Northern Mongolia

No matter about changing everything again.

What was surprising for me was the welcoming in guesthouses in Ulan Bator. First of all, it is not about "guest house" but "guest flat". Soviet style apartment, same way of getting in the place: hard to find out and with lockers everywhere...

Then they are cramped with people. In a flat you get like 20 people. Almost Spanish and French! Or German also.

All being in Mongolia for short time, less than one month, often 15 days, heading to China on Transmongolian train. Eager to find the way to visit Mongolia in short time, best value and immediately from UB. So staff in guesthouse is speedy oriented. Within one or two days you are supposed to buy a tour....not really what I am there for.

So the feelings where not top first arriving. I had my Russian visa to be fixed and the Mongolian one to be extended. And I did it, but it last some days before completed. I used then "visiting" the place.

Unfortunately, it is not a must. All building are less than 60 years old except temple, witch have been refurbished after being unattended and closed during 30 or 40 years. 

Market is something also but I was expecting kind of bazaar I saw in Uzbekistan some years ago, nothing of that.

So I spent time looking for eating as main meals are mutton and rice or rice and mutton, up to you! Always boiled in a soup and then served with the rice. So mutton fat soup and mutton....or it can be bull as well.

They are not typically rich on vegetables except cabbage they eat it like in Russia, beetroots and potatoes. I found, close to buddhists temples, some vegetarian ones and I had meals there. That's all about Ulan Bator.

I started my trip, as usual. Visiting or trying to, on my own, the country side.

Starting was the more challenging as since more than 7 weeks, I was doing it with Tommy.  

And it was easy also when there are paved roads. All of them end in UB...meaning no way for concentric, there is the difficulty!

Out of UB, no english spoken, also people even friendly are not really smily, you have to go through that and through idiom..... It means also very few people, lots of cattle of hairy cows, horses, goats, sheep. And yurts, but not only. Right now, i am close to Altaï mountains, they are green with forests, it is a rainy area, lots of streams, lakes, everything for livestock. There is lot of wooden houses, not the ones I saw in Siberia. Those are for herders. Small, able to be useful on summer time, and winter also, as cattle is gathered localy.

I am enjoying Khövsgöl Nuur Lake, frozen as deep as 120 cm every year!  The place is named Toilogt; to go farer you need a pass as it close to Russian border. It is also a National Park. Enjoying late breakfast, 10 am, early dinner, quick dried pastas, Korean way. And i will ride a horse today and start again with watercolors. That is my goal today.

 

Irkutstk and its wooden houses.

Irkutstk and its wooden houses.

After overnight in the train, and rested with this guy he said perhaps 5 words in English that is all and zero in Russian, we were ready to meet our taxi-drivers....but without map support to get to the hostel. We knew it was close to train station!

One hour later we were still on the street with a young couple they gave us a ride to our final destination....wwwhow!

I did the walk back to train station to check where I did the mistake...too easy!

Well the place is small and friendly with almost young people and the weather is excellent. So, leaving my stuff there I went to stroll in the city, to see and to smell it as I like to do. We are on left side of Angara river, it is the one river draining  the Baïkal Lake. This one receive kind of 300 tributaries, main one comes from Mongolia, Selenga river, through a huge delta. Here also, on Angara is a huge dam to provide with electricity. It starts when Angara forms. There are 2 more big dams before Angara falls in Yeniseï river wich have less water but deeper. 

After strolling on the bridge , watching for lights, perspectives, station and Irkoutsk city i checked what to do on following days. As it is like the end of first part of my trip: i have to leave Russia to apply for new visa...

I think if having a longer new visa I will come back to Krasnoyarsk and visit some places I could not go for we had to be in main airport for Thomas to go back to Moscow, and it was interesting for him, I guess, to know Baïkal.

Fortunately, weather was every day getting warmer as deep as we were going to east! The trip we had to Olkhon island was amazing in the way I would not expect. 8 hours to get there by minibus, speedy ones, then ferry, then again same mini van crossing the chanel in the ferry, to go to the main "city" of Khuzhil.... No road, only dust and old minivans Soviet style, electricity but no running water, ( water comes from Baïkal) and is drinkable..kind of hippie community there, lots of turists from abroad and Russia as well. 

All the area is part of huge Natural Park Reserve as we met, at Irkutsk, Natalia's family's bets friends and Vladimir was involved in those National parks in Irkutsk oblast during his working life.

