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In Fiddler on the Roof, Rectavia says to his daughter about Siberia, “You’re going to that frozen wasteland?!” “But Papa I want to go,” she answers. My pre-Siberia questions and answers were similar.
Lake Baikal sits in the middle of the vast expansse of Siberia, a mega-lake with more fresh water than all five of the U.S. great lakes combined; 20% of the world’s supply in all. Depths of up to 1,637 meters make it the world’s deepest lake. Occupying a tectonically active rift, it is also the world’s oldest lake (15 million years compared to Lake Superior’s 10,000), making it a laboratory for evolutionary scientists. There are 1,000 species of aquatic flora. One of the more bizarre species is the lake’s mysterious golomyanka (oil fish), which is transparent, has no scales, and gives birth to 3,000 living “fry,” then dies. As for a more powerful denizen, the brown bear prowls Baikal’s shores in spring while adorable nerpas seals cut through the 115 centimeter ice in the winter. The lake also boasts sacred rocks, shamanistic rituals, and waters with curative powers.
The native people of the Baikal region are Buryat, an Asiatic race resembling Mongolians. Irina Pantaeva’s rich descriptions of Buryat land and inhabitants in Siberian Dream initially piqued my interest in the region. “My people were nomads for millennia,” she writes, “and in time their blood compelled me across the world…” Settlers converged on Siberia in the 17th and 18th cenuries for the fur trade. The construction of the 9,228 kilometer Trans-Siberian railroad in 1890s and early 1900s–at an astronomical cost–brought a sharp rise in the population.
Around Lake Baikal the two main towns with bus access to the lake are Listvyank and Olkhon Island. Listvyanka, about an hour from Irkusk, is a dingy outback town with mildly pleasant views of the lake. Due to a lack of information in English and changing schedules, there is a lot of confustion about ferry rides from here to nearby destinations. If you have afew days, it’s better to skip Listvyanka in favor of Olkhon.
The bus ride of eight torturous hours to Olkhon would appeal to an existentialist because the mile-upon-mile view of rolling, barren hills is somewhere between forlorn and surreal. The ferry crossing provides views of rugged and foreboding cliffs with jagged rocks and the lake far below.
While the landscape approaching Olkhon is surreal, the town itself is something out of a Western movie, only dustier. There are numerous small shops with variations on beer, vodka and choocolate. The antidote to the unsettled feeling upon arrival is the ten-minute walk to the lake where there’s a sweet beach with great views of Shaman’s Rock–billed as one of the sacred rocks of Asia. On the other side of the hill is a longer beach for camping, and there’s a youth hostel at the bus terminus for just 100 rubles (350 yen). It’s hard to imagine entering the lake any time other than August, for even at peak heat it’s a bone-chiller.
Tourist season starts around mid-July and apparently ends abrutly around mid-August; during that time, travel reservations are essential as bus tickets can sell out for days in advance. Hitching is relatively common in Siberia, but keep in mind that drivers generally expect payment, and traffic to and from Olkhon is exceedingly sparse.
At any rate, travelers will want to track down the English-speaking Nikita, who runs Olkhon’s main B&B, arranges numerous excursions (some for three days to even more remote places), and rents out horses, bicycles, and motorbikes. Olkhon is not, however, the height of customer service: two Poles told of languishing on the beach for days, waiting for a promised overnight boat excursion that never happened.
The Northern Excursion by van leaves daily, at least in late August. If the ride to Olkhon was rough, the seven or eight hours of four-wheeling the grassy steppes from one dramatic precipice to the next is like busting a bronco. My Russsian tour-mates shamed me by casually walking to the gravelly edge, snapping photos and chatting–one step away from the edge–as I cowered several meters in the background. The tour included a lunch in the woods and a truly frigid dip in the northern waters of the lake.
Despite Rectavia’s condemnation of Siberias weather, most of August was nearly perfect; a dry heat on sunny days. One morning after the one storm, however, was downright cold: even Russian babushkas donned winter hats. Still, it must be said, I came home tanned.
Travel Notes I approached Bailak from Novosibirsk in the west, after volunteer teaching for two weeks at the Cosmo Language School. The school and dorms are located outside of Novosibirsk; a truly Soviet city built up after the communist revolution, near the River Obe. Students will sing, play-act, or dance with few inhibitions and teachers are treated to a weekly sauna and outings in the city. Learning some Russian is important for those with travel plans, as I personally can attest to after opting for the Obe of lessons for two weeks running, leaving me dependent on English speakers or translators.
An overnight train ride eastward from Novosibirsk brings one to Krasnoyarsk, where a nearby national park has fascinating rocks perfect for amateur climbers. Not using ropes is popular among Russians, some of whom seem truly immune from fear. An Italian fellow-traveler also raved about Krasnoyarsk’s discos.
Twenty hours further east by train is Irkusk, the city nearest Baikal. For those planning to take the Trans-Siberian all the way east to Vladivostok (about three days from Irkusk), reservations are necessary far in advance.
Vladivostok Air flies to Vladivostok twice weekly from Niigata, Osaka and Toyama. Prices vary greatly by season, but expect to pay approximately 140,000 yen from Osaka. Flights from Tokyo or Osaka to Moscow, although longer, may be cheaper. If interested in volunteer teaching or learning Russian at the Cosmo Language School in July, August or December, fly into Novosibirsk (contact Natasha at  cosmoschool at mail.ru for details). Contact Nikita regarding Lake Baikal travel plans at  nikita at olkhon.irkutsk.ru or visit www.irkutsk.org