2017/08/22

Day 24: Ulaan Ude - Lake Baikal - Irkutsk

I shared a room with Ondrej. The dinner was too much meat and it's hard to digest. But nevertheless the night was quite good. But all three of us don't like to have breakfast. 

We're riding into the direction of Lake Baikal. It's getting somehow mountainous and curvy. We ride separately. In take a short detour to a monastery. From a young man there I am greeted with "Putin" + thumbs up and "Merkel" - thumbs down. Well ... I walk around in the monastery a bit and take some pictures. 

Lake Baikal is not developed for touristic purposes as we know it from lakes in western countries. But at some places you can reach the lake shore. The weather is rather cool (12 degrees) and windy, on the lake there are real waves, almost like in the Baltic Sea. At Lake Baikal we meet all three together again. 

I have heard that Lake Baikal is the world's largest freshwater reserve, which is also due to the fact that it is enormously deep, up to 1,600 m.

The wind calms down in the afternoon, and the lake in the west is more protected and I find a cozy spot at a river mouth to do my work.

The first hotel I'm heading to is too expensive (40 euros). The hotel Modul, in which I take the last room, is located on the outskirts of the city, which does not bother me, since I will no make any sightseeing. It's new, nicely furnished, good bed, hot water, the toilet is really flushin - everything is fine and it costs only about 25 euros.

Tonight I decide, I will not longer communicate directly with the manufacturer of the shock absorber (Wilbers), it makes no sense. Thomas of Twowheels tells me that after my return, we will find a solution. Therefore I don't want to think about this problem anymore.

Again it is late and I still have to find something to eat and also have to buy something for breakfast because breakfast is not included.

Unfortunately, I don't find a suitable restaurant in the area, and therefore I decide to go shopping in the supermarket.

At about 11 pm I return from the supermarket to the hotel and just that moment a taxi arrives there with - really - Wolfgang sitting inside. He had prepared his motorcycle for the railway transport with Ondreij (in crates) and tried to get a more comfortable room in my hotel, in order not to sleep at the cheap multi-bed hostel room Ondreij has choosen. Larissa, the wonderful receptionist, takes care of him and searches a hotel for him, because the Modul is occupied.

Back in the room I still record my audio diary of the day.

[Note from Brigitte: It was now a bit painful to listen to drinking, swallowing, smacking, pauses, plastic bags beeing crushed]