The island is mostly bare, sand, kind of rocky steppe area. Of course I saw only a ridiculous small part. It seems to be excellent for trails, and camping. I should like to do that there. It is amazingly quiet. The night was with no sign of noise at all! Deep silence!

I had a full day at beach, for myself, sunbathing, "swimming" on my way the Lake Baïkal.....unbelievable! I never think before I could do that in Siberia!

After heaven, hell again on the road, with flat tyre, long waiting to the ferry, incredible organization on schedules of any kind. There is organization, but it is not open to common human sense....

But we are on holiday, it does not really matter. We left guesthouse at 10, on time, to be there waiting for one of the ferries, during 4 hours..? And there is a schedule of minibus to leave the "city" of Khuzhil"....what for?

Anyway, we enjoyed it, sunset were great, the island was "readable" from sunrise to 9 and then it was kind of foggy because of fires in the north, and condensation also. I suppose winter is amazing there also. Tourism last to 3 months more or less and then the island recovers his life and his pace of life. Less of 1500 people leave there year round. It doubles on summer. Every bit of good is coming  there by ferry except water.

Return to Irkutsk is for management to cross the border to Mongolia, to get the train ticket to Ulan Ude and bus to Ulan Bator. We met Natalia again in the train station for a "dinnette" . She had 3 days there picking some leaves in urban parks in Irtkutsk at their family's friends and then to Ulan Ude where she organized my bus journey to Ulan Bator . She was heading to Chita then and back to Krasnoyarsk by a long train journey....

So as a  first sum-up, I can say the experience is worth: meeting with locals, even if those last weeks with Tommy were not in countryside, were great. We met exceptional friendly going people, like Natalia. She is highly and on a large span, knowledgeable on her country and highly friendly and, which is also very interesting, she is a beautiful lady on her thirties. 

Also, the country is wide, endless, and it is amazing to cross it all West to East or East to West, then North to South...endless. All is big....

Now about history, how to know better? I think I have to spend time on it on my own. The one witch is on landscape is kind of mute, I do not know enough and it is a pity. But it is also part of frustrations I can have while traveling. Also, I have to enjoy the life of the country's nowaday.

Krasnoyarsk and Natalia

Krasnoyarsk and Natalia

Arriving in Krasnoyarsk on morning, with beautiful weather, with a map and a booking in Hotel Sever (nord), going through quiet avenues. It was only 8.30 am. So good! We walked to hotel and it was easy.

The hotel was Soviet style. We knew that for the pictures in internet were authentic ones...marble at reception desk and stairs...that is all. Then came linoleum. But it was comfortable, well located on Lenina ul also, and hot water was available at the first floor for tea or coffee. We had a refrigerator and a TV soviet style also ( both).tommy loved it and we spent our total nights there. 

Natalia was in Krasnoyarsk and she wanted to be the perfect guide in her "home city". So, after Regional Museum she was outside with Tommy  waiting for me. I was the last one in the Museum... So complicate to get in and to buy a ticket: in spite of saying "Kacca" this direction, or follow the arrows we got tense for not knowing nor one saying where was the "Kacca" ( ticket booth).

Whatever, we got it and I went to the basement, the best for myself it was late and I had to visit quickly...

Going out, Natacha was there, and she gave us a ride to the ski resort witch so close, and we had a beautiful view over the mountains there and We went to her "secret place" she loves to go. Again, we were lucky enough to have a beautiful sunset on Yénisseï. Unfortunately, I had not my watercolors to do any painting but I enjoyed so much.

Natalia drove us to the little Chasovnya Chapel, the all city appeared to us from the short distance . Probably we started there, to the Chapel, and Natalia paid her Mum a prayer there, in this sweet cute chapel.Then, it was pretty late already and we all had long day, we went to have a dinner in a nice place. I suppose it was a classic restaurant, presentation was perfect, the meals excellent and in abundance also. We could not finish. Pictures depict how it was well done . So we talked longer with Natalia. She had little spare time to share with us for her husband was for 3 weeks on Yakoutsk, working. And she wanted to share that time with us, which was extremely nice of her and we did appreciate. We had local meal and it was all good and more.

Then, for Saturday we had some visits in downtown, meeting young people also, and still with good weather we strolled along to "Big Ben", Opera, listening some mantras at Indian  Dance Performance. New canteens in Krasnoyarsk...

