Around Baikal Lake - Listvyanka (20-22 Oktober)

To xwrio me to akribotero agrotemaxio (oso sti Nikiti kani ena summer house edo) sti notioanatoliki Baikal mas ypodexetai me dynato aera k thermokrasies pou se anatrixiazoun gia tin epoxi (gia ta ellinika dedomena panta). Kataligoume sto hostel tou dasarxeiou gia ftino ypno k thea sti limni pou xekinise na pagwnei. O kosmos elaxistos tetoia epoxi, se antithesi me to kalokairi pou gemizei me tourists (kirios efporous Rossous,) pou kanoun mpanio k apodraseis sto dasos.

Se ayta ta meri epiballetai I parousia enos ntopiou na se gyrisei sta gyrw xwria pou einai panemorfa k grafika me xionismena sxedon ta panta. Edo emfanizete lipon o Andrej, o daskalos germanikon pou ihame gnorisi sto Olkhon Island. Gia emas itan i katallili stigmi, afou idi ihame perpatisi to horio k thelame kati diaforetiko. Mas pigeni mini tour sto horio tou & kataligoume sto spiti tou parea me ton eptaxrono gio toy Ivan. Einai periergo na akous “Arbanitaki” na milai me ton patera tou Germanika, kapou sti stepa tis Rwssias se ena ksylino kaloftiagmeno spiti poy pragmatika se agkaliazei me tin zestasia tou. Eksw parkarismena, aystira Japanese 4x4 (kathos afta mono mas ipan oti antehoun se toso antiksoes kairikes sinthikes), dexiotimona aytokinita k ena XR400, pou an antexeis se pane sxedon pantou …

Den ine hlidata aftokinita, oute lampoun, apla ine anagkaia gia ti doulia tou Andrej pou ine pleon guide se ekdromes, os epi ton pliston Elveton & allon European. Mas edikse fotografies apo tin custom-made ekdromi pou organose I gineka tou persi & nomizo pos aksizi ton kopo kapoios na ti dokimasi to Sep 2009. 3 weeks, ksekinontas apo Siberia me Jeeps, pigenis se aftohthones gnostous tou kapou se mia limni sta sinora me Mongolia, akolouthi o gyros tis limnis ipevontas gia mia vdomada (akoma k an den gnorizis ippasia), sti sinehia esoteriki ptisi gia kapoia horia shamanon k epistrofi sto Ulaanbaatar, protevousa Mongolias. Kostos mazi me fai: 1.500 € ekastos!!! Taksidi pou de sou to organoni oute to kalitero praktorio extreme ekdromon stin Athina. …. Osoi pistoi proselthete …

To vrady kata tis 21.30 itan I ora gia banya .... Prwxoroume katw apo ton kentriko dromo k mas anoigei tin porta enas typos (mallon apo Kazakstan) me 3 zeygi plastikes pantofles k petsetes k mas proteinei na perimenoume ligo na anebei I thermokrasia entos tou steam room panw apo tous 100C. … (kolya: edometaksi eho idi akoma kameno afti k kefali apo last time me to zematisto nero k ime ligo distaktikos kata poso tha apolafso this time ta banya tous). Akribws apenanti mia skouriasmeni porta mas xwrizei apo ti limni. 10 min sto zesto dwmatio einai arketa gia na apobalei o organismos sou oles tis toxines tis teleytaias ebdomadas k amesws meta mploum sta pentakathara k poli pagwmena nera tis limnis!!! (K: edo Ellada k de voutame himona, poso mallon sti Siviria, mehri prin voutikso elega oti den iparhi periptosi na to kano afto. Gia poio logo na patho kardia diladi edo k na teliosi ets adoksa to taksidi… telika ine monadiki empiria, kati san tous filandous pou kkyliounte sto hioni meta ti sauna. To soma ehi tetia thermokrasia pou esto k 10 sec pou menis sti limni, vgenontas apo aftin pali vgazis atmous … trelo skin koritsia :p). Yiaouuu-agaliasi, anazowgonwsi k axnista swmata na sbinoun tin kapsa tous mesa se liga deyterolepta k once again mesa gia refill zestis…. Meta apo misi wra se pianei mia zalada, glukia k synexomeni, oi xtypoi tis kardias oloena k dynatoteroi, panta forwntas to special kapelo me to russia asteri sto kentro... Aperigrapto feeling. This is real banya en telei!

