a really nice guy, spoke excellent English. He took us to various locations to admire the views and take photographs. The scenery was spectacular. Again the roads are just dirt tracks and they go off in various directions. One hill he went down he got us to get out of the van as he cautiously drove down it and we walked a kilometer or 2 to catch up to him.
We drove onto the ice twice and got out to experience walking on ice. What a great feeling so smooth and to see the cracks in the ice, bubbles of air fauna and vegetation frozen. The ice was about 1 meter thick. In February/March Lake Baikal will be frozen over. The scenery on the trip was amazing. We stopped for lunch and the driver cooked on an open fire, soup with bits of fish and potatoes had bread to go with it. It certainly warmed us up as it -10C and we were dining alfresco. The trip lasted 6 hours and cost £14 per person that was value for money and if one needed to see a chiropractor prior to the trip it would have been sorted out before the trip finished as we were bounced all over in the back of the van for the 6 hours.
We are doing the Northern part of the island tomorrow with the same driver. We are both looking forward to it.
Maurice's Travel 