Listvyanka and Lake Baikal

After arriving in Irkutsk, I was not sure how long I would stay. I knew I wanted to see the lake and thought I'd probably do it in a day trip and then continue on my way towards Moscow. However, these plans changed even before they had really been made.

At the Baikaler hostel which was recommended by a fellow traveler in Ulaan Baatar, I met up with Jasmin (Switzerland/ New Zealand) Paul (Switzerland) and Ben (Australia). We were all traveling solo and decided to hook up to take an overnight trip down to Lake Baikal. Another Australian couple staying at the hostel recommended a place in Listvianka. Listvianka is a small town on Lake Baikal and about an hour drive from Irkutsk. It is a really cute, quaint little fishing village.



They had found the place by accident when the guesthouse recommended by our hostel in Irkutsk was full. What a perfect find.

We ended up staying in a small log cabin house owned by a lade in the village. It had three bedrooms with a fireplace/stove in the center that heated the entire house. Here it is:

our cute little cabin

The day we arrived, we spent the day walking along the frozen shore of the lake. It was a really interesting mix of people that led to good conversation, much laughter and tons of fun!

the frozen lake

standing on a lake is cool!

Ben likes to jump into pictures

Don't jump Ben!

trying (but failing) to break through the ice

At lunchtime we went to the local market and bought both steamed and dried fish (yum!) as well as some souvenirs.

Fish for sale

anyone want a babushka

After lunch we headed up to the lookout point. Since it was Sunday there were hundreds of people (mostly Russians from "town") who had come to the lake for the weekend. We lucked out and stumbled upon a Russian man with a great talent for guitar playing and Russian folk songs. I sat entranced for about an hour and we continued to pay him to play. What an incredible voice!

my musical heart-throb of the day

That evening we'd arranged with the lady who owned the cabin for a sauna and home cooked dinner. We'd asked if she'd let us pay her to cook us a Russian dinner and she's suggested the sauna. We agreed to both and all parties came out of the deal happy.

Ben and Jasmin in the sauna

Dinner is served!

Paul, Jasmin, Emily and Ben at dinner in Babushka's house

(I just HAD to give her a hug for this wonderful meal!)

The rest of the evening we spent sitting around the central stove sipping wine and talking. The stove actually managed to heat the house for the entire night. How wonderful it is to snuggle deep into a bed! (And to be somewhere that has soft beds!)

The next morning we walked a bit more around the shore and then Paul and I headed off to the Lake Baikal museum. We didn't really have enough time, but what we did learn was quite interesting.