Catching the Trans-Mongolian To Lake Baikal

Whilst on this, the second leg of our Trans-Mongolian Express adventure, we do not have the luxury of a bathroom in our cabin, we do have two single beds side by side (as opposed to the bunks of previous), and our sheets are beautifully crisp and white.

The cabins on either side of us are inhabited separately by two Australian females, both travelling solo. We spend some time reminiscing about our travels so far with BHP Operations Manager Bec from Brisbane and the amazing seventy-year-old Di from Coolum who has left her Bridge playing husband at home to do this trip.

The Russian border crossing appears to go a little smoother than the previous Mongolian one although a rather severe Russian babushka does conduct a cursory baggage and cabin check.

Arriving at Irkutsk, nearest station to Lake Baikal we find our driver and are whisked the 60 odd kilometres to Listvyanka on Lake Baikal. There has been a really heavy dump of snow the previous evening, so the roads are snowy and slushy. First time I have ever had to traverse these types of road conditions and I don’t really like it.

Whilst our earlier train journey has given us an excellent viewing of Lake Baikal from the windows, it’s even better when we arrive at Listyvanka and stand staring from her icy banks. Lake Baikal, the world’s largest freshwater lake contains 20% of the world’s freshwater. It’s also the world’s deepest lake at 1642 metres. It’s hard to imagine that the vast spread of water in front of me, does in January and February, totally freeze over.

We are booked into a little guest house (UD Guesthouse) and inside our room, it feels, looks and even smells like a sauna with thick wooden walls and the temperature gauge, like all buildings here, set on really high.

That afternoon, cramped from so many hours on a train, we go for a rejuvenating walk along Lake Baikal. We see frozen icicles, a mad scuba diver and best of all a big fat seal. We end up at a market where we purchase a beanie for Darryl. The minus 12-degree temperature with a chill factor of minus 17, necessitates warmer clothes and accessories than he was expecting.

After a slow start – the sun doesn’t rise here until 815am, the following day is spent exploring Listyvanka. We visit the Lake Baikal Limnological museum where the highlights are the seals and the pseudo submarine journey to the floor of Lake Baikal.

After another night in our cosy guest house it’s back to Irkutsk where the temperature is minus 22, the streets are slushy and the snow keeps falling. We walk Karl Marx then Lenin Streets before heading back to our accommodation in the 130 district.

Today it’s all about loading up at the nearby supermarket. Our next train leg will not see us disembarking before our arrival in Moscow – three nights and four days travelling away! The supermarket better have a good selection. See you in Moscow.

Fun facts – the food is really cheap here – dinner last night (cocktail, beer, mains and dessert $22). Russia has a negative growth rate.