INVIERNO EN LA ISLA DE OLKJON/ ON OLKHON AT WINTERTIME

Por fin tras mes y medio de busqueda, haber pagado tres dias de albergue y haber pasado una noche en la oficina, tenia un sitio donde vivir… Y esto ademas de significar tranquilidad para cuerpo y alma, tambien significaba que por fin me podia ir a la isla de Olhjon (Foto1- de camino a Olhjon).

El tiempo disponible fue una semana. Y gracias a Bidana, una chica que trabaja en la asociacion, solo iba a tener que pagar 4 de las 6 noches, las otras 2 las pagaria realizando labores de voluntario. Y es que el complejo turistico “Nikita” situado en Juzhir, la “capital”de la isla, no es un lugar tradicional, es digamos lo mas parecido a una comuna economicamente sostenible. Y es que si se esta dispuesto a realizar pequenas tareas en beneficio de la “comunidad” (Limpiar, repartir madera para las chimeneas, hacer clases de… lo que a cada uno se le de bien…idiomas, gymnasia, cocina…) y una vez que hay un poco de confianza, es posible pasar periodos de descanso sin cargo en cuanto a lo que se refiere a alojamiento y comida.

La isla se encuentra a unos 300 km de Irkutsk, que teniendo en cuaenta lo lamentable de las carreteras se tarda 5 horas en llegar. Para hacerse con un puesto en la marshrutka hay que reservarlo con antelacion.
El lugar de quedada era el Mercado central, pero el sitio concreto no estaba muy claro, ademas de camino al centro hubo un tremendo atasco, por lo que iba mas bien justo de tiempo. Y cuando por fin llego solo veia gente y marshrutkas por todas partes. De repente un chaval me vocea algo, y cuando le preste un poco de atencion resulta que me preguntaba si era Gaspar el espanol, que si iba a la isla…Yo no me lo podia creer, que tengo cara de espanol esta claro, pero que sea tan evidente debajo de tanta ropa, y entre tanta gente…

El viaje en marshrutka(Foto2), a pesar de lo lo incomodo, largo y peligroso (Carreteras malas, adelantamientos por el medio de la carrereta, y malos conductores…) se torno muy interesante. Sentadas a mi lado dos chicas jovenes, que resultaron ser periodistas, que poco a poco se abrieron al dialogo, tras intercambio de vanalidades (Quien eres, de donde vienes, a donde vas…), descubri que iban a la isla a escribir un articulo del medio ambiente en Olhon y tambien una resena acerca de Nikita.
Y tambien un frances, Etien, que al principio me parecio un tipo muy raro y por desgracia, pense yo, tambien iba a estar alojado en Nikitas. Pero todo o casi todo tiene una razon, y es que Etien era discapacitado, no tenia apenas movilidad en las piernas. Eso no explica sus rarezas pero si que tenia una enfermedad degenerative desde que era un rapaz, y que se paso su infancia un ano en la escuela, un ano en el hospital… Sin embargo eso no le habia impedido sacarse una carrera y pedalear 7 meses por sudamerica, sin hablar de que se encontraba en medio de Siberia en una de las semanas mas frias del ano, con sus muletas y la mochila a la espalda, se me ponen los pelos de punta solo de pensarlo, hay gente que tiene una fuerza sobrenatural.

Los primeros dias en la isla los pase de caminatas a lo largo de la isla (Foto 3) y sobre el lago (Ya que por supuesto a estas Alturas del ano todo el lago Baikal esta completamente comgelado, y no solo se puede andar sobre el, sino que hay incluso “carreteras” invernales). Resulto ser una de las semanas mas frias del ano, y ademas el viento soplaba con fuerza, y se hacia sentir sobre todo en lo alto de las montanas y sobre el lago ya que no hay proteccion contra el y ademas levanta la nieve que se acumula en su superficie. En algunos momentos del dia me vinieron a la cabeza imagines de documentales sobre viajes a la Antartida, ya que lo unico que se disponia ante mi era hielo(Foto4), mas hielo, y nieve levantada por el viento, sin ser menos impresionante el que se me congelaron la barba y las pestanas y que los parpados se me quedaban pegados al pestanear (Foto5). Si las caminatas eran un verdero placer, el te a la vuelta junto a la estufa no era para menos.
Ademas el “equipo de voluntarios”resulto ser muy amigable, y cuando disponian de tiempo tomabamos te en medio de divertidas conversaciones sobre topicos hispano-rusos, vimos alguna pelicula de la epoca sovietica…

En medio de esta dinamica, un dia Natasha, una de las voluntarias me comento ‘Acaba de llegar un portugues, seguro que os entendeis…”.Tiago, que asi se llamaba el portugues, pretendia llegar desde Porto a Beijing para los juegos olimpicos conduciendo un citroen 2cv del ano de la polca, y no solo eso sino tambien regresar de la misma manera. Evidentemente lo de los juegos olimpicos ya se le pasaron, pero es que se le rompio una pieza a la altura de Yekaterimburgo que le mantuvo parado 5 meses esperando que llegase desde Inglaterra. Sin embargo es un tio decidido y queria llegar al final...o casi, solo hasta Vladivostok, porque resulta que para entrar en China con el coche hay que preparar colecion de solicitudes acompanadas como no de respeto (Como llaman por tierras asiaticas a los sobornos puros y duros), y despues de 9 meses de pelea continua el pobre Tiago ya tenia la moral minada de historias.

