05 Trans-Siberian: Ulaanbaatar - Irkutsk

"Happiness is not something readymade. It comes from your own actions..." - Dalai Lama

(Mongolia- Russia border crossing, first Russian train stop at Ulan Ude)

Day 05: Monday, 6 May 2024
Train Route: Ulaanbaatar - Irkutsk (25 hrs)
Hotel: Central Hotel Irkutsk

This morning the ladies had to use the men's washroom as the ladies washroom was out of order. Another alternative was to cross to the next carriage.

We had bread, chilli tuna and hot nescafe for breakfast on board the train.

At Ulan Ude, the train stopped for 45 minutes, so we disembarked to take pictures and stretched our legs. Ulan-Ude is a city in East Siberia, Russia. The main square Ploshchad Sovetov is home to the huge Lenin Head Monument but we did not have time to explore the city. We only stayed for a while at the station as the weather were too chilly for comfort. The rest of the morning was spent napping.

(Early morning walk in his pyjamas at Ulan Ude)

After Zohor/Asar prayers we had Kembara pack of rice and beef curry with sambal bilis for lunch on board the train. A few hours before reaching Irkurst, the train skirted Lake Baikal and we had our first glimpse of the ice covered lake. Lake Baikal is an ancient, massive lake in the mountainous Russian region of Siberia, north of the Mongolian border. It is considered the deepest lake in the world.

(Lake Baikal, frozen to the shore)

(The oldest and deepest lake in the world)

Arrived at Irkutsk Train Station at 1430 hrs almost an hour early. Porters with huge trolleys carried our luggage to the station terminal at R250 per bag. A comfortable fourteen seater Mercedes Van sent us to our hotel in Irkutsk. The Central Hotel is located not far from the park and Irkutsk walking street. At the hotel, we had a complimentary hot drinks and croissant for afternoon tea. After a short rest we had a walking tour around the hotel. We changed some Euros to Rubles and bought a Russian sim card.

(A great example of old Russian architecture)

(Monument sculpture of Vladimir Lenin)

The weather was pleasantly cool for an evening stroll in the Central Park. There is a small garden with couple of iron sculptures. A fountain is the main centrepiece of the garden.

(Leonid Gaidai, the film director of the film 'The Caucasian Captive')

(Sculpture of the three main characters from the film)

Bought fruits at the fruit market. The bustling and colorful fruit stalls were manned by friendly Muslims most likely from the Buryat regions.

 

(Outdoor fruits and vegetables market)

We had kebab dinner at one of of the halal restaurants near the Central Market, quite a distance from our hotel.

(Kebab and bread for dinner)

On the way back to the hotel we walked along the Uritskogo Walking Street of Irkutsk where historical buildings are left intact. This is also the place where street musicians and performers usually go to entertain the public.

(The beautiful sunset at Irkutsk Walking Street)

(Hotel Central Irkutsk, our lodging for two nights)

👈👈Day 04: Ulaanbaatar to Irkutsk, Russia🚂

Day 06: Irkutsk, Lake Baikal, Russia👉👉

06 Trans-Siberian: Irkutsk - Lake Baikal Tour

"You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore..." – Christopher Columbus

(Semi-frozen Lake Baikal in the background)

Day 06: Tuesday, 7 May 2024
Route: Irkutsk - Lake Baikal Tour
Hotel: Central Hotel Irkutsk

Breakfast was Croissants, hard boiled eggs and Vanilla coffee latte at the hotel dining area.

(Central Hotel Irkutsk)

(Ready for a day-trip to Lake Baikal)

By 0900 hrs we started our journey to a resort town of Listvyanka located along Lake Baikal which is 71 km from Irkutsk. It takes about forty minutes to get out of the city.

( Birch tree usually found in Russia montane forests)

(The map of the open Taltsy Museum)

On the way, we stopped to visit Baikal Old Museum, the Taltsy Museum of Architecture & Ethnography. It is located about 47 km from Irkutsk. The open air museum of actual old wooden houses in a preserved community is set on protected land and featured replicate buildings from historical Siberian villages, including houses, farmsteads, churches, and a school building. It is an impressive outdoor museum set in a delightful riverside forest at the confluence of Baikal Lake/Angara River.

