Listvyanka & Lake Baikal, Siberia13 Sep 2006
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Listvyanka
The shores of Baikal
| This is an incredibly beautiful and peaceful place where the air tastes clean and simple village life is lived in wooden houses. I stayed in a homestay with an ethnic Siberian grandmother whose English was superb and her cooking even better. Went for a hike up into the mountains with a local guide and two Aussies Paul and Greg, also on the Trans-Sib trip. We got to an isolated beach and had lunch, it really was beautiful there and so relaxing. Lake Baikal is the world's biggest freshwater lake and you can drink straight from it. There is also a legend that says if you swim in the lake you will live an extra 25 years! As the water is a nad-reducing 10 degrees celsius not many people actually do this, but (as I did) follow the second legend that says if you was your hands, face and feet in it you will live an extra 17 years. It has to be one of the most serenely beautiful places I have ever been and it makes you feel healthy just to be there.... except for this morning as I had far too much Vodka last night. I feel rough but if you can't get smashed on vodka here then where can you?! Besides, the bar was a cultural experience on it's own- it was a great place to go for a drink- no toilet (seriously- you had to go around the back, or in the posh hotel opposite), no glasses (drink beer from the can and voddie from plastic cup) and two poledancing poles but no dancers, all in a place about the size of a caravan. |
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