CANDOER Retirement Group

Thursday, July 18

Dawn rose on another cloudless, cool and magnificent day in Irkutsk. As Intourist ruined my "Plan A" to visit Lake Baikal, I had to put "Plan B" into effect. My interpreter/guide Alexei was nowhere around, so I did it on my own!

After an early breakfast, I planned to take the 0900 country bus to Listvyanka where the Angara starts to flow out of Lake Baikal. However, the taxi driver did not heed my very clear instructions that I wanted to go to the bus station (including pointing to it on my city map). Somehow, he determined this American really wished to go to the airport, and took me there instead. I knew something was amiss when what should have been a ten minute ride now was a 20 minute ride.

By the time I arrived at the airport, it was too late to go to the bus station for the 0900 departure. Now "Plan C" had to be implemented in which I took the 1000 hydrofoil to Listvyanka and the last bus back to Irkutsk. I ordered the taxi driver to take me directly to the hydrofoil dock, again pointing to it on the city map. At this point he offered to drive me straight to Listvyanka for 100,000 rubles. I gave him a very firm "nyet!" Arriving at the hydrofoil dock, I paid him the previously agreed price from the hotel to the bus station and not all this extra travel which inconvenienced me somewhat. He wasn't happy, but had no cause for complaint.

The hydrofoil trip up the Angara River was marvelously smooth, taking just one hour. The boat was absolutely full with all 100 plus passengers seated in airplane type assigned seats. A majority of the people were on board strictly for transport to and from the two cities. I had the good fortune of being placed in the very front which provided a splendid video and photographic chances. Both sides of the river are forest covered mountains. Consequently there usually is a strong westerly breeze between them (the air conditioner for Irkutsk).

The most remarkable freshwater lake in the world, Lake Baikal is located in southeastern Siberia, west of the Yablonovyy Mountains. It covers 31,494 sq km, making it the largest freshwater lake by area in Eurasia. Baikal measures 636 km long and 29-81 km wide and is fed by more than 300 rivers and streams. Its only outlet, however, is the Angara River, which flows past Irkutsk.

Near the center of the lake is Olkhon Island, Baikal's largest, with a maximum length of about 73.6 km. Baikal is most notable because it lies in a deep rocky fault produced by a massive shift in the Earth's crust. It contains about 23,000 cu km of water. This is equivalent to the total volume of North America's Great Lakes and represents 20 percent of the world's liquid freshwater resources. Thus Baikal is the world's largest freshwater lake by volume.

It is also the deepest, reaching a maximum of 1,620 meters. Because it formed some 20 to 30 million years ago -- making Baikal the world's oldest freshwater lake as well -- the nearly 6.5 km of bottom sediment that has accumulated could be added to this depth. The region continues to be geologically active and shaken by earthquakes. Some geologists conjecture that the Asian continent is splitting apart at this site and that Baikal is an ocean in the making, a view supported in 1990 by the discovery of lake-bottom hydrothermal vents, which are usually found on mid-oceanic ridges.

Baikal's huge volume has a moderating effect on local weather, but the lake is buffeted by wind-generated storms. The water stays cold, with temperatures rising to no more than 14 degrees C in summer. From December to May the lake is frozen.

Baikal's exceptionally mineral-free waters support an unusual population of organisms, including many species endemic to the lake and its vents. The lake is a popular summer resort. Forest and mineral resources have been processed along its shore. In the 1960s, however, iron-ore production and forest exploitation began to present a serious threat to the ecology of the region, and by the 1980s the government of the former USSR had placed severe restrictions on activities that were polluting Baikal.

The lake is everything we have heard about it. With dry, clear weather and no wind, I could see forever over the azure surface.

Arriving at Listvyanka, I walked for a couple hours away from the town along the lake shore to enjoy the scenery. There are no roads along the lake at this point, nor any facilities which would draw tourists. On a day like today this is a perfect location for visitors, but the icy water precludes bathing beach or other water sport activities. Unfortunately, they probably have only 30 like today in a year's time.

But fishing is the sport here. Walking past some old houses on the side of the hill, I smelled what was most assuredly a smoke house in operation. Sure enough! On the way back, a young girl had set up a small stand and was selling smoked char.

The dockside bistro had plenty of mineral water (from Lake Baikal, of course), and beer to go along with the cold plates of salami, cheese, bread and garnished with sliced cucumbers.

Tied up at the dock was a launch about 15 meters long with the owner, his wife and young son sitting nearby. I enquired if they would be available to take me out on the lake for a few hours, to include a visit to Port Baikal on the opposite shore of the Angara River. After agreeing upon a price (dollars only please) I was off on another delightful cruise. The water besides being cold, was very clear.

