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We explored Irkutsk on foot. Very nice was the walking route "Green Line", which can be comfortably run in 2-4 hours. The green line is marked not only in the city map, but also on the sidewalks. In front of the numbered sights there is an information board with Russian/English/Chinese descriptions. We found the 130th district particularly beautiful, a pedestrian area with pretty historic buildings and many restaurants. Right at the front we received "Babr" the Siberian tiger beaver with a sled in the mouth, the heraldic animal of the city.

Silke

At 12:30 a.m. we went on a somewhat rickety bus to the ferry to Irkutsk. On the mainland side we were able to switch to a more comfortable model. About 18:15 we reached the bus station Irkutsk after 300 km! A taxi took us to our very nice accommodation!

Since there are two washing machines here, we use the evening as a washing day!

Silke

A picture says more than 1000 words!

Silke

The thread is out! It was surprisingly easy! A bit of back and forth, whether something is firmly seated, one side cut just above the skin with scissors, and pulled on the other side at the knot. We had already got iodine in Moscow. I'm glad that all this heals well and hardly hurts anymore. That would probably have been done by a shaman, or Reiner after the video course, or a nurse from the hospital ward (there is also an ambulance here!). But then I trusted myself!

We were in the city again and found many beautiful photo motifs. A harbour with colorfully painted shipwrecks, a pretty little church on a hill and quirky souvenir shops, e.B. in a yurt or with a bear at the door!

Silke

Today we did a lot of research here on Olchon thanks to the stormy rainy day with felt 3 degrees! During our short walk to Lake Baikal we had to circumnavigate many puddles. There are no paved roads or footpaths here yet! The photo shows the main street of Khuzhir.

Silke

We had set the alarm clock at 05:15 o'clock and were at the shaman rock before sunrise. It is a double-part rock of limestone and mamor, which is considered a sacred site of the Buryats.It is only 1 km from the centre of Khuzhir and the early getting up was definitely worth it.Magnificent view, great colors, mystical mood.

After breakfast we spontaneously decided to take a walk to Cape Kharantsi (Mys Kharalday) 9.5 km away! It was a very nice hike, along the beach and through the forest, with wonderful views!

Silke

Today we started directly from the train towards Olchon! The island on Lake Baikal is about 300 km from Irkutsk and can be reached by minibus. Right in front of the passenger station we were pressured by several taxi drivers to drive with them. The trip to Khuzhir would have cost 25,000 rubles. Luckily we found another taxi driver who drove us for 400 rubles to the bus station 5 km away. From there, the trip cost 2,500 rubles for 2 people and 2 bags!

The departure was at 13:00. Fast is not an expression of the driving style, only flying would have been nicer! The highway to the ferry is well developed but one was still quite shaken. Since there are hardly fenced meadows and pastures, cows and horses often ran around on the road, so that the driver had to brake!

The car ferry then takes us in calm water at about 17:30 o'clock. Unfortunately, the driving style probably did not do the engine any good. Reiner, the driver and a few more men have been diagnosed with a defective cylinder head seal. While we were waiting for a replacement bus, we had a nice sunset. The replacement bus drove us directly to the hotel. Arrival about 7:30 p.m.

On the bus we met Jonas, a student from Heidelberg. He spontaneously changed his travel plans and started directly from the ferry pier to the trekking tour to Khuzhir.

Silke

Although we had to wait for our train in the middle of the night in Novosibirsk, we felt safe! The station is clean and every entrance is checked. A drunken man was escorted out of the waiting room by security staff. In Moscow and Ekaterinburg, the luggage was pushed through an X-ray lock to get into the interior and the tracks. However, bottles or liquids may be taken in and with you on the train.

Security is always present in the small stations. Not all doors are opened, no one is left on the train without a ticket!Regained the lead at Carcassonne tonight – 100 points wiese! We play the online version on the IPad!

Silke