(A beautiful open museum of wooden architecture and houses)

(A morning cool weather in the old village)

(The wooden architecture of Russian, Evenk, Buryat and Tofalar peoples)

(A popular stop on the road to Lake Baikal)

(A traditional wooden architecture and a huge Russian Matryoshka doll)

(Many houses have interesting exhibits inside)

(Beautiful wood-lace buildings and arbours)

(A show ger and a rest on a swing by the Angara river)

After visiting the open museum, the van drove us direct to Listvyanka where we rode the chair-lift up to the vantage viewpoint for a nice panoramic view of the Lake Baikal. This is Listvyanka best viewpoint, overlooking the source of the Angara. The viewpoint is named after Jan Czerski, a 19th-century Polish gentleman explorer.

(The chairlift is used in winter for ice skiers)

(Two options to the top: the chairlift ride or a 7 km hike up the hill)

(Tying colourful ribbons for good luck)

(Panoramic view as far as the eyes can see)

(A tiring climb to the vantage view point)

(A long walk downhill to the base station)

We visited Listvyanka Fish Market and later had pilaf with grilled Omul fish for lunch. The omul is a whitefish species of the salmon family endemic to Lake Baikal. It is considered a delicacy and is the object of one of the largest commercial fisheries of Lake Baikal.

(Renowned for its wide variety of fresh and dried fish stalls)

(Local delicacy, omul fish from Lake Baikal, split and grilled)

(Tasty Pilaf rice and pan-grilled omul)

After lunch we had a walkabout at the Listvyanka coastline. The ice was still on the lake but was being washed ashore. Listvyanka aka the ‘Baikal Riviera’ is the closest lakeside village to Irkutsk. It is the touristy spot where most travellers go to dunk their toes in Baikal’s pure waters and admire the hazy views of the Khamar Daban mountains on the opposite shore.

(The world's largest freshwater lake both by volume and depth)

(It's nearly summer but the ice is there to stay)

(Icy cold fresh water of Lake Baikal)

(Crystalised ice along the shore)

(Stranded Lake Baikal Hovercraft)

(A few children attractions in Listvyanka)

The cruise of the lake was cancelled because there was still ice in the lake. Instead, we went for a 30-minutes Seal Show at Listvyanka Nerpinarium. It offers the unique Baikal nerpa show, with nerpa singing, playing water polo and jumping out of water which never happens in their natural state. These clever seals were even taught to paint pictures just before our eyes.

(Listvyanka Nerpinarium)

(A 30-minute seal show)

Back to Irkutsk and had a good rest for the rest of the day.Tonight we skipped dinner as we were still full. The weather tonight was around 4°C.

👈👈Day 05: Ulaanbaatar to Irkutsk, Russia🚂

Day 07: Irkutsk to Yekaterinburg, Russia🚂👉👉

07 Trans-Siberian: Irkutsk City Tour - Yekaterinburg

"Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve..." – Napoleon Hill

(Prowling red sable at Irkutsk Moscow Gate)

Day 07: Wednesday, 8 May 2024
Route: Irkutsk City Tour
Train Route: Irkutsk to Yekaterinburg (56 hrs)

We had our last breakfast at the Central Hotel of Irkurst restaurant. By 0900 hrs we checked-out and kept our luggage in the hotel.

(Having breakfast before we checked out)

This morning we went for Irkutsk city tour on our own. The van dropped us at the Irkutsk Angara Waterfront where we began our walking tour. The main square was being prepped for the upcoming May 9 Victory Day commemorating Russian victory over Germany in the World War Two.

(Preparation for the Victory Day celebration)

Irkutsk is one of the largest cities in Siberia, the capital of the Irkutsk region. It is located in Eastern Siberia, on the banks of the Angara River, at the confluence with the Irkut River, hence the name of the city. Irkutsk. It is about 66 km to the west of Lake Baikal and about 5,200 km to the east of Moscow.