I forget to say my suitcase decide to go her way, end of life, suddenly! After 2 years of traveling over continents and seas....so I arrived by Krasnoyarsk with lots of precautions to get to the hotel. But I need to change for a new one. First day was dedicated to that. We went to a mall, by bus, but nothing good to expect there. 

Natalia got the good idea, and I find out pretty soon what I need! So I am traveling with a new partner now so far. It gave me confidence for it is important to have THE good one. I think I have it, thanks to Natalia, a white one.

On sunday we experiment to go to the Krasnoyarsk's dam. 2d dam in Russia, on Yenisseï. P We where pretty lucky again as we were on right place at right moment to avoid big showers all along the day! After being in a boat for sight seing where we could not see anything as we where seated at the only blind windows ....the shower stopped for a beautiful sun, we where by a canyon, at Divnogorsk, a city that started for the dam's construction, on the seventies. There is nothing special to do, but it is a good spot as a week end trip or day trip, by boat. It is wild except dam and the plane for boats to be lifted up or down..there were no taxi to go to the dam, we had no food for picnic. We started with little picnic, seated on a bench above the Yénisseï. Then i thought we could ask the shop or someone to hire a taxi by phone, with my mobile.

We did it, and some other people came with us, Russians. At the end, we were picking mushrooms with them for a while along the river Yénisseï. The mushrooms were very sticky, they are famous here. Russians are number one for collecting berries and mushrooms, they love it as much as we do and probably more. It is a notional sport!

Then came a black sky, our pickers hired a taxi for us to go back to the bus station. As soon as we get in the bus, a tremendous shower! Sure our pickers got soaked! And we arrived back to Krasnoyarsk, I slep almost all the way back while Tommy was talking with a couple of nice Russians. They were friendly but I was exhausted of I do not know what! When we were close to leave the bus station she gave me her ring, she was so cute but I was still my sleep and I felt so sorry not to be able to notice and to thank her for that. 

It last long to get a dinner because the bus did not stop where we were supposed to go... And we started in a place and we changed for it was not at our pleasure....we came back at the one we had been before.

Following day we spent it with Natalia. The weather was threatening us, it was 11 am and we were thinking to go for Stolby Natural Reserve.... We started at the ski resort, and the lift Natalia thought to go with was under works. So we change plans and we did different

 and excellent also. We went to the Park, far in, so it was shorter distance to walk and we did a nice hike, endless hike for Tommy but he was happy to have done it! And we had breath taking views on endless taiga, and wonderful weather, mind blowing perspectives.

It is kind of a cherry on top of cake when arrived on top! 

We ended the journey in the super market to get some Russian goods for dinner at Natalia's. For first time I ate ferns, ( a salad prepared with cooked ferns and seasoned with some flavors I did not know, carrots also with specific seasoned sauce; we had local cakes, all goods. ( i tried to buy one made with little tiny berries mashed with little bone inside, all grounded well on my own: full mistake ! It was not the same cake!

Again, it was late when Natalia drove us back to the hotel! She was the only one working on our little group of 3....!

Everything comes to an end! We enjoyed being together, fully. We stay in touch. I probably will see her again when coming back to Russia, before Christmas! And I hope with good news from her Mum.

Novosibirsk and around (Tomsk)

Novosibirsk and around (Tomsk)

Comme toujours et partout, les taxis sont durs et cherchent à prendre l'avantage. Ils sont devant la gare, sans plaque, et hors la loi. Le mieux est de commander par tel. un taxi, qui rappelle pour donner les coordonnées de son vehicule, encore faut il avoir un téléphone. Hors cette voie, point de salut. L'hôtel est à 8 mn à pieds de la gare, et nous payons comme si c'était à 10 km... Ce n'est pas le montant à payer, il est ridicule, c'est la façon.

L'hôtel est un bon hôtel et les services sont bons et classiques, mais sans cuisine bien sûr. Cela nous donne l'occasion de fréquenter des " cantines" qui nous ont été recommandées. 

Novosibirsk est une grosse ville. Bruyante, en bordure de rivière aussi, l'Ob. Active, 3eme ville de Russie en population, superbe opéra, plus grand que le Bolchoï à Moscou. Lors de la 2eme guerre mondiale, beaucoup d'usines mais aussi nombreuses activités ont été "déménagées en Sibérie pour les protéger des allemands, y compris l'opéra national... Et il est resté très fameux à Novosibirsk en dépit de son retour à Moscou.