The boat radio squawked a bit. The owner said he had to go someplace to pick up some people. I said, "no problem," as it was all new to me. It turned out there were three school teachers from Slovakia on vacation doing basically the same thing I was doing - cruising the lake. I found them most enjoyable and even ran into them a few times later in Irkutsk.

At Port Baikal, a spur off the Trans-Siberian railroad mainline ends for transfer of freight and passengers to lake boats as no rail service exists to Listvyanka on the north shore. It is a sleepy station, literally and figuratively. Cows, sheep and horses were grazing contentedly on and between the tracks. I identified the horses as percheron. They are beauties and physically built to do the work for which they are intended six months of the year - pull loaded sleds of goods on the ice along the lake shore to isolated communities.

Instead of returning to the Listvyanka dock, I convinced the boat owner to drop me off at the Baikal Museum of the Liminological Institute about 2 kms away. This saved me a lot of time to visit this very special museum about Lake Baikal. Everything you wish to know about the lake, its ecosystem and history is there.

The staff was very helpful. In front of the museum were several kiosks. As the bus back to Irkutsk wouldn't be by for another hour, I took the opportunity to shop for tourist items available. Across the road, way below the bus stop, I heard men screaming loudly. Looking down I saw two guys who had jumped into the lake swimming about for a few minutes in the 10C water! They must have been members of the local polar bear club.

About 1800 the bus to Irkutsk arrived. Riding it back, I was exhausted from walking, sun and wind burned, hungry, but very pleased at the fantastic day I had. I mentally thanked the taxi drivers who couldn't read maps and inadvertently caused me to have all the right things happen subsequently. My guardian angel took over again.

Arriving at the hotel about 1930, I cleaned up and decided to have a leisurely pizza dinner in the Italian restaurant on the top floor. I was the only customer, so had good service, plenty of cold beer and a great view of the Angara River.

Both my wife Mary and my sister Mary Prosser had visited Irkutsk 23 years previously. The thought ran through my mind about the possibility of them having "a leisurely pizza dinner" then.

As this is summer, performances of the Irkutsk opera, symphony and ballet are closed until September. Just as well, I was so tired in the evening.

After dinner, I adjourned to the riverside to bring my notes up-to-date on a park bench and watch another colorful sunset. Local artists were displaying their water color and oil paintings. Most of them were of high quality.

Returning to the hotel I came upon the arrival in the parking lot of a 1913 Vauxhall touring car! It was being driven, from London to Vladivostok by two Australians from Sydney, father and son! As they were quite tired and anxious to get it buttoned down and secured for the night, I didn't ply them with too many questions other than to ask how long they planned to stay so I could photograph their departure. That would be Sunday morning, same day as I leave.

Friday, July 19

With no set schedule today, I stayed in Irkutsk to relax and do my own touring about the city. At least that was my intent.

I spotted Intourist guide/interpreter Alexei in the lobby and expressed my regret I was not able to have him accompany me on my trip to Lake Baikal yesterday. He said not having a telephone available in his parent's apartment is often a real problem for him. I suggested he get one of the cellular telephones we see people using in the outdoor cafe in front of the hotel all the time. To which he responded, "Oh those are Russian mafia people and they can afford them."

After breakfast in front of the hotel the Australian's car was now the center of attention and activity. Everyone was poking about it and trying to peak under the tarpaulin fastened over it. Shortly the son arrived on the scene and unveiled it. He opened the bonnet (hood) so we could photograph the meticulously kept engine. He said the engine is the original one, but has been rebuilt several times.

I learned they are not driving all the way to Vladivostok because the Chinese would not grant them permission to drive across Manchuria. And, of course, they cannot drive across Siberia between Chita and Khabarovsk simply because there are no roads, a distance of 2,300 kms. At Chita they will place their vehicle on a railroad flatcar and ride in it for three days with ample food and water! At Khabarovsk, they will again continue on the road to Vladivostok where they will put the car in a sea container and place it aboard a freighter destined for Australia. By the end of this trip, he informed me, the car will have been driven around the world except for the link between Chita and Khabarovsk. It has been across the USA and Canada once, and Australia three times.

Accompanying them on the flat cars would be a group of American truck drivers and their vehicles under sponsorship of the American Trucking Association. They wanted to prove to the Russians that truck traffic could be started across Siberia. Wisely, they accepted the Russian prohibition against driving cross country Chita to Khabarovsk for they would never get their vehicles out. The truck train does have a couple sleeping cars attached, but automobile drivers prefer to remain in their vehicles to prevent stripping of them during station stops along the way. That hasn't changed in the last 24 years!

The Australian asked the hotel guard where he could wash his Vauxhall. With one crank the engine turned over and ran smooth as silk. The guard hopped in with him and they took off for the "car wash". We then proceeded to walk to the city center and found the "car wash" was around the corner and nothing but the public water hydrant found occasionally in Russian cities. He had his bucket and a cloth and was washing the car by hand. I photographed the operation.

