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Other entries in Lake Baikal

Lake like a sheet of ice

We were picked up by our guide at 10 in the morning to make our way to the hotel in Lake Baikal.  Passing lots of birch trees and the ground covered in snow was a real wintery sensation but it was mostly a blur thanks to the crazy driving of the driver who seemed to be only able to drive at 150 km an hour all the way - and with the ice and things I was trying not to think about it too much I can tell you!!

Being owned by the same company as the hotel in Irkutsk everything was the same in the hotel.  We were back in the seventies again and we could still only get Russian channels on the television.  Bearing in mind that there was meant to be some civilisation about 3km up the road we headed out in the cold but all togged up and headed out agian for some culture into the Lake Baikal museum - well you will see a picture below of Vicky enjoying said museum!!! It was a good place to go if you were interested in things retained in formaldehyde and well a room filled with various specimens only labelled in Russia along with a little seal that just swam back and forward in its little tank - great to see something so close up but also at the same time it reeked of cruelty.

Having left feeling less cultured and informed than we entered we headed down the 3km stretch to find some food.  Chicken and cheese awaited us at the restaurant that had been recommended to us and then we continued up the road looking for said civilisation.

We found an area that I am sure would have been busy had it not been off season.  In the little square / harbour we wandered around the fish and souviner stalls and then started the long walk back before the sun went down and we froze to death.  On the way back though it was a little surreal to hear Rhythmn is a dancer being blarred out by the loud speaker in the middle of the town - It was also a little crazy to witness what goes on on the ice.  Bikes, quad-bikes, people with parachutte type things and well it was just a little crazy really.  We wanted to go out onto the ice but the freaky sound of it melting and cracking made us be sensible and not bother - this time!

Back in the hotel we ventured downstairs to the 'restaurant' well entering the room to see the chef and the other staff lifting tables and having a general move around so we backed out and went into the bar and had a very decadent meal of salad and Vicky had potatoes - very crazy!!

The night came to a close as we were, a little tired from the fresh lake air ready for the next day when we were going to board the train for 3 days!!!!

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