Happy summer solstice to you! We spent it by completing a (for us) record train journey, taking 39 hours from Barnaul to Irkutsk, the nearest city to Lake Baikal. It was a fun trip as for budgetary reasons we travelled 'platzkartny', where instead of being in a 2- or 4-berth compartment the whole carriage is open with around 50 bunks. Sleeping was of course less easy but I found it good to be surrounded by the hubbub of everyday Russian life. The big highlight was when some of the journey wasn't just cruising through flat taiga - we actually climbed a hill and could see further than the pines and birches10 feet away! In fact we could see for miles as we were in the foothills of a central Siberian mountain range - a rare thing - and as it was approaching sunset the views were pretty magickal.
This morning we went to the Mongolian Consulate and applied for our visas - the process was painless and the staff efficient and helpful. I'm soooo looking forward to being in Mongolia, seeing the Naadam festival, and leaving cities behind in favour of wide open spaces. Mind you, it is not at all bad here in Irkutsk - the place seems very nice and we hope to springboard from here to Lake Baikal for a few days while the visa gets processed. There is an island in the lake, Olkhon Island, that looks pretty special, especially its famed shaman stones - maybe we'll get to stay there?
Day 7 without tobacco, feeling less murderous...