Ese fue el punto de inflexion del viaje, como habia predicho Natasha nos entendimos muy bien, dos jovenes del sur que llevabamos ya un tiempo viviendo por las gelidas tierras Rusas. Nos pasamos dias de aventuras en aventuras, nunca un 2cv habia sido tan parecido a un hummer, no habia limites, condujimos el coche donde locales no se atrevian a meter sus todoterrenos por miedo a quedarse atrapados por la nieve...Y no es que no pasase, es mas nos quedabamos atrapados frecuentemente, pero nada que no pudiera arreglarse rememorando viejos tiempos de jugador de rugby, emburriando. O en el peor de los casos haciendo camino entre la nieve a mano.
Un dia en nuestro afan de llegar al final de la isla por tierra, nos quedamos atrapados en la nieve, y no es que no fueramos a salir, sino que gracias a ello unos locales que nos habian visto desde la lejania cogieron su coche y una vez nos alcanzaron nos dieron la noticia de que un poco mas adelante habia un metro de nieve. Y todavia no repuestos del sock de ver a un espanol, un portugues y un suizo (Noe que nos acompanaba este dia) en un 2cv en una isla en medio del lago Baikal, nos condujeron hasta la entrada al lago, sobre el cual en invierno es posible conducir. El dia era soleado, ni una nube en el cielo asique nos decidimos a descapotar el cirilo, claro que la temperatura era ‘fresca’, unos menos 30 grados...Nunca un viaje en descapotable habia sido tan divertido.Los rusos no cabian en su asombro, asique nos invitaron a la vuelta a pasarnos por su casa.















El conducir por el lago congelado es una experiencia asombrosa y mas teniendo en cuenta lo bonito de la isla y el dia tan impresionante que hacia. Alcanzamos la punta de la isla, donde se encuentran acantilados de 80 metro de altura, cuando el sol ya estaba bajo por lo que ante nosotros se produjo un autentico espectaculo natural de colores entre azulados, blancos y anaranjados sobre el hielo y en semejante entorno.















A la vuelta por supuesto decidimos parar en casa de nuestros nuevos amigos. Alli estaban ellos junto con unos amigos, todos ellos pescadores, y nada mas vernos empezaron a preparar el festin...Omul crudo solo aderezado con sal y pimienta, o omul crudo pero esta vez congelado acompanaban al ‘salo’ (Tocino) y todo ello regado con un poco del imprescindible vodka para ser una verdadera fiesta rusa.

Lo pasamos en grande comiendo, bebiendo y hablando como podiamos los unos con los otros. Hasta el punto que no nos habiamos dado cuenta que la noche habia caido hacia tiempo, por lo que encontrar el camino de vuelta no fue nada facil sin luces conduciendo entre hielo y nieve, pero no imposible.
No fue el ultimo dia que vimos a nuestros amigos, ya que no nos pudimos resistir a devolverles la invitacion al dia siguiente. Asique recordando vagamente deonde estaba la casa en medio de la nada, volvieron los hijos prodigos con botella de vodka y tentenpies debajo del brazo. Y es que si algo me han ensenado mis padres es que hay que ser agradecido en esta vida.

‘ОПАСНО!’ (Se lee “apasna”) palabra rusa que sirve para identificar una situacion de peligro. Puede ser la palabra que mas haya oido desde que estoy en Rusia, pero es que la utilizan para definir todo aquello que nunca han echo y puede o puede que no conllevar riesgo. Me imagino que sea derivado de los tiempos sovieticos cuando todo fuera de lo ‘normal’ era considerado prohibido. Por ejemplo llegado el fin de semana, nos apetecia hechar una cerveza con los locales, y cuando invitamos al resto de los voluntarios abrieron los ojos como si estuvieramos hablando de saltar de una avioneta sin paracaidas. Peligrosisimo! Dijeron al unisono, nosotros ya habituados al lexico ruso, si antes teniamos ganas de ir, despues de esto todavia mucho mas, sobre todo cuando acto seguido confirmaron que ninguno de ellos habia estado alli.Asique junto con dos australianos que acababan de llegar, pasamos una noche estrana porque evidentemente os podeis imaginar la discoteca, un cassete y cuatro luces de colores en medio de una habitacion en la que habia entre 15 y 20 persona, con los que dicho sea de paso congeniamos perfectamente...Por supuesto gracias al tema estrella, el futbol, del que por cierto no soy ningun experto, pero como soy espanol lo que digo va a misa y es tomado como realidad absoluta y unica.
Al fianl ninguno de nosotros tenia la cara como un pan, todos nos ibamos con lo nuestro en nuestro sitio, y con una historia mas que contar a nuestros nietos (Cuando esten creciditos eso si).
Cuando salimos del bar, veo que tengo como 10 llamadas perdidas de numeros extranos. A la manan siguiente ante unos sorprendidos voluntarios al ver que conservaba todos mis dientes, me explicaron que pensaban que no ibamos a ir a la discoteca y cuando se percataron que nos habiamos ido nos llamaban para que regresaramos, y al ver que no contestaba se habian imaginado lo peor pero no se habian atrevido a ir a ver si todo estaba bien.

