Russia (Lake Baikal)

September 26, 2010: When I got to Irkutsk bus station in the morning, the first thing I did was marvel at the bus that was going to take us to Olkhon Island. My luggage (incl. laptop etc.) was expertly stowed on the roof, and off we went, slowly and bumpily, towards Lake Baikal – the largest freshwater reservoir on earth.

After about five hours on the road we reached the ferry landing. Because of strong winds we had to wait another three hours before we could cross over to Olkhon, the largest island in Lake Baikal. Even from the ferry we got a first taste of the indescribable scenery in this area.

After another hour in a minibus I finally reached my accommodation. Compared to the previous few days it was pure luxury. Sure, there was no running water and only a shared toilet (an eco toilet…), but in return I had a nice, warm room with some privacy and a view of Lake Baikal. I stayed at Nikita’s Homestead, a sort of eco youth hostel with chic little wooden cabins, super friendly staff, excellent food and top-notch service. In the evenings at the bar I met dozens of interesting people, and during the day I explored the island in all sorts of ways, sometimes with company and sometimes on my own. The scenery around Lake Baikal is truly, indescribably beautiful and absolutely worth a visit! The following photos show only a tiny fraction of it.

Even a cow, photographed partly from behind, looks graceful and noble here… ;)

One of my favourite pictures: midnight at the legendary Shaman Rock, with a clear starry sky (you can make out the Big Dipper) and a full moon. You can just about see the earth’s rotation in the slightly streaked stars (60-second exposure), while only my face is lit by the full moon and the rest of me is in the shadow of another rock. It hardly gets more mystical than that. And mind you, this is not a photo montage.

Since I was on the island in the off-season, I had the unbeatable advantage of hardly any tourists (just a few backpackers like me), but unfortunately things like boat trips and enduro tours had already stopped running. So I just had to improvise a bit.

Of course I also went „swimming“ in Lake Baikal. At an unbeatable 3 °C (…three degrees above zero…), how could I say no? Let’s put it this way: it was unbelievably cold. Here’s the photographic evidence, with me in front and two other lunatics. A few more backpackers stood on the beach and dutifully documented this „heroic“ deed with their cameras.

After four truly wonderful days I headed back to Irkutsk.