The cold Heaven Baikal, Selfmade Banja ... People, People; People ...

25^th – 26^th N 52.53691°, E 107.08783°: Well we stayed close to the beautiful village where Иван is living. The nights were cold and windy. We were sleeping long and the at first we had to find a place which is wind protected. We found a nice place in the forest and still could see Baikal. The forest is full of these pink flowers and the "Baikal ocean" has white crests. It is beautiful but cold and we decide for a walk along the shore maybe we can see some Baikal seals. The neighbours of Иван a father and his two sons are fishermen. They told us the day before that close to the village they can see sometimes the Baikal seal, the only fresh water seal in the world. They also wanted to sell us the skin of the baby seal which they coincidentally caught with their fisher net. Thanks but we do not need! But they asked us if we want to have smoked fish, because they will smoke (:) next day. Well that is what we did in the afternoon we went there to see how they make and to buy some of the fish. Of course they wanted that we buy all. This would be 30 fishes which are really too much. Anyway we had to try 3 different kind Омуль (Omul) which is something like a salmon. I liked this one most; it is really tasty and a little bit oily. The two others are Хариус (Harius) and Окунь (Okun); do not ask me for German or English names I do not know. I just know that you can find Омуль only here in the Baikal. The smoking is simple; make a fire and above this put a metal plate on which you put a small metal box. On the ground of the box you can put chips of your favorite wood from apple, cherry or …. trees. In the box is a metal mesh where the fishes are put, 20-30 min from time to time put some water below the cover of the box, that is all. I remember in Germany they always build these perfect constructions made from stainless steel, but finally the result depends on the fish and the chips (:).

The father and the two almost grown up boys live from the lake and the fishing. The mother is working as a nurse in the city Ulan Ude (around 150 km). She comes back only one time the month. If there are no tourists who buy the fish, which may happen only in the short summer, then they feed their huge scary dog with it (of course not scary for Kotomi, the dog got very peaceful and forgot to protect the house (:) while playing with her).

27^th N 53.05555°, E 108.32648°: Since the hot springs we tried some days before were not operating, we wanted to try some other ones which are close to Турка (Turka). This was written in the book I was reading from Klaus Bednarz (Ballade vom Baikalsee), it is a nice book which describes the life of the people and the Baikal. But most of the places he describes are not at the point were he describes. For example the hot springs are in Горячинск (Gorjaschinsk) not in Turka and furthermore he wrote the book 10 years ago, which means a lot has changed since that time. Nevertheless we arrived there at the evening at the place but it was toо late. We found a beautiful place at the Baikal again, which still had ice the last 30 m until the beach. The ice was formed to sharp mountains. I really would like to see the lake in the winter time. We made a big fire and went in our icy cave to sleep.

28^th to 30^th N 53.30017°, E 108.66704°: 28^th morning we tried the hot springs. Unfortunately the hot spring was closed but it seemed they prepare for the coming season. The only thing we could do was to put our feet in a small rinse of hot water. The area seems not to be private operated and if you ask something they just say Я не знаю .... не работает .... (I do not now …. It is not working) or something like that maybe, at 6 a clock…. or tomorrow … not at weekends, but it was in the middle of the week. Anyway we decided not to look for places anymore which are described in the book it is better just to go somewhere and take the chances as they come. However, we were waiting in the car; it was snowing outside, for the promised Sauna at 6 pm. But finally it was not open and somebody else said we need reservation. A friendly guy, who is working for the sports center in one of the thousand properly signed buildings told us a place of a Banja outside the area. Unfortunately also this was …. не работает .... So we left the Курорт (Kurort, like in German for health resort or Spa) Горячинск and were driving in the direction of Уст Баргузин (Ust Bargusin). There is a national park and a penisula with promising nice nature. As always, around 8 to 9 pm we found our sleeping place, which is really incredible, wind protected and view to a sand beach with pine, birch and larch trees in an ocean of flowers. Looking over the lake we can see sometimes the snow covered mountains which suddenly show up in the middle of the clouds and disappear some minutes later. Those are the mountains from "Heilige Nase" I do not know in English maybe "holy nose". Whatever, try to find with Google Maps and the GPS coordinates I gave you at the beginning. We made again a fire. This time I remembered a back country trip with my cousin Thomas in the Alps. There it was cold too and we were sleeping in the tent. That time we heat up some stones put them in a cotton bag and it got quite hot inside the tent. Unfortunately, stupid us, the bag was burned. This time I used our big rice pot and it got really nice and warm in the tent. When Kotomi let some drops of the tea on the stones, I got my idea for the next day.