Para reponernos de nuestras andanzas nada mejor que una buena bania por las noches. En la que como manda la tradicion rusa hay que salir a revolcarse por la nieve para bajar la temperatura corporal y regreasar dentro donde la temperatura ronda los 100 grados. Y si todo ello esta acompanado por una cervecita pues mejor que mejor...

Los ultimos dias de la estancia, tube que trabajar 2-3 horas diarias que seria el pago por mi alojamiento y comida. Entre ellas fregar los platos, limpiar la cocina,cortar lena, repartir la lena a las diferentes chimeneas... Pero el imperativo para los voluntarios era que teniamos que estar tranquilos y agusto. Gran patron el Nikita.

El fin a semejante semana no podia ser normal, y es que regresaria a Irkutsk en el coche junto con un amigo de Nikita. Mas rapido y gratis pense yo. Pues lo de gratis nanai, ya que pague lo mismo que en marshrutka ...al menos seria mas rapido pensareis. Pues si deberia de haber sido, sino fuera que el coche se estropeo y pasamos esperando 4 horitas en un bar de carretera a que lo arreglaran...Por lo menos practique algo de ruso...

-----------------ENGLISH VERSION----------------------------

At last after a month an a half searching, paying 3 nights in the dormitory, and spending a night sleeping in the office, i had a place to live... And this not only gave me tranquility but also enable me to go to the island of Olhon.

I had available for the trip a week. Thanks to Bidana, a girl who works in the association, I only had to pay only 4 of the 6 nights, the other 2 I was going to pay them with some volunteering work. And that is because this touristy complex called “Nikita” placed in Juzhir, the island’s capital, is not a traditional one, let say it is very close to a profitable community. If you are ready to carry out small task (Like doing the dishes, cleaning, chopping wood…) and after getting some confidence with Nikita, it is possible to spend some time resting off with accommodation and food for free.

The island is 300km from Irkutsk, but taking into account the awful roads it takes 5 hours to get there. In order to get a place at the marshrutka, it is needed to order it in advance by phoning the marshrutka’s company.

The place where I had to meet the marshrutka was the central market, but the exact place wasn’t that clear, furthermore when getting there I found a tremendous traffic jam, so I was tight in time. When I did finally arrive I just saw many marshrutkas and loads of people all over. Suddenly a guy shout me something, when I paid attention, I realize that he was asking if I was Gaspar from Spain, and if I was going to the island… I couldn’t believe it, it is evident that I have Spanish features but under all these clothes and among so many people…

The trip on board the marshrutka, though it was uncomfortable, long and dangerous (Bad roads, bad drivers and overtaking through the middle of the road…) turned to be very interesting. Siting right next to me two young girls who were journalist and eventually we got to have a conversation and after a basic conversation (Who are you? Where are you from? Where do you go?....) I got to know that they were going write and article about the ecology and a review about Nikita’s.

And also a French guy, Etien, in the beginning he seemed to me a strange guy and unfortunately he was going stay at Nikita’s also. But since almost everything in this life has a reason, later on I realized that he was a disable person, he hardly was able to move his legs. That doesn’t explain his peculiarities but as far as concerns to me it does the point that during his childhood he spent a year in the school and other in the hospital alternatively…However that didn’t prevent him to get university studies, ride a bicycle for 7 months along south America, and also this time he was alone in Siberia in one of the coldest weeks of the year with his crutches and the rucksack at his back. It is just amazing to check how people are able to get over barriers.

The first days on the island I was hiking all along the island as well as the lake (Since, of course, the lake at this period of the year is completely frozen. And not only is possible to walk over it, but also to drive). It turn out to be one of the coldest weeks of the year, and also the wind was blowing very strong, you could feel it on the top of the mountains or when over the lake due to there wasn’t any protection from it and also because it rose up the snow which ended up hitting my uncovered face. At some extend some images from documental in Antarctica came to my mind, the only thing in front of me was ice, more ice and the snow raised up by the wind. It wasn’t less amazing that my beard, eyelashes and even the eyelids when blinking. If hiking was a real pleasure, it wasn’t worse when being back home and drinking some tea right next to the chimney. Furthermore the other volunteers were very nice and when they had some free time we used to gather together and have long funny conversations about Spanish-russian topics or watching a sovietic times film.

One day Natasha, one of the volunteers, come to me and told me “A guy from Portugal just arrived, You will understand each other….”. His name was Tiago, and he was trying to drive a very old citroen 2cv from Porto to Beijing initially for the Olympic Games, and then get all the way back home. After having a problem which kept him stopped in Yekaterinburgh 5 months waiting for a part of the car to arrive from England, he had to give up getting his mayor aim. However, he was determined to get to the end of his adventure, or better said until almost the end since he got to know that getting with the car to China is not that easy as may be thought (You must apply for many licenses apart from paying frequently briberies) and after 9 months on the road he wasn’t up for it…so that his new aim was to arrive to Vladivostok.

