The group with our host. A beautiful two storey house that Rita and Sasha are renovating, about 200m from the Lake.
Laziz had arranged for us to have a tour of the Museum of the lake. We walked to the museum which took us about ½ hour. Our tour guide spoke good English but with a very heavy accent so it was quite difficult to understand her. The last presentation was a simulation of a submarine which took us to the bottom of the lake. We couldn’t take any photographs in the museum and there were no guide books which was a little disappointing.
After lunch Alan, Patrick and Laziz set off on a hike. This turned out to be a long hike up very steep paths and through pine trees. Alan thoroughly enjoyed it but came back with sore feet. Whilst he was hiking I went to the craft market to bag some bargains but only managed to buy three stones to make earrings and a pendant.
Merrill walked part way to the market with me as she wanted to go to the post office to use the internet café. Unfortunately it was closed until 3.00p.m. She waited and was still there when I was on my way back. I waited with her until it opened as there was a very unsavoury old man outside the post office. I set off to walk back and when I was near our house I crossed the road and realised that Merrill was on her way back. She hadn’t managed to use the computer as there was no electricity. When we got back to the house we decided to have a nap.
At 6.00p.m. we were invited to take a Banya, this is a sauna I a wooden chalet. Sasha had built a two roomed cottage and turned it into a Banya. One room for changing and the other the sauna. Joan opted not to join us so Merrill and I had a sauna on our own. It was quite warm so we didn’t stay in too long. By the time we had finished Alan and Patrick had returned so they with Laziz had the use of the Banya. Apparently they had a whale of a time splashing water all over the place and making a lot of steam.
We had a smashing evening meal and then toasted Rita and Sasha with a bottle of Russian Vodka that Laziz had bought. The evening ended with a few rounds of President and Donkey. I won every round. Perhaps Laziz made the wrong decision to teach us the game.
Friday 8th May.
Omelettes for breakfast and then one last walk in the village. We walked up to the church. A small orthodox church dedicated to St Nicholay. A few women were there decorating it with flowers. There was a small shop so we bought and Icon of the Trinity by Rublev and a chain for the stone I had bought. A lady showed us a small pamphlet that was partly in English, about the church, so we have a little information to remind us of our visit.
11.00a.m. Off back to Irkutsk and our hotel for the night. Irkutsk was very busy but we arrived safely at the hotel Angara. We checked in immediately and went to our rooms to freshen up and then went on our orientation tour. After lunch at a pizza parlour we ha a quick look around a department store and then back to the hotel for a rest.
Dinner was at a restaurant above the pizza parlour. Back to the hotel to see if we can speak to our family back in the UK.
Laziz had arranged for us to have a tour of the Museum of the lake. We walked to the museum which took us about ½ hour. Our tour guide spoke good English but with a very heavy accent so it was quite difficult to understand her. The last presentation was a simulation of a submarine which took us to the bottom of the lake. We couldn’t take any photographs in the museum and there were no guide books which was a little disappointing.
After lunch Alan, Patrick and Laziz set off on a hike. This turned out to be a long hike up very steep paths and through pine trees. Alan thoroughly enjoyed it but came back with sore feet. Whilst he was hiking I went to the craft market to bag some bargains but only managed to buy three stones to make earrings and a pendant.
Merrill walked part way to the market with me as she wanted to go to the post office to use the internet café. Unfortunately it was closed until 3.00p.m. She waited and was still there when I was on my way back. I waited with her until it opened as there was a very unsavoury old man outside the post office. I set off to walk back and when I was near our house I crossed the road and realised that Merrill was on her way back. She hadn’t managed to use the computer as there was no electricity. When we got back to the house we decided to have a nap.
At 6.00p.m. we were invited to take a Banya, this is a sauna I a wooden chalet. Sasha had built a two roomed cottage and turned it into a Banya. One room for changing and the other the sauna. Joan opted not to join us so Merrill and I had a sauna on our own. It was quite warm so we didn’t stay in too long. By the time we had finished Alan and Patrick had returned so they with Laziz had the use of the Banya. Apparently they had a whale of a time splashing water all over the place and making a lot of steam.
We had a smashing evening meal and then toasted Rita and Sasha with a bottle of Russian Vodka that Laziz had bought. The evening ended with a few rounds of President and Donkey. I won every round. Perhaps Laziz made the wrong decision to teach us the game.
Friday 8th May.
Omelettes for breakfast and then one last walk in the village. We walked up to the church. A small orthodox church dedicated to St Nicholay. A few women were there decorating it with flowers. There was a small shop so we bought and Icon of the Trinity by Rublev and a chain for the stone I had bought. A lady showed us a small pamphlet that was partly in English, about the church, so we have a little information to remind us of our visit.
11.00a.m. Off back to Irkutsk and our hotel for the night. Irkutsk was very busy but we arrived safely at the hotel Angara. We checked in immediately and went to our rooms to freshen up and then went on our orientation tour. After lunch at a pizza parlour we ha a quick look around a department store and then back to the hotel for a rest.
Dinner was at a restaurant above the pizza parlour. Back to the hotel to see if we can speak to our family back in the UK.