29^th it is not so cold anymore the sky clears up until the evening with an sunset that let us feel like floating in a river of thousand colors. For me it is a lot even so I am partially colorblind. For Kotomi it was more, she was almost exploding at that evening, she could not believe it, green and pink and all the colors which look almost grey for me. All this with the snow capped mountains of the Bargusin valley in the background. Well this was the evening, but what did we do at the day time, she was writing blog and I had this idea to have a Banja directly at the Baikal. I was all the time looking for something like that to have the opportunity to go directly after the Banja in the lake, sorry ocean. As always she thought it will not work (:). Nevertheless, I wanted to try to build my own Banja and just see if it is not working or working. So I used an big plastic sheet to build something like a tent, then I made a big fire and heat up a lot of big stones, which I got from the beach. When they are yellow put them in the tent (be careful (:), the grass is burning fast, so put some water before) and ready is your self made Banja. Sit inside relax if you can and throw some water from time to time on the hot stones. It is working great, I used the stones three times, going in the Baikal for swimming which is not so cold anymore and enjoy again the hot steam in your private Banja at any place you want (:). I was so happy, it is a small thing and sounds maybe weird for you, but having my Banja at this place was just great. Well (30^th) today we stay here one more day reading, cooking and enjoying the sun and the warm wind at this peaceful place.

Now I think maybe also heaven can be sometimes warm, not only hell. The days before, I thought heaven must be cold since it is the opposite of hell. (:)

31th of Mai N 53.40644°, E 108.9878 °: we made our way to Ust Bargusin as we had nothing to eat anymore. We choose one of the thousands Magasins and since it is weekend we also allow us some beer. The town looks like a village with wide streets. It seems like it wanted to be a town, but finally, the architects decide to build village houses beside that wide streets. Anyway I like those wooden houses more than the concrete metal glass city buildings. Having our food we drove to the beach which is really amazing. I know it sounds strange everyday something beautiful, can this really be true. As long as you stay at the Baikal it seems so. We just sit on the white sand beach, having our weekend beer. Close to us are some grandparents, their daughter and grandson enjoying the sunset over the Baikal. The grandmother is sitting on a fishing boat, which is on the beach. We somehow started to communicate and she told me that she never left the village. We both come to the conclusion that this here is the nicest place in the world, no need to go somewhere else. It seems her daughter does not feel the same. Maybe she is around 25 and she is obviously bored from this "stupid" nature. With her big city outfit her Tokyo Sunglasses and a fake shiny leather jacket she really does not fit in this place. Later on I met a guy at the beach who is grilling some Omul at the fire. In the background is his big American truck, which he is using as his beach ghetto blaster. His hometown is Ust Bargusin, where he comes one time the month. The other time he is on the road between Sankt Petersburg and Irkutsk. While I am searching for a nice sleeping place I met Лёха (Lioscha) in the pine forest behind the beach. He is dressed in army clothing which you can find here very often. He is the uncle of the two young mans who are preparing a fisher net. As normal they ask where I come from and I tell them that I am German. That brings up the Second World War in Лёха's head and he calls me Fascist, the two young boys are already laughing. He does not say it in an aggressive way and I tell him I come from East Germany and I am "Communist" (:). That he understands and from now on he asks me for my name every 5 minutes. We drink my beer together Сибирцкая Корона, but he would prefer Vodka, but anyway he is glad that I share my beer with him. Meanwhile a motor ship is crossing the Baikal and the two young mans suddenly hiding a little bit. I am guessing they are illegally fishing and they smile and say yes. It is like a cat and mouse game and even the police or security is illegally fishing. If they want to have more than just to eat it is necessary and everybody does. Later we can see that they go out with their fishing boats, but only from our position it can be seen. The Security can not see them since they hide under the cover of the approaching night.