I wanted to visit several shops to see what was available and how they operated. I went to a mix of shops and stores, some of which now work with new methods of merchandising, and some others still organized as under the former communist system.

Generally, I found newer type stores did not have queues and it was simple to make a purchase, pay for it and move onwards.

But I also went into Gastronome Nos. 15, 7 and 3 in that order. They function just as 24 years ago. None of them were crowded and you could see why. Foreigners are amazed to see the incredible waste of time and effort by everyone standing in a queue. The gastronome is divided into several sections (i.e. meat/fish, dairy, vegetables/fruits, dry goods, tinned goods, beverages, etc.), each sort of operating independently. Here customers are never able to touch the merchandise until it has been wrapped and paid for.

The procedure is for you to queue up in each section, tell the clerk what you want, get the bill; go on to the next section queue up again, select, get bill; and continue until you have selected everything you wish. Then take your bills to the cashiers and queue up again to pay. Once all bills have been stamped "paid", you then take them back to each section and queue up again, claim your merchandise and move on to the next queue.

The main shopping streets were swarming with people and there were a lot of goods available, although some of questionable quality. There was a plethora of foreign merchandise of every description. The U.S. products (even Tide washing soap) were at prices equal to home and lower. I wonder how they do it? Are we in the U.S. being overcharged? Or are the goods stolen? At the railroad station in Irkutsk, they are. I saw a man exit the railway commissary shed with a giant box of Tide, put it in his car and drive off.

Adjacent to the central open air market was the local branch of the G.U.M. department store. It was about four levels high and a building of fairly recent construction. There were a lot of people going in and out.

The central open air market was nothing like I had ever seen in Russia previously. It was loaded with all the fresh produce of a Siberian summer, of very good quality and plentiful. Hunger was striking. I spotted in the distance smoke rising and correctly surmised it was a shashlik stand. I headed over to it and had my lunch there. It was outstanding. At a nearby kiosk, I purchased a bottle of local beer which happened to be rated at 15 percent! Wow!

After lunch I went for some morozhnoye, then walked through a very old section of the city to photograph the ornamental wood work on homes.

I took a tram back to the hotel. Trams in Irkutsk are in terrible condition. It would be difficult to guess their age, but I suspect that they might be only 10-15 years old. The basic construction is bad, and maintenance of the tracks is of such a state, it is a wonder there are not more derailments. After several rides on them I noticed broken windows replaced with plywood boards, sliding door panels missing which exposed operating electrical-mechanical equipment, a definite hazard to passengers.

In the shade of a tree back at the hotel, I consumed a 1.5 ltr bottle of Lake Baikal water. Leaving, I took another tram across the river to photograph the Irkutsk station and view rail operations from the overpass. Again, what a change from 24 years ago! All of this would have been strictly forbidden.

Inside the station waiting room is a massive electronic schedule board, with times posted in both Moscow time and local time. It's most confusing. Moscow time should be eliminated, for everyone uses local time exclusively.

This evening I ate dinner in the main hotel dining room. When I arrived, my order was taken promptly and it arrived about half an hour later. By the time I was half way through eating, the band came in and started to play, followed by a floor show of singers and dancers. They were okay, but loud music with good food is not my idea of fine dining.

Saturday, July 20

After breakfast I decided to do more local sightseeing. I took a trams to visit two homes of members of the Decembrist Movement which were restored and turned into museums. The Decembrists were members of the aristocracy and merchants who were exiled to Siberia in the mid-19th century for attempting to overthrow the Romanov Dynasty.

The residences are large, ornate, wood (log) homes with plenty of ornamental woodwork. Nevertheless, they are a great comedown from the palatial homes they had in St. Petersburg. At least they had their lives, albeit in rather harsh conditions at the time.

After viewing the two homes, for lunch I headed back to the same shashlik stand as yesterday in the central market. It was excellent then and the same today.

I then proceeded to the nearby grand hall of the market where dairy, meat and fish sales were taking place on a very large scale.

Later back at the hotel, my thirst was slaked under the shade trees in front by several chilled bottles of Lake Baikal water. Some people were caught in a "Catch-22" situation trying to exchange money at the bank in the hotel. The hotel holds your passport until you check out, but you can't get money without your passport. The bank and hotel apparently don't talk to each other.

As I had a very early morning train departure, I ate an early dinner in the hotel's Chinese restaurant. It was a good thing. I got there early enough to be served, for it was booked for the evening by a large group. The food was very good, but my Russian waitress was in a very bad mood. It appeared she was one of the few available to handle the following group.

I arranged with Intourist for a van to take me to the train station and settled with the hotel before going to bed. I left a 0430 wake up call with the floor matron.