Siberia and beyond - Irkutsk ,Port Baikal

“Moscow is far and China near”. That’s what they say here.  This might be a republic in Russia but Eastern Siberia’s main city Irkutsk feels like any other populated city from Asia. A mixture of left hand driven European made and right hand driven Japanese made vehicles storm the busy roads here and although the don’t honk, sometimes you wish they would.

The gateway to the Lake Baikal, Irkutsk will not impress unless you move out of it and onto places like Listvyanka and Port Baikal.  I know I am sounding like the guy from the lonely planet guide book, but that’s what should be near when the land is distant and the language strange. Add to that a bunch of non-smiling straight faces. Yes, they don’t like to smile here. I know I’ve been here just 48 hrs but unless they have a few vodka shots and are in the mood, an average Russian just won’t smile. Be it at a restaurant or on the road. The only smiles that you get are the trained ones, in business hotels. I was told this by a co traveler on my flight from Istanbul to Moscow,” we will help you at the most but wont smile” she said.  Maybe that’s playing on my mind ..

Lake Baikal is huge .. It has the worlds 20% of fresh water and at its deepest it is 1720 mtrs. The river Angara which originates from the Russian Arctic’s has its mouth here in the lake. Listvyanka and Port Baikal are two villages on  the opposite side of the river overlooking the lake. The best part of the last 48 hrs came today when my stroll in the village of port Baikal took me to a construction site of a small wooden hostel where the owner opened the door straight away looked at me and said ‘2000 roubles per night’ .. that’s all he knew to say. All my attempts to talk to him were futile and he simply closed the door. Well the best part was not the man obviously but the walk I had to take to find his place. The guide book recommended a hotel close to it which I found was closed, the book even said that it had a hookah salon. You could say that I waited 1 hr in rain to cross the river on a ramshackle ferry, only to find a place where I could smoke. However, a village without a single tourist or a person to ask directions. With traditional Siberian cottages ,built in wood and surrounded by nearly a 5 foot fence, with inviting colors on windows but  an uninviting dog’s bark on the other end and with water flowing in small streams from the surrounding hills into the lake, made for a very peaceful walk. If not for the gap of 4 hrs between two ferries I would’ve loved to just be ..

On reaching Irkutsk’s chaotic bus station I wondered how would it be to take the shirtless big belly, cigarette smoking owner’s offer, in Port Baikal. 2000 rbls per night would be just what I would like, the surrounding I mean were far more worth it. And who knows instead of writing now I would be having a few rounds of vodka with him and finally would’ve even managed to get a Russian smiling!