That was the inflection point for the trip, as Natsha predicted we got along very well, two guys from southern Europe who had already living in cold Russia for some time already. We jump from adventure to adventure, never a 2cv was so hummer- like, it didnt have any limits, we drove the car through places were the locals with a all-terrain vehicule didnt dare to go being afraid of getting stuck with the snow... And of course this happened, many time actually, but nothing which couldnt be solved recalling old times playing rugby, pushing !. Or in the worse of the cases digging a way among the snow.

A day, we strongly wanted to get to the enf of the island driving along the island, and as hundreds of times before, we got stuck. Some locals saw as from far away traying to release the car, and knowing that some hundresd of meters later there was minimun a meter depth of snow and was completely impossible to pass through, they decided to come and warn us. They also told us that there was a way to get to the lake and driving on it was possible to get to the very tip of the island, and not only that, but still not recovered from the surprise of seing a guy from Portugal, a guy from Switzetland (Noe, who this day was with us) and other from Spain driving such a strange car for them, they drive us to the place. It was a very nice sunny day so that we decided to take of the car ‘s top, though the temperature was a bit fresh, around -30C...anyway it was worth, we had lots of fun. The russian guys had never see anything like that and invited us to call into their place on the way back.

Driving on the lake is a great experience and more taking into account how nice was the island and the amazing weather. When we reached the tip of the island, where stand cliffs 80 meters high, the sun was already quite low and we enjoy an authentic natural espectacle of colors bluish, whitish, orangish on the ice and sorrounded by a so beautiful environment.

On the way back we couldnt resist to stop at our new friends place. There they were with some other friends, all of them fishermen, and once they saw us they started to prepare a feast consisting of raw Omul only seasoned with perper and salt, frozen raw omul from the street and tradicional salo (fat) everything of course acompained with some russian vodka this in order to be a real russian party.

We all had a very nice time there, eating, drinking and communicating in one or other way each other. Up to the extend that we didnt realize that was already dark outside and it wasnt that easy to find the way home driving on ice and almost whithout lights, but it wasnt impossible.

Actually it was so good time that the day after we decided to return the invitation. So that scarcely remenbering where there place was, we got there bringing some vodka and snacks with us. If something I have learnt from my parents is to be grateful.

‘ОПАСНО!’ (It is read ‘Apasna’) is the russian word to identify a dangerous situation. And maybe the word i listened the most in Russia since i arrived, but I learnt that they use it to identify what the have never done and may be risky or may be not.I guess this costume comes from the sovietic times when everything out the normality was forbidden. For example, once the weekend had come, we felt like going for a laugh with the natives to a local we were told, and when we tried to invited the rest of the volunteers the open the eyes like we had proposed them to jump from a plane withouth parachute. Very dangerous !!! Shouted all at once, since we were already used to the russian language, if before we wanted to go, now even more, above all because right after they confirmed us that none of them had ever been there. Toguether with a couple of buddies from Australia he had just met at Nikita’s, we spent a strange but unhazardous night at the town ‘s club...A cassete and some lights placed in an emprty room where I counted aronf 20 people, and with whom we got along perfectly.... Of course thanks to football, Im not an expert at all but knowing the point that Im from Spain, whatever I say it is accepted like true.

At the end none of us had swollen face, we were perfectly fine and with another story to tell our grandchildren.

When leaving the club, I checked that i have 10 missed calls from diferent unknown telephone numbers. The following morning obviously surprised because we were keeping all our theeth, explained me that when they realizad that we finally decided to go to the local, they wanted to call us to ask us to go back home, and due to i didnt answer the phone they though that something bad had happend, but still they were afraid of going to check it out.

To recover from our adventures there was nothing better than a russian banya at night. It is tradition also to roll ever the snow to lower the corporal temperature form time to time. And if it is with a fresh beer even better.

The last days of my stay at Nikita’s I had to carry out some task during 2-3 hours a day for paying for my accomodation and food. Among them doing the dishes, clean up the kitchen, chop off wood, share the wood to the chimneys...But the most important thing for the volunteers was to be calm and relaxed. Great landlord this Nikita.

As well as the stay on the island the wat back home couldnt be normal, at the end i was going to go back to Irkutsk with a friend of Nikita. Faster and for free I thought. But it turn out not to be for free, I paid exactly the same like going in marshrutka, and not even faster because the car broke down and we had to wait for the mechanic to fix it 4 hours at a gas station...At least I practice a bit russian language...

Lago BAIKAL/ Lake BAIKAL

Una vez instalado en Irkutsk, mas o menos ubicado en la ciudad, me empezo la curiosidad de saber que hay en los alrededores. Sitios donde poder encontrar un rato de silencio, una buena caminata, naturaleza... Y por supuesto encontrandonos a 70 kilometros del lago Baikal, este se convirtio en mi objetivo prioritario.