Olkhon Island (15-19 October 2008)

Arketa kourastika xiliometra boreionatolika apo to Irkutsk, pername me to 8thesio ferry apenanti sto nisaki Okhlon opou synantoume k tous prwtous European travellers pou kateythinontai gia to Khuzur, sto oikismo tou famous Nikita opou tha araxoume gia merikes meres. Mpainontas sto Khuzur mia eikona bgalmeni apo to parelthon, toulaxiston 70 xronia pisw, menoume kollimenoi sta idrwmena tzamia tou mini-van k syllambanoume eikones apo ntopious, ksylina spitia, palia rwssika aytokinita k trikykles Ural mihanes (kyriws prasines). Polles oi drastiriotites epi plirwmi pou proteinei o Nikitas, alla ws original travellers, xekiname to epomeno prwino meta apo xortastiko (ouou) traxana gia trekking sto dasos k ftynoume tis organwmenes excursions stin boreia pleyra to nisiou. Trelli bolta parea me enan elbeto, ton Herr Hofmann k kataligoume se mia aperanti anoixtosia me thea oli tin notiodytiki pleyra tou nisiou..
To brady oloi mazevontai gia fagito k mpla-mpla stin trapezaria tou oikismou, eytyxws den einai high season k eimaste to poly 15 atoma. Break gia rwsiko “banya” 100 metra pio pera, enas meraklis ntopios exei kanei to diko tou steam room k to apolambaneis me 350rub/hr (10€). An den eixame k tin kraygi tou Kolya pou eftase sto allo akro toy xwriou, mia koubadia kauto nero itan I aitia, ola tha itan yperoxa. Ananewmenoi loipon pame gia vodkokatanyksi..
Elampe tin epomeni mera o ilios k pame gia photos sto xwrio, afou exume noikiasei dyo yperoxa Mongoose!! (mountainbikes). Ateleiwtes eikones apotypwmenes se myalo k memory cards, ereipwmena spitia k naypigeia, ayloportes k kyriws idiaiteres fatses pou den zitoun $ gia na xamogelasoun sto fako.. Theklaki mou, esy mwro mou tha emenes mexri na teleiwsoun oles oi cards tis Pentax...

… an English approach ….
It was not until we reached the half way of the route Irkutsk – Khuzur, when we had a break for chai & soup in the middle of nowhere, that we first saw a bunch of backpackers. Somehow lost faces, quite European and they were a bit squeezed in a minivan. Indeed Nikita’s (ex-champion in table tennis) homestead is a meeting point for all those travellers that they head from Beijing to Moscow or vice versa by trans-Mongolian railway. Travellers, mainly from Europe, exchanging emails, websites, hostel cards, mobile numbers in the dining room every night. Locals speaking fluently English, German or French enjoy this entire Babylonian atmosphere, as they practice what they have learnt. Once again British were the kings of loudness, but excused, as it was Billy’s birthday. They run out of alcohol (How come?), for a moment only … :p This is where we met Victoria (an excellent ambitious masseuse) and Andrei (German teacher). Both of them are not average Russians of their age, have travelled a lot abroad and we hopefully we can host them someday in Greece. Thank you for making our stay more pleasant!
Khuzur settlement has less than 1000 inhabitants, but during the summer months they are doubled or even tripled by tourists. In October not many places are available for staying and definitely Nikita’s is the best choice. I am not sure though about the summer, as it is packed and of course service won’t be good enough. It’s a bit disappointing though to notice that all facilities are charged, at least in logical prices (except laundry 3 €/kg!!!!!). Homestead as a concept can work a bit better, at least during the off-peak months, like October. Anyway! Oxymoron is also the fact that they keep reminding you with notices to save water and there is not direct water supply to the rooms. You get water for your needs in a bucket, although you are only 100 meters from the 20% of the world’s natural water resources!!! Maybe the invented “sustainability” as a term …
Nevertheless, trekking, mountain biking, horse riding, fishing and other outdoor activities are highly recommended. The whole island has a unique micro-climate and dry atmosphere (forget Salonica) makes sleep sooooo enjoyable (10 hours per day … ho ho ho …). We were amazed with the daily life of local people, which brings us back probably many decades, the life that maybe our grandparents experienced. A tonne of pictures taken and some videos representative are needed to remind us in the future this paradisial island. I just wish it won’t be over-advertised and soon rich Russians build all over the places their summerhouses. It’s not a joke, if you consider that they are ideal beaches for swimming in the summer and just an hour away on foot you find yourself in a forest. Next summer with our hammocks and tents there …. Enough we had of Vourvourou guys …

