Climbing up Shaman Rocks, I discover I'm not the only guest. |
Many people have been here before--including this guy from 1973! |
One misstep, and I might join the shamanic spirits! |
But thankfully, no such fate awaits me. |
We drive on to the northern tip of the island toward the Cape Khoboy. |
Along the way, we pass some horseback riders (who I would later meet again). |
At sunset (around 11pm), we setup camp. |
We carve up some omul for our fish stew. |
The sun sets over Lake Baikal. |
The next morning, I don my jumper for the chilly weather and hike to Cape Khoboy. |
Upon arrival, I encounter shamanic rock piles. |
The sunsise is equally impressive across the vast lake. |
The totems are dressed in a hodge-podge of cloths. |
The sunrises at around 5:30... a mere 6 or so hours after sunset. |
Sasha gazes into the distance from the tremendous rock formations. |
Siberia is often dubbed the "climate kitchen." The mist starts pouring in from the Sun's warmth. |
And the chilly air begins to roll... |
...flooding the island with a mood reminicent of Apocalypse Now. |
The view of the lake from all across the island is completely eclipsed. |
Next, we begin to hike on the dramatic Three Sisters rock formations. |
Sasha hangs out by the rocks, covered with red colored mold. |
It's a long way down from the top into the icy Baikal! |
But this bird has nothing to worry about. |
Later that day, we make our way to this little village, which houses Olkhon's radio station. |
This Buryat local works at the station and researches weather patterns. Notice his distinctly Asian features. |
A typical village house made of wood. |
I hike to the top of the rock formation for this tremendous view. |
Later I bump into the horseback riders I saw the day before. This father-son duo is from Nizhny Novgorod and are on a two week "roughing it" journey through Lake Baikal and Kamchatka! He is a chemist, speaks perfect English, and has visited Dallas, TX. He did not see the Lenin Statue of Dallas while he was there (but I'm sure he's seen his fill of them). |
A local Buryat takes his wares via horsecart. |
On the beach, I find more rocks stacked atop each other. |
Dmitry washes the fish... |
...and we prepare yet another fish meal. |
This is the third day of eating nothing but fish! |
Yummy! |
Wandering around, I find this makeshift Russian banya! |
I go inside and get really hot, really quick, Russian style! |
Finally, the icy cold waters of Baikal come in handy for a freezing dip! |
Russian banya are the best way to relax. The combination of extreme temperatures force your body to tire, and really mellow you out. |
After the banya, we go to the store for more provisions. |
Guess what's on the menu??? Smoked fish! |