No tarde mucho en alcanzarlo, ya que la formacion a la llegada que la organizacion de acogida, Baikal Environmental Wave, me tenia preparada junto a otra voluntaria estonia y nuestros respectivos "mentores" (Personas que tiran de la cadena en caso de problema) iba a tener lugar en Listvianka, la ciudad a orillas del Baikal mas cercana a Irkutsk, todo un fin de semana. No es la zona mas bonita pero nos brindo unas impresionantes panoramicas del lago, ademas del dia mas frio del ano para algunos y de mi vida, ni mas ni menos que -40C. (Foto1-derecha)

En la formacion a la llegada, nos lo pasamos muy bien, se ve que no es la primera vez que Natasha la presenta, y no se hace pesada en absoluto, y tiene los tiempos muy controlados. No podian haber elegido un mejor alojamiento, se trataba de un complejo turistico compuesto de cabanas de madera siberianas(Foto2-izquierda), que respetaba todas las normas del ecoturismo como no podia ser de otra manera, por lo cual le habian sido otorgado numerosos premios. En las cabanas la calefacion era una chimenea tradicional que utilizaba como combustible madera, la cual habia que salir a recoger de cuando en cuando a la calle. Aunque eso si el bano estaba en el interior de la habitacion, lo que no estan frecuente en este tipo de cabanas.


Ademas por si se nos podia presentar alguna queja, nos invitaron a un restaurante del pueblo donde nos dimos un banquete (En la foto3 de la derecha Natasha preparandose para el mismo) y pude probar uno de los famosos pescados del lago, el Omul (Foto4 de la izda), riquisimo, tanto que mas tarde no me podria resistir a comprarlo en el mercado del pueblo ahumado para cenar (Durante el verano preparan el pescado ahumado, para durante el invierno, mientras el lago esta congelado y no se puede faenar venderlo).


El Sabado como antes mencione, nuestro primer dia en Litsvianka, fue el dia mas frio del ano, se registraron los -40 grados. Pero era mi primera vez en el Baikal y no teniamos la intencion de quedarnos en la cabana, asique nos armamos no solo de ropa sino tambien de valor, y nos lanzamos al reconocimiento de la zona. El paisaje del pueblo era desolador, estaba absolutamente todo congelado (Foto5), senales, casas, coches, el puerto, los barcos... Despues de unos cuarenta minutos de paseo, empezaban los signos de congelacion entre los miembros de la expedicion, con lo que nos refugiamos en una cafeteria, donde Olga nos amenizo con unas cancioncilas tocadas con una guitarra que alguien le habia dejado.

Pero llego el temido momento de abandonar la cafeteria, se hacia tarde ya que Natasha habia contratado una banya (no habria podido tener una mejor idea este dia-foto6 de la izda)). El sol ya sa habia ido, y el viento soplaba... Ocurrieron cosas que en otras sitiaciones no tan frias me habian pasado como que los guantes se conjelaran completamente, no sentir lo pies, no sentir la cara (Las orejas y la nariz duelen mucho hasta que se congelan, luego no hay de que preocuparse)...pero nunca habia sentido congelarseme los ojos,cada vez que pestaneaba los parpados amagaban de pegarse con el globulo ocular.


Una vez de vuelta a la cabana, y tras todos y cada uno haber arrimado el culo a la chimenea, llego la hora de la Banya. Las chicas me echaron de la cabana mientras se cambiaban, y el dueno del complejo me invito junto con su companero de trabajo, a un tentempie regado con un poco de vino armenio mientras intercambiabamos informacion de nuestros diferentes lugares de procedencia y como el habia acabado poniendo el presente negocio tras haber tenido que cerrar su fabrica de cigarrillos en San Petesburgo por la feroz competencia desde la caida del la URRS.

La banya, o al menos la que me toco experimentar, es mas o menos como una sauna escandinava, pero a diferencia de esta se lleva unas ramas llamadas Venikis, con las que los participantes se masajean el cuerpo unos a otros, a base de golpearse con ellas una vez reblandecidas por el agua. Es muy agradable.... en funcion de quien te fustigue, yo no tengo queja, de echo alli segiria si no fuera porque mis companeras se negaron.
Ademas cuando la temperatura del cuerpo es tan alta que no se puede aguantar mas dentro de la banya, ciertos medicos de cuyo nombre no me acuerdo acosenjan meterse en piscinas de agua frias para bajar la temperatura del cuerpo y volver a la sauna... En nuestro caso no habia piscina, el lago estaba a desmano pero la temperatura del aire de -40C y rodar por la nieve (Foto7 arriba a la derecha) sirvirvieron .