While Kotomi is preparing Thai Curry with chicken a married couple is approaching with their 4x4 and enjoys the last minutes of the sunset. Kotomi greets them with Здраствуите (Hallo) and they come to us asking the usual questions and observing interested our car, roof tent and kitchen. They invite us to their home. We tell them that the beach is so nice and we set up already everything for the evening. "It would be better for us to come tomorrow". Well and that is what we will do next day, we will visit Оля и Валере.

1st of June N 53.41757°, E 109.02075°: Before we go to Оля и Валери we want to visit Eva, a German we met some days ago, in the Visitor centre of the Holy Nose Park. (N 53.41239°, E 109.02063° Ленина 23 ?!) Currently they are renovating the building but we can find her in her office. The office is full with pieces of interesting looking wood maybe from the park or the beach. We have a time and start talking. She comes from the Spreewald from East Germany and is living here since 5 years. She married here and decided to live with her husband here. Last year she was starting to work for the national park where also her husband is working. Basically she has to do German or English translations. In the summer times she helps to prepare new hiking routes around the Baikal. Therefore, an organisation invites people also from other countries. You work 10 days and have 4 days free time. (I will ask her later about more information if somebody want to do this!) I am interested in how she feel here and how is the life in Ust Bargusin or how she feel as German living here in another culture. She likes to live here but still, even after 5 years, she needs time to adjust to the way of living. Sometimes she wants to do something and it takes so much time to get it done. "Everyhing" is slow, but everything depends on nature she had to learn. She always wanted to everything right now, the German way, but that is impossible and maybe not necessary. "We can not do it now, it is still winter"; she gets sometimes to hear. Furthermore, most people do not care about the things happening at work, "it is just work". They care at home, she says. Her family is living in one side of a wooden double house which was built in the end of the Sowjet union times. It is nice but they built to fast and did not use good wood, which means there are all over cracks in the wood because it was not dry and nothing is straight. However, she has a garden and tries to be independent having potatoes and all kind of vegetables. The salary is normally not enough to have a car or something like that. Because of that most people have a second income apart from the official work. Her husband for example is sometimes guiding for tourist. Others are illegally fishing ….

While we were talking suddenly the door opens and a sunburned guy with wild hair maybe in his forties and his Hippy-like girlfriend or maybe wife step in. They are Germans too, just coming from Mongolia, Dubai ..... It seems they are really in a rush, speaking fast ... need information, information "...... want to go North around Baikal than to Finland, ... "

Eva says: "there is no street .... !"

"Isn't there a dirt road ?....."

Eva: "no there are mountains .... ,"

"... where is the supermarket ?" (Actually outside you can find thousands of Magasins (:))

... and so on and on ........

Later we decided to call them Mister and Misses Hectic, because they were so fast that we even could not get there names. I wonder how they travelled through all these countries, just in a rush never have a time to feel and understand the people. I think in their mind they are still in Germany and doing things here as in Germany even so they are thousands of kilometres away. I do not want to judge and I know that not everybody has so much time as we have this time. But really after they went out of the room I feel relaxed. I mean I think they are nice people but they are to fast to recognise anything and maybe they even do not recognise their self.

Оля и Валере:

The day before, they invited us to their home. They are also living in such a double house like Eva. The difference is that they totally renewed their part. Inside everything is in western style, wide screen TV, new kitchen, everything new. The bath is in Turkish style with golden ornaments and the shower is all electronic, but they can not use now because they do not know how to operate the electronic. And it is funny they still use their Siberian toilette which is outside the house and just a hole in the garden where you put a small wooden house over it. Both are around 50 and their kids are already married. The two sons are living in Sankt Petersburg and Ulan Ude. Оля and Валере import clothing from China. First some Mongolian guys buying the stuff in China and then driving all the way to Ust Bargusin with an old Japanese Minibus. This business seems to work quite well for them. Nevertheless, he wants to exchange his 5 year old patrol against our 14 year old Landcruiser. I wonder why he wants to have a car which is 9 years older. Олия has her own garden and Валере goes often fishing and especially in the winter time. Before the Banja gets hot we have to taste the dried Омуль he caught in the winter and Оля prepared dinner for us. Banja no need to say but I say: nice and refreshing as always Спацибо. The owner of the Banja says Лёгким паром. In the room before the Banja they prepare a bed for us so we decide to stay even so our roof tent is much more comfortable.