(Crossing the highway to the waterfront)

(A clean blue Angora River)

Irkutsk was founded in 1661. The settlement received the status of a town in 1686. Later, in 1760, the Siberian Road connected Irkutsk with the European part of the Russian Empire. From the beginning of the 19th century, Siberia in general and Irkutsk in particular became the place where a lot of Russian officers and nobles were exiled for taking part in Decembrist uprising. At the end of the 19th century, about 30% of Irkutsk population consisted of exiles. It was one of the reasons why the city became the cultural and educational center of Siberia.

(A stroll through the park: beautiful buildings and sculptures)

We took a leisure walk along the waterfront. The Angara is a major river in Siberia, which traces a course through Russia's Irkutsk Oblast and Krasnoyarsk Krai. It drains out of Lake Baikal and is the headwater tributary of the Yenisey. It is 1,849 km long.

(The Angara, the only river flowing from Lake Baikal)

Standing on the lower embankment of the Angara is a monument to the teacher surrounded by children. It is located in front of the Pedagogical Institute and Irkutsk State University. It shows a primary school teacher with many students herded around her legs. The noses and ears of the children, and the fingers of the teacher are shiny due to excessive rubbing for luck by the locals!

 

(A Monument to the Teacher)

A triumphal arch which is known as the Moskovskie or Moscow Gates marks the entrance to the city if coming from the European part of Russia. Construction of the gates began in 1811 to mark the 10 year anniversary of Emperor Alexander I's reign. The Moscow Gate attracts tourists and newlyweds for photo sessions.

(The Arc de triomphe of Irkutsk)

(A friendly red Sable at the Moscow Gate) 

Next place of attraction was the Old quarter Kvatel 130 Irkutsk. It is a small historic area of Irkutsk where old houses built back in the 17th century stood abandoned for many years but have been restored in the last couple of years. The area is now the hippest part of the city with restaurants, museums, bars lining the streets and facades of beautifully restored old wooden houses.

(The Irkutsk babr with a sable in its mouth)

(Siberia most impressive original timber architecture)

(Recreation of an entire quarter of wooden buildings)

(A pleasant place to stroll)

(Accompanied by a friendly chubby dog)

We had an early lunch of Fish & Chips and Pilaf rice at a Tajikistan Halal Restaurant located near the Irkurst Central Market. We bought a loaf of sliced bread and fruit juice for our 56 hours Tran-Siberian Rail ride to Yekaterinburg later today. Bought some fridge magnets for souvenir and a Buryat beret.

(A large domestic farmers market)

(Wide variety of products from local farmers)

(Beef pilaf and fish and chips for lunch)

From the Central Market the van sent us to Irkutsk Old Mosque for Zohor/Asar prayers. The mosque design was based on samples of stone mosques of the Middle Volga region, in particular, the city of Kazan, which are distinguished by the peculiarity of the influence of European and Orthodox architecture. During Friday prayers, Muslims of different peoples of Russia, Central Asia, the Caucasus and far abroad gather here. The mosque can accommodate two thousand worshippers.

(Irkutsk Cathedral Mosque, the Irkutskaya Sobornaya Mechet)

(A photo with the imam of the Irkutsk old mosque)

(The main prayer hall during Zuhur prayers)

By 1400 hrs the van sent us to Irkutsk Train Station. Expected time of departure was at 1600 hrs but the train was delayed for almost an hour. We finally left the Irkutsk Train Station at 1700 hrs.

(Our cabin for three days)

(A brief stop at smaller train stations)

(The distance between the cities is about 2,815 km)

This second phase of our Trans-Siberian train journey from Irkutsk to Yekaterinburg took approximately 56 hours. We will be spending 3 days and 2 nights on the train.

(Sceneries between train stations)

Tonight we had rice and daging dendeng and sambal bilis for dinner. The two of us occupied a 4-berth cabin which was quite comfortable. There are 2 communal washrooms with toilets and a shower. Hot and cold water is available at the pantry. There is a microwave oven to heat packed food.

(A late sunset in Siberia)

(Rice and dendeng nyet berapi for dinner)

👈👈Day 06: Irkutsk, Lake Baikal, Russia

Day 08: Irkutsk to Yekaterinburg, Russia🚂👉👉