El domingo la temperatura ya se habia suavizado gracias a los vientos templados (-20C, estos siberianos tienen un raro concepto de lo que es templado) procedentes de Mongolia. Por lo que nos decidimos a ir al museo del lago que se situaba a unos dos kilometros del pueblo. Por el camino el resultado de las bajisimas temperaturas del dia anterior nos permitieron tomar increibles fotografias(Fotos 8 y9)



















De hecho fue mucho mas interesante el paseo hasta el museo, que lo que fue la visita propiamente. No es que el museo estuviera mal, pero es que el lago este dia fue un autentico espectaculo, los colores del cielo jugando con la nubes, las montanas al otro lado del lago, todo congelado... Y un paisano pescando con -20C tranquilamente (Fotos 10 y 11)



















Y el lago se comportaba mas bien como un pequeno mar y no precisamente en calma, las olas golpeaban con fuerza la orilla como se puede ver en las siguientes fotos (Pics 12 y 13)



















En el museo explican como el Lago Baikal es uno de los mas grandes del mundo con sus 680km de largo X sus 80 km de ancho en forma de platano, y el mas profundo del mundo ademas de contener el 20% del agua dulce no congelada del mundo, lo cual da una idea de su importancia y tambien de la importancia de su conservacion.
Se explica tambien la dinamica del lago y sus especies animales y vegetales y que no me voy a extender aqui porque no viene a cuento. Otra parte del museo consiste enun modesto acuario (Foto 14) donde podemos ver las especies piscicolas mas representativas del lago y en una pecera que en mi opinion dista en mucho de ser suficientemente grande podemos observar 2 focas Nerpa(Foto15), unica foca del mundo que vive en lago. Se caracterizan por ser mas pequenas que su equivalente marino, y por tener unos ojos negros grandes y muy penetrantes.
La ultima de las actividades propuestas en el museo consiste en una pelicula que resume el viaje de un submarino a traves de los casi 1650 metros de profundidad del lago. Para ello te meten en una habitacion en forma de submarino y una mujer que hace de conductora explica lo que se encuentra a diferentes profundidades, muy didactico.



Como fin de semana panoramico para abrir boca, no estuvo mal, pero lo que yo realmente queria era disfrutar activamente del lago, asique volvi los dos fines de semana siguiente:


- El primero de ellos, junto con Andreas(Foto16-a la derecha) una pequena ruta de unos 15-20 kilometros que transcurria entre montes y bosqes de coniferas (Foto 17 a la izda) cubiertos de nieve hasta llegar al Baikal a la altura del pueblo "Angalskoe", al sur-este del lago Baikal. Que luego bordeando el lago siguiendo los railes del tren (Foto 18-abajo a la izda) nos llevaria a Kultuk donde debiamos de coger el "elektrichiski" (Equivalente al tren de cercanias en Espana, para en todas las estaciones) de regreso a Irkutsk.
En el camino desde Angalskoe a Kultuk, nos encontramos este monumento sovietico en recuerdo de un naufragio acontecido y en el que un joven perdio la visa enlas frias aguas del lago (Foto 19-Abajo a la derecha)




















-El segundo, junto con Andreas de Alemania, Thomas de Eslovenia, Miriam de Estonia y hablando en ruso, menuda mezcla. La idea era parecida, atravesar los bosques y colinas que nos separaban del lago Baikal, pero esta vez desde mas lejos. La ruta la dividimos en dos dias, el primero consistiria en unos 25-30 km hasta Angalskoe donde hariamos noche en el albergue. Y el segundo dia, cubrir la distancia de unos 25 km que nos separaba de Sliudanka.


El primer dia fue complejo, ya que el camino no estaba marcado en primer lugar y tenia unos 50 cm de nieve que habia caido recientemente con lo que caminar se hacia muy pesado en sugundo lugar(Fotos 20 y 21).

Pero por fin alcanzamos el Lago Baikal (Fotos 22 ,23 y 24) a la altura del famoso Km 149 de la via del circunbaikal. Para alcanzar Angalskoe, nuestro destino para hacer noche, deberiamos de























seguir la via, trayecto en el que nos encontrariamos cruzando tuneles (Fotos 25 y 26) en los cuales no se veia absolutamente nada y solo rozando la via con los pies nos podiamos orientar, experiencia bastante divertida aunque ciertamente peligrosa si tenemos en cuenta que la via esta en funcionamiento aunque el trafico es muy escaso. Al fin tras algo mas de tres horas desde que por primera vez vimos el Baikal y ya hacia un rato con la luna brillando sobre nuestras cabezas llegamos a Angalskoe.


















El segundo dia, con la baja de Miriam a la que el dia anterior le habia castigado el largo y exigente camino que decidio volver en tren desde Angalskoe, fue mucho mas relajado tanto en la dureza del terreno como en su orientacion. Nos desplazariamos de norte a sur por la costa este del lago, pudiendo siguir en la mayoria de los casos con la vista la orilla del lago Baikal.

Nos levantamos temprano para ver el amanecer sobre el lago (Foto 27), y posteriormente nos metimos un desayuno de campeones en la "stalovaya" (comedor) del albergue.

La primera parte del trayecto, durante aproximadamente tres horas que separaban Angalskoe de Kultuk, el camino era comun al del fin de semana anterior.

Una vez en Kultuk hicimos un pequeno descanso en una tienda del pueblo, donde tambien conseguimos un te caliente. La segunda parte, correspondia a cubrir el camino entre Kultuk y Sliudanka, para lo cual no existe un camino marcado, con lo que nos vimos saltando vallas, cruzando rios helados, las vias del tren de izquierda a derecha y de derecha a izquierda...

Ya cerca de Sliudanka, y por fin al refugio del fuerte y helado viento que nos habia acompanado desde Kultuk, paramos para comer en un lagar precioso en el agua del lago Baikal cubria congelada la superficie de las rocas que se encontraban en la orilla, dando lugar a diversidad de formas(Foto29).
















