Irkutsk and Lake Baikal

We decamped from our train after our two night journey in Irkutsk, to freezing cold temperatures, boarded our bus to drive the 1 1/2 hours to Lake Baikal. We will spend two nights here.

The largest fresh water lake in the world.

It extends 653 kms and is 1637 metres deep, and has the most amazing Eco system.

We have travelled 5,185 kms of our trans-Siberian journey.

On arrival to our family owned hotel, everyone rushed to the showers and to get dressed into warm clothing. Temperature was 4 degrees.

Sign markers near our hotel.

Our hotel is made up of very nice cabins, it was so cold we stored our milk, yogurt and beer outside, at 4 degrees, just the right temperature.

We then all gathered to walk to the local market for some lunch and shopping. After this, we were all going to the museum, to learn more about Lake Baikal. 

On our freezing cold walk we passed a lot of metal art, made by a local man, I am told that you can vist his house, now on my list of things to do.

Great food at the local market.

Lake Baikal, has a population of 9,000, of course this number swells in the summer season.

Yes even the locals are cold.

Lake Baikal

Interesting facts.

We looked at the Eco life with microscopes.

Some of the interesting marine life.

An aerial view of Lake Baikal.

These fish were so funny, we were looking at them and they were looking at us.

We ran into some Aussies at this museum.

We were supposed to do a boat ride this afternoon, but due to the inclement weather, not safe, will attempt tomorrow.

In the morning after breakfast we braved our boat ride, still quite cold, off we set, we had sleet.

Just before we were to board.

Yes it was too cold to stay up top, my fingers were freezing.

The lake was a bit choppy as well.

After the boat ride, lunch and DH and I went to find the retro yard with metal works of art.

After a few wrong turns we stumbled upon the yard.

Great collection of junk, made in metal characters.

On return it started to sleet again and in a few hours we had snowfall.

We would have liked the weather to be a bit better, but it did not dampen our two days in Lake Baikal, which is famous for water sports, hiking and many other activities.

Tomorrow we explore Irkutsk and again board our train in the evening for an overnight to Ulan-Ude.

Yekaterinburg continued.

Yekaterinburg was a delight, this is the real Russia, getting to see how people live and although the Ural Mountains are not high, they do have very cold winters.

We had free time after our tour, off we all set, had lunch together, then parted until we were to meet again for dinner and board our train to continue our journey.

For lunch we went to where Boris Yeltsinn enjoyed dumplings, the building was used by the KGB, in soviet times.

The dumplings were yummy.

Great statues

This is presidents Putin mansion in Yekaterinburg 

Church of the Spilled Blood, where Tsar Nicholas II, his wife, Alexandra, and their children were murdered by the Bolsheviks. July 17, 1918.

This church was built in 2003 and the Rominoffs were canonised to saints, this church is dedicated to this family.

No photos were allowed inside the church, which also holds a museum about this family.

Russia is gearing up for the World Cup.

Some great grass topiaries.

We walked the pedestrian street, great bronze sculptures.

We had a few hours exploring, walked back to hotel to meet group, have dinner, then to train station to 

Catch our train, which departs at 2150hrs. We are doing what the locals do, catch trams to and from destinations.

We will be on the train for two nights and 1 1/2 days. Travelling from Yekaterinburg with just 300kms distance we are officially in western Siberia.

Midnight stop in Novosibirsk for 1 hour. Novosibirsk is Russia's third largest city, after St Petersburgh and Moscow and is the capital of Siberia. Population is 1,473,700, was founded in 1893 as the future site of a trans-Siberian railway bridge crossing the River Orb.

We hack travelled 3,335 kms so far.

We had rain, snow and sunshine whilst on train.

One of our many stops, next destination, Irkutsk.

Vladimir and first train passage to Ekaterinburg

After we left Suzdal by coach we arrived into Vladimir, 45 mins later, our guide Elena came with us to give us the city tour.

Valdimir is part of the golden ring of the ancient Russian cities and is visited often by tourists, it is home to several electrical and chemical factories.

We commenced our tour at the golden gate and red church, then moved onto the park andDemetrius  Cathederal.

We walked up the 65 steps to view a diorama of the tartars and Mongols at war.

Diorama

Red church.

St Demetrius catheradal  1193-1197

Alexander the Great 

DH got his photo opportunity with his mammoth.

Gardens coming into bloom.

Assumption catheradal 1157

I love Vladimir, part of our group.

Time to board our train for one night and one day.

Our epic journey, as posted on the map of Russia.

On arrival into Yekaterinburg late pm after one night and day on the train, we checked into our hotel and will do city tour tomorrow.

Yekaterinburg is the main industrial centre of the Ural Mountains, population of 1,400,000, it is Russia's fourth largest city. 

The city was founded in 1723 and named after Catherine, the wife of Peter the great.

Boris Yelstin was born here as well. Kosta Tziu was also born here. (Boxer)

We have travelled 1818kms so far.

Lenin

Monumental to the Afgan war

Monument to where the metal factory used to be.

A statue dedicated to literature, books were very cheap in Russia.

Our guide Natalia was a delight, after our tour we had Yeltsin dumplings for lunch and explored Yekaterinburg, more to follow.