Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Climbing wall in Siberia

After coming short on the excursions on Olkhon, I was eager to trek along the Great Baikal Trail near Listavankya.  There was no ferry service yet, which would have taken us directly there; alas, we spent another six hours (plus) to Irkutsk with a transfer to the little port town of Listavankya on the southern shores of the Lake.

We booked the eco hostel, at the recommendation of Lonely Planet and affirmation from another American who had stayed there prior to our meeting her on Olkhon. The hostel boasts yoga on the sundeck and a climbing wall. Both were welcome extras for two sore people about to get on a train for Mongolia.

So the yoga sundeck was not quiet a yogi paradise and six holds in a space of a doorframe is not what I would call a climbing wall; but, the staff and guests were friendly and the lodging was clean.  A Norwegian guest had hiked earlier that day and harvested some onion-garlic like greenery that you can eat raw or put in salads. We shared beer, wine, and vodka that evening and toured the small lake side destination town the next day. Geared toward day tourists from Irkutsk we found most signs in Russia. We devoured some awesome street food at the market including meat filled pastry pockets cooked on the inside of a large vestibule that looked like an urn.  The spring fires from farm fields blocked our view. We had seen some of it the day before when we came in, luckily. The greenery and turquoiss water we welcome sights after the brown country side of Olkhon.

We took the state bus back to the Paris of Siberia and loaded up on more vodka and goods before catching the sunset as we walked to the train station for our Mongolian bound ride.

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