La ciudad de Sliudanka, no ofrece encantos turisticos relevantes, en la mayoria de los casos solo constituye un punto importante de transporte. Sin embargo en mi opinion guarda el encanto de una ciudad rusa a la cual no se a cubierto de pintura para presentarla al mundo, en sus edificios sovieticos con pintura descascarillada y bolsas de pielmini colgando de las ventanas, casas de madera siberianas y a orillas del lago Baikal (Alli se pueden ver donde se prepara y almacena el pescado ahumado durante el verano)... que mas se puede pedir.
A la derecha la estacion del tren de Sliudanka,(Foto29) famosa por estar construida de piedra.

Desde alli regresamos a Irkutsk en Marshrutka, mas cara y peligrosa, ya que el siguiente tren que unia a Sludianka con Irkutsk llegaria tres horas mas tarde. Este viaje en marshrutka lo recordare toda mi vida, nos pasamos todo el camino adelantando a coches por el medio de la calzada al estilo ruso, frenazos, bandazos de un lado al otro al tomar las curvas con exceso de velocidad... Una verdadera aventura.

------- ENGLISH VERSION------------------------------

Once settled down Irkutsk, I started to feel curious of knowing what is possible to find around the city. Places where to find silence and peace for a while, a good hike, wild nature… And course, being located only 70 km away from the Lake Baikal, it became my first goal.

It didn’t take my too long to reach it, since the ‘ On arrival training’ that the organization, “Baikal Environmental Wave” had prepared for me and also for another volunteer from Estonia and our mentors (People who help us in case of problem) was going to take place at Litsvianka, the closest city at the bank of Baikal from Irkutsk, and a whole weekend. Is not the nicest part, but still offered us incredible panoramics apart from the coldest day of the year for people from Irkutsk and for me the coldest in my whole life, it was -40 degree (Fot-1))

The ‘On arrival training’ was very funny, and was also evident that it wasn’t the first time for Natasha to present it, it wasn’t boring at all, and she has everything really good organized. The accommodation wouldn’t have been better, it was a Siberian wooden houses complex (.Foto2-izquierda) which was an example of eco tourism, and they had got many prizes because of this. The heating system was a traditional chimney, and the combustible was wood, which was placed outside and was needed to pick up from time to time. But it is also true that the toilet was located inside which is not very frequent for these kind of cabins.

Furthermore to avoid any complaint, they invited us to a lunch at a restaurant downtown, where a feast was offered to us. (Pic-3 Natasha preparing herself for it) There I could taste on of the most famous fishes of the lake, the ‘Omul’(Pic4), very tasty, and I couldn’t avoid buy some more, smoked this time, at the town’s market later on. (During the summer people prepare smoked fish, in order to have fish enough during the winter when the lake is frozen).

This Saturday, as I have already said, it was the coldest day of the year in Litsvianka, as cold as -40 degrees. But it was my first time at Baikal and we weren’t up to stay at the cabin, so that after wearing our best clothes and plucking up courage, we recon the area. The sight downtown was devastating; everything was completely frozen (Pic-5), signs, houses, the docks, boats… After some 45 minutes walking, we started to feel frozen and decided to call into a coffee shop, where Olga, one of the mentors, played some Russian popular songs with a guitar who someone had given to her.

The moment we were afraid of had come, it was time to leave the coffee shop, it was starting to be late and Natasha had contracted a Banya for a certain time (This idea wouldn’t had been better for a day like this. Pic-6). The sun was gone and the wind was blowing… I had already been under very cold conditions when the gloves were completely frozen, I didn’t feel my feet, my face was not red but white after been red! (The nose and ears hurt only until be frozen, afterwards everything is fine, no more pain…)… But what I never had before was to feel my eyes frozen, every single time I tried to blink and my eyelids were getting stuck.

Back in the cabin, after warming up our asses by placing them close to the chimney, the banya time had come. The girls kicked my ass out the cabin while they were changing their clothes, but I was invited by the complex owner and his friend to drink a glass of Armenian wine and share their dinner. We very nicely chatted about own respective countries and how we had ended up there. He was a business man in Sant Petesburgh, he had his own cigarettes company, but after the Sovietic Union collapse there was too much competence and he decided to close the factory and build up this complex with the money he had left.

Banya, at least the one we had, was pretty much the same as the Scandinavian, the only difference I found was that in Banya a branch called Venikis may be used to massage each other by hitting each other with them (They are soften by placing them in warm water). In came up that is very nice…. Depending on who is massaging you, I have no complaint because I still would be there if my partners wouldn’t have refused.

Also when the body’s temperature is so high that you cant longer stay inside banya, there are certain so called doctors which name never came up, who advise to have a dip into cool water pools…This time the lake was too far , but the air temperature was -40C and rolling over the snow was a good alternative (Foto7,up to the right)

On Sunday the temperature change and became milder thanks to the mild winds coming from Mongolia, so that we decided to call into the Lake’s museum which was situated about 2 km from the town. On the way there, resulting from the low temperatures reached the day after, we could take unusual but amazing pictures (Foto8 y 9).