2nd N 53.62197°, E 108.92251°: In the morning we meet Eva again since she told us that her Russian friend, who is studying in the USA and is visiting now, also want to go to the same mountain on the Peninsula Holy Nose as we want to go. But somehow they did not show up and were not sure anymore if they want to go to the mountain or the Hot Spring. Therefore, we start alone. First you have to take a small ferry from Ust Bargusin to cross the river.This reminds at a story when i was 5 years old and travelling with my parents:

That time we were travelling with our old Russian Lada in Bulgaria where they had the same kind of ferries. The ferry was almost full but they told my father that he can put the car at the end of the ferry and they put something under the wheels so the car can not drop in the river. While crossing the river one of this something dropped in the water and my father was asking afraid the skipper what do do. He said there is one more. Everything is fine.

After the ferry it is just 1 km until the entry of the national park. Here you have to pay an entry fee. Two park ranger stopping us asking for the passport and how long we were travelling at the Baikal. After web told them that we are here around 1 1/2 week they starting to calculate somethhing. In the end there is a number of almost 3000 Rubel. Nice try, funny cute old guys. They are really nice but they wanted to be clever. I try to explain them that I do not understand why I should pay for the days outside the park. So if I would be 4 weeks outside the park and then coming one day in the park theyy would charge 4 weeks and a day !?!? (:) That is funny. So I told them we will stay four days. Which makes 50 Rubel per person per day and the car which is 100 Rubel. Finally we paid 500 Rubel. Anyway my wallet was empty since we could not get a money in Ust Bargusin. So 500 was all they could get. But still I like that two guys even they tried to cheat. After that you are driving on a natural bridge made of sand and marsh around 25 km to the peninsula. There we stayed the nigth at a really clean and nice river aclose to some shaman point, where everybody drops some coins or cigaretts or puts a blue band in the tree.

In the evening Sascha is passing by the first time. He gives us some Omul and say he will come back later since he has to go back to Ust Bargusin. The dried Omul is half raw so we decide to grill it at the fire. On the way back he drop by again and we are sitting at the fire. We offer him some tea and although he would prefer Vodka he enjoy the tea with us. He told us that he drives for the fishing company and complaining about the small salary he gets. After that he went to small village Glinka. This is actually the starting point for the next days hike. Everybody told us we should not put the car there because the people are not so good there. But Sascha is really nice and we decide we will park the car there. Also Eva just said to me: "Only the people who woory will get a problem." So I decide not to worry.

Another day I will write about the hike it is enough for now. Just one thing: I got a SMS from my friend Rudi while sitting on top of some mountain peaceful silence and around me I could see everywhere the Baikal and in the West the suns set. Isn't it a strange coincidence that I get this SMS from friend with whom I enjoy backcountry skiing and mountains. Anyway here the SMS: "Hallo M&K, gibt es auch Bilder zu deinem Blog, ich fand es sehr interessant zulesen, kannst am Ende ein Buch rausmachen -:) Viele Gru?e an Alle und gute Reise, Rudi

"

@Home: Wir hatten kein Geld mehr auf unserer Telefonkarte. D.h. da wir in einer anderen Zone in Russland sind und unsere Karte in Vladivostok registriert ist konnte uns niemand anrufen da wir da auch was zahlen müssen. Wir hatten nur in den kleinen Orten keine Möglichkeit das Ding aufzuladen.

@Rudi: We hope we will have a fast Internet in some days so we will try to upload some pictures. And later in Germany we will get more maybe more than you want.

@Mutti: Jetzt ist es schon warmer auch wenn es ab und zu mal regnet. Vegetarisch essen vor allem auf dem Trip mit den Buriaten ist sicher möglich heißt aber das man alles von Irkutsk mitschleppen muss, da Sie sich sonst eigentlich anders erbähren.