..next post from Mongolia ... tsiou!

Tomsk-Novosibirsk-Irkutsk

… Itan molis 5 ores to bus gia Novosibirsk k ftanontas ihame 5 ores na trigirisoume mehri na figi to traino. Platia Lenina oonce again & mikri volta sta magazia. Epitelous vrikame mia “kapelerie”, me apistefta kapela, kirios feminine. Sto dromo oles oi ginekes pou sevonte tin ikona tous forousan peritehna kapela, fisika me mia dosi kits pou diakatehi olous tous rossous.
… mpenoume sto traino, sto diadromo ekso apo to coupe emfanizete moustakalis me mikri mpirokoilia & otan antilamvanete oti menoume mazi, perni mia perirgi ekfrasi. Aleksander o kirios. Telika apodihtike oti oi gnorimies me ena mpoukali vodka den apodidoun. Oute aftos, alla oute o allos sigatoikos (Aleksey) epinan alcohol, oute stagona re karry. Penintarides pou erhotan karfi apo Mosha (itoi 3 meres idi mesa sto coupe) pou ihan pai gia check-up. Gri ksenes glosses oi antropoi, alla milisame arketa en telei kata ti diarkeia tou trip. Vlepete ehoume mathis toulahiston 25 leksis sta rossika. Genika polles morfes sto wagon 9 this time.
… Epidi mpikame stis 22.00 mesa, stis 23.30 esvisan ta fota. Fisika emis den kimithikame amesos & afto itan to mega lathos mas. Poli sintoma ksekinise I lokomotivba tou trainou na ihei mesa sto coupe mas, me rythmo & stasis & frenarismata. K ti na tou pis tou Aleksnder? Girna plevro! … den pezi. … na itan kanenas Ele, na ton skountiso, na fonakso … me afta k me alla eftase 5 I ora sto diadromo na pinoume mpires, mehri na pame ksana gia ypno. Eki itan k o “full monty” typos, aftos pou epeze sto “trainspotting” ton kako pou plakonotan sinehia … idios leme.
…. Se 35 ores at last ftasame Irkutsk I ora 6 to proi…. Skotaaaaaaaadi ekso …To boliko tram mas peremenei ypomonetika na aneboume k dyo staseis pio katw einai to Admiral hostel pou tha mas filoxenisei to brady.. Tha thelame omws, tetoia wra mono kati ilikiwmenes kyries bgazoun ta metalagmena skylakia tous boltak emeis sto pagkaki me full moon panw apo ta gemata eikones kefalia mas.. 10 min argotera mia apo tis parapanw kyries mas eipe na xtipisoume ta parathira k ontws mas anoikse I agouroxipnimi landlady, deixnontas mas dyo adeia krebbatia pou itan gia mas..
Xekourastoi pleon, bolta stin dithen pio European poli tis Siberia, to Irkutsk. Kataligoume meta apo syntomi stasi se mageirio, ston potamo Angara,me ta xaraktiristika louketa sta kagela toy pezodromou opou kleidwnoun tin agapi toys ta nea zeugaria gia kali tixi. Prosthesame akomi dyo k epistrepame sto hostel gia cooking k etoimasia gia to ayriano taxidi pros to nisaki Ohlon mesa stin limni Baikal…