Actually the walk for getting to the museum was more interesting than the visit itself. The museum was ok, quite interesting but this day lake Baikal was an spectacle, the sky was colorful, the mountains on the other side of the lake plenty of snow, everything frozen all over… An a guy peacefully fishing when the temperature was about -20C. (Fotos 10 y 11)

Apart from that the lake’s behavior was like a rough sea, the waves were hitting one time and another the bank of Baikal (Pics 12 y 13)


In the museum there were some explanations about how lake Baikal is one of the biggest of the world with it’s 680km wide and it’s 80 km wide banana like, as well as the deepest in the world, which gives an idea about how important it is as well as it’s conservation.

The complex lake dynamic it is also explained, the flora and fauna, but I wont spent more time on it.

Other part of the museum consisted of a humble aquarium (Foto 14)where we can see the fish species that we can find in the lake and also another aquarium (Not big enough at all, under my point of view) where a couple of Nerpas (Foto 15) may be seen, which is the only seal in the world which lives in a lake. It is clearly smaller than the equivalent founded in the oceans and they have big rounded penetrating black eyes.

And the last activity proposed it is a film, inside a room submarine like, which resumes the submarine trip down the 1650meters of the lake. There is a person telling whats going on at each depth, it is very didactic.

As panoramic weekend it wasn’t bad at all, but what I really wanted was to enjoy the lake by walking, so that I went back the next two weekends:

- The first of them was with Andreas (Foto16-to the right), it was a not very long itinerary , about 15-20 km, crossing hills and forest covered by snow until reaching lake Baikal at "Angalskoe", to the south-east of Baikal. And afterwards it continued following the railways along the bank of the lake (Foto18-down to the left) to Kultuk, where we had to take the “elektrichiki” (It is a train stopping at every single stop on the way) back to Irkutsk.

On the way from Angalskoe to Kultuk, we found an old, sovietic monument in memory of a shipwreck, in which a youngster lost his life (Foto 19-down to the right)

-The second one, was with Andreas from Germany, Thomas from Slovenia, Mirjam from Estonia and all speaking in Russian, what a mix!. The idea was similar to the first excursion, to cross hills and forest that were separating us from Baikal, but this time from further. We divided the itinerary in two days. The first one was 25-30 km long until Angasolkoe, where we stayed overnight in a hostel. The second day was about 25 km long until Sliudanka.
The first day was very hard due to the itinerary wasn’t properly marked and also because the snow accumulated, until the knee and recently, so that walking wasn’t that easy (Fotos 20-21).

But all together, at the end we reached the lake Baikal (Fotos 22, 23 y 24) by the famous km 149of the circumbaikal’s railway. In order to get to Angalskoe, our final destiny for this day, we had to follow the railway, which had several tunnels to cross (Fotos 25 y 26). Which came up not to be as easy as we expected, since there were pretty long and without light, so that the only way to know where we were was walking with one of the railways between our legs, it was quite funny but certainly dangerous if we take into account that the railway wasn’t abandoned though it is also true that the trains were sheldom. At the end, after a bit more than three hours since when for first time we saw the lake and when the moon was shinning over us, we arrived to Angasolakoe.

The second day, with Mirjam’s left (The first day was too hard for her, and she didn’t feel with the energy for a new day walking, and finally decided to go back by train to Irkustk from Angasolkoу) by far easier in terms of hardness as well as orientation than the previous day. We were moving from North to the South at the east coast of lake Baikal, being able most of the time to follow with our sight the lake’s shore.
This day we got up early in the morning willing of watching the sunrise from among the mountains (Foto27), and right after, completely frozen we come into the stalovaia (The dining room) in order to have a good breakfast and thus get the energy for another hiking day.

The first part of the walk, the way from Angasolkoe to Kultuk, for about three hours was already known since we had already done it the week before.

Once in Kultuk, after doing a short break at a shop down town where we got some warm tea. We started with the second part of our walk, which corresponded to get from Kultuk to Sliudanka. For this part didn’t exist any way, and we found ourselves jumping over fences, crossing frozen rivers, crossing the railway from the left to the right and from the right to the left….

Already close to Sliudanka, and finally sheltered from the strong and frozen wind which was blowing since we left Kultuk, we stopped in a wonderful place for a lunch break. Lake’s frozen water was covering the rocks at the shore, shaping in many different ways (Foto 29).

Sludianka itself, doesn’t have any touristic highlight, in most of the cases is just a relevant transport point. However, for me had the charm of a real Russian city, which wasn’t cover by paint to present it to the world. You can see it in its faded, old, sovietic building, from their windows there hanging huge bags plenty of pielmeni, wooden Siberian houses at the shore of Baikal (There can be seen, where the smoked fish is prepared in summer)… what else can we ask for.
Sliudanka’s railway station is known because it is build using stone (Foto 29).

From there we did our way back to Irkutsk by marsdrutka, more expensive and dangerous than the train, but our only possibility since the next train was three hours later. I will remember this trip in marshrutka all my life, we were all the way long overtaking cars in the Russian style (Using the line as a third road), hardly breaking, lurching when bending too fast…. A real adventure.