by Sezgin | Sep 30, 2015 | SeedsonWheels |
We travel towards Russia again in the end of August. After 100 kilometers north of Ulanbataar, the sky becomes grey and sunshine is too weak to warm. We thought that it was because of air pollution until we reached Khyagt when we passed the border, where we learnt that the reason was the forest fire around Lake Baikal. We are in Buriatia. Buriats, relatives of Mongolian people, constitute the majority of the population and major religions are Shamanism and Buddhism. Our aim is to reach Ulan Ude, 200 km far, but no one takes us while hitchhiking and we camp near a river. We couldn’t see the sun all day, but at night we sleep under shining full moon. When we reach Ulan Ude after spending our previous night camping near the border city Kyagt, again we encounter with the view of a Siberain city, reminding Soviet Union. Ulan Ude is a city with the biggest Lenin head on earth. One floor wooden Russian houses next to huge Soviet architecture, plenty of hammers and sickles on streets, a Victory Monument dedicated to World War II with a huge tank and more Lenin… At noon we just rest while listening to classical music with fountain view in Theatre Square and walk on the streets. Probably there is more to see, but 3 days pass while resting after Mongolia in the house of Thomas, who hosted us via Couchsurfing. Finally we reach Lake Baikal, which we couldn’t see in our previous visit. We get off from the minibus (mashrutka) one stop before Babushkin and camp in a forested area near Manturika...
by Sezgin | Aug 9, 2015 | SeedsonWheels |
Before we started travelling, we researched about South Asian countries a lot; but we didn’t think that someday we will go to Russia. We hastily write how to read Cyril letters on a paper; we can read almost everything even we can’t understand what it is. Irina, with whom we met on the plane, takes place in our story as a young Russian woman graduated from a university in Shanghai, visiting her family in summer holiday. As a fluent English speaker, she gives important tips to us about Lake Baikal during the flight. By chance, we learn that her house is close to the house of the couple who will host us via Couchsurfing. When the plane lands on the airport of the city dominated by Brezhnev blocks, we leave her to wait for a wheelchair as we got used to in South Korea. After everybody gets off, at the end of our long waiting we understand that staff of the airport has a totally different idea! Without using even the stairs of the plane, we get on a truck from the emergency exit and get off on the other side of the road which would take less than a minute by walking. It wasn’t necessary, really, but we can not explain it to the staff. When we get off, waiting for a wheelchair, we find ourselves queuing with crutches in a building looks like a train station of a small city. “What is all about?” We ask for help from a passenger to carry the bags and pass the passport check. According to the paper given to us,...
