Olkhon Island

Olkhon Island is located about half way up Lake Baikal. It’s accessible only by ferry during the summer and by car-over-frozen-lake in winter. The ferry ride’s only less than 1km long and it’s pretty simple. So far, worth the effort.

So, three days have passed – one final day in Lystvianka reading and lolling around in the overcast weather. One travel day between Lystvianka and Irkutsk via ferry. It was a very comfortable, easy ride that took us in to town where we caught a bus the rest of the journey. And one final day travelling between Irkutsk and Olkhon Island, via bus. Once we managed to find the bus stop we were on our merry way. Below: the ferry and the straight between the two bits of land; me out the front of the ferry waiting patiently in the rain

Yesterday I indulged in an expensive (500 ruble) dinner because I was in need of some substantial food in my belly. And a glass of wine. I also indulged my photo/camera-fetish, purchasing two old 35mm cameras. One’s a Lomo automatic and one’s a Fed3. I still feel silly about buying them. Like I need encouragement to take more bloody photos. And spend more money on more bloody film, developing, bits and pieces……

Nevermind, I have them now! Ebony and I can play, and I’ll given them to Charlie to add to his collection once I get bored of them (probably very soon).

Skype’s great but it’s bloody annoying. It never seems to work properly and cuts in an out so much you’d be better off communicating on a satellite UHF radio with a 5 second delay. I remember in year 10 I had to do a telephone interview with the local newspaper over a satellite telephone. It took the interviewer a long time to grasp the concept of phone delays. It was 2002 – phone delays weren’t normal. Luckily we got our proper phone up and running not long after.

Anyway, re: Skype – I get so excited about hearing and seeing my family and friends only to be bitterly disappointed when I have to hang up because there’s no meaning to our broken conversation. Perhaps I need to fix something……

It’s another rainy day and I have a live cat at my feet in bed. It’s taken a liking to me which is unusual for a cat – they can usually smell my hatred. I haven’t got hayfever yet so I’m letting it stay only because I get cold feet and it acts as a good hot water bottle. It’s pretty placid.

We’re staying at ‘Nikita’s Lodge’ which is an ecotourism lodge that I suppose rivals the Three Camels Lodge in the South Gobi. It’s got nothing on the Three Camels Lodge though. Dinner was shithouse – an unidentifiable piece of chicken the size of my thumb on a cup of rice. No four course meals here!!!! Apart from the food though, it’s pretty cool. The view to the lake is unsurpassed and the general feel of the joint is good. The staff are friendly and there’s a hot shower. Rooms are basic – two single beds – but there’s a pet rabbit that looks like my rabbit my mum gave to my step-cousins a couple of years ago. There are things to do. It’s a novelty! We can organise a boat tour, a 4-wheeler tour, a hiking trip…… It’s all organised here which would have taken a bit of initiative to get up and running but I can guarantee it’ll make my visit a lot more pleasant!