Reaching heaven, seals, and the Volkonsky house

To say that our 18 hour train ride from Krasnoyarsk to Irkutsk was uneventful would be dishonest. A few people in our group brought alcohol onto the train, and when four Russians joined them the noise became enough that the already frustrated attendants wanted to throw our entire group off the train. Luckily, our lovely directors intervened and we made it to Irkutsk safely, though some of us a little more covered in vomit and hung over than others.

After a bumpy windy bus ride, we arrived. And the lake was there to greet us like some great calm being. 

After a quick breakfast in our hotel, we abandoned our large bags and set to walking along the lake to a museum. It was a long walk. 

A fish carved out of Cedar. Cedar crafts are very popular. 

At the museum I learned a lot about Baikal; it is the deepest fresh water lake in the world, and has microorganisms that will strip the flesh from a dead fish in one day and from a drowned human in 7, leaving just the skeleton. there are many seals that live in the water, along with being an excellent source of fish. The above photos are of sand under a microscope. 

After the museum, we climbed up a mountain and then took a chair lift to a lookout point. It was so ridiculously beautiful I still can't believe I was there. 

Me, on a rock. Looking a bit awkward. 

I roomed with Shantel, and Chelsea and Libbie were our neighbors so we all shared a bathroom and a common room. We really lucked out-- our room was the attic of a house, so we had privacy and a big bear on the wall that Libbie affectionately dubbed "Vladislov". Our room was a great place to gather and drink a bit and talk. This is a view from one of our windows out across the neighborhood. 

We also visited an "open air" museum of an old Russian settlement. It was really neat and interesting; almost like abandoned ghost towns in the west. This is a picture of Tsar Nicholar II for those who don't automatically recognize him, like myself. (kind proud of myself for knowing that.) 

Shutters! 

Delicious peroshki. Filled with rice and egg, and the other apple. 

That night the girls and I went to the lake to step into the water, we took a bottle of cheap soviet champagne and enjoyed splashing around in the water and finding sea glass. 

It was only 100 rubles. And it tasted like it. 

This picture is awkward because some Asian man was near us taking pictures of us as we sat by the lake. We asked him what he was doing in Russian. He didn't reply and kept taking pictures with his telephoto lens. We finally ran away from the creeper, and Chelsea appropriately commented, "Why wasn't he taking pictures of us from behind a bush like a normal creeper?" 

Shantel and I in the lake. It was soooo cold! 

When we left Baikal, we went to Irkutsk for a day and visited the Volkonsky house, C. Volkonsky was a Deceberist who was eventually banished away. His wife abandoned her rich life and followed him. This is lounge room. It's beautiful and ornately decorated. 

This was part of Maria Volkonsky's room, and I really liked this mirror and stand. 

The red room again. 

Our group! :) 

This is a sewer cap that says "Irkutsk 350 years!" Such an old and historic city. :) 

A statue of Yuri Gagarin, a Russian hero and the first cosmonaut. Seemed appropriate.

Unluckily, when we were waiting for our train, I started seeing spots of light in my vision and I knew I was getting a migraine. I was sick the majority of our ride and demonstrated my puking skills by being very secretive about it. I also didn't throw up on anything or myself.. so kudos to me? I didn't know how to explain that I had a migraine in Russian, so my teachers just thought that I had a stomach bug, but after I explained that I had a headache severe enough to cause vomiting and nausea, Julia gave me a pill to dull the pain. I slept after I took it, and when I woke up I was still a bit shaky but better. I woke up to this beautiful view of wildflowers. 

There are seals in lake Baikal, and because of this there are many seal souvenirs. My favorite was this bottle of water I bought that comes from the lake itself. It has "natural silver content", so much for avoiding heavy metals in my drinking water. 

I almost forgot! I met a camel in the open air museum. 

Proof I am alive and well. 

Now, for my encounter with the camel. 

At first I was like, Oh neat! A camel! 

then he kind of lunged at me, and I was afraid. Look at his nose ring- you would also be afraid!

Finally kind of friends. Sassy ass camel. Look at that eye contact we had going on. 

I'll miss him.