Il faisait beau, j'en ai profité pour arpenter le centre, mais c'était très bruyant, beaucoup de circulation, camions et autres. Très vite, nois sommes partis pour plus tranquille à Tomsk. 

Comme Tobolsk, en dehors des grands réseaux actuellement. Néanmoins, située sur un émissaire de l'Ob, la ville a été un commercial important à en juger par les belles et nombreuses maisons de bois. La ville existe depuis 400 ans, il ne reste rien du petit Kremlin qu'il a pu y avoir autrefois. Mais les maisons des riches marchands qui s'activaient là sont toujours là. Assez regroupées dans un quartier dit des Tatars, musulmans, commerçants, dynamiques.

La ville est organisée autour de la traditionnelle Ulitsa Lenina et s'achève au sud, je crois, par une magnifique statue qui lui est dédiée, dans le parc donnant en balcon sur la rivière. Malheureusement, 3 jours avant notre arrivée il y a eu un genre de tornade qui a fait pas mal de dégâts sur les arbres, surtout bouleaux et peupliers. 

1/5 de la population de Tomsk est étudiante, jeune et diplômée. Interressant pour le touriste qui comme moi ne parle pas l'anglais. Là, il fallait cibler jeune pour communiquer et avoir des infos. C'est ce qui nous est arrivé dans le parc ci dessus: une italienne des Pouilles, spécialiste en littérature russe des 19 et 20° s., à Tomsk depuis 6 ans, en voie d'achèvement de son PHD et enthousiaste pour rester en Russie. 

Comme nous arrivions en début de PM, je n'ai pas fait de résa d'hôtel, mais j'ai repéré un truc près de la gare. Errare humanum est....

Un genre de bouge non identifiable, mais des personnes qui nous ont conduit sur place et nous ont mis en position pour trouver mieux, sans parler anglais! Très serviables et aimables. En dépit de cet épisode décevant: nous avons perdu 2 heures à chercher pour finalement se retrouver à la case départ: la gare. Pour se détendre, nous n'étions pas chargés, nous avons cherché et trouvé le petit hostel recommandé par Lonely Planet et nous l'avons bien apprécié. Nous avions tout sous la main et cela permettait a Tommy de revenir dans ses quartiers dès qu'il voulait. Finalement, nous sommes restés là 2 jours peinards. En plus   Nous avons trouvé un resto italien avec de bonnes pizzas à pâte fine et croustillante et du risotto délicieux ! Que du bonheur!

Nous sommes retournés à Novosibirsk en bus, et depuis la gare de bus, avons pris le bus ( encore une épreuve)  pour rentrer à l'hôtel, nous changer et prendre une douche avant de prendre Tobolsk et Natalia, entrée en Sibériele train pour quelques 12 ou 14 h encore. Le trans-sibérien encore, oú nous avions la nourriture incluse sans le savoir. La nourriture à bord est assez simple: une poche par personne dans la cabine, avec une petite bouteille d'eau, une barre de céréales, un yaourt, un petit pain affreux, un sachet de thé, un nécessaire à dînette, un nécessaire à dents. Puis vient un plat chaud. Pour le petit dej., c'est réduit à du thé, parfois un porridge.

Le fait est que l'achat du ticket, si on arrive à ses fins, est à peu près ok pour moi. En revanche, déterminer le wagon, la qualité du service dans le wagon et autres, reste un mystère épais. Jamais je n'ai payé le prix annoncé sur internet ou au guichet, le montant prélevé a toujours été inférieur...?

Finalement, de Novo, je n'ai pas retenu grand chose en dehors de l'hôtel et de l'Opéra ainsi que mon premier contact avec les "cantines".

Tobolsk, Natalia: entrée en Siberie

Tobolsk a été le premier poste avancé russe en Sibérie, et a été la capitale de Sibérie jusqu'à ce que la route des "courriers postaux" soit créée plus au sud, l'écartant définitivement des grands réseaux de circulation. A ce titre, la ville a conservé le premier et unique kremlin de Sibérie.

Pour agraver sa position, lorsque la voie ferrée a été créée, à 16 km au sud, ça n'a pas arrangé sa situation. C'est une ville de qq 65000 habitants qui dort plus ou moins.les ressources sont rares, l'Irtysh draine la région, c'est un affluent de l'Ob et il est navigable jusqu'à Omsk.

L'interêt d'aller à Tobolsk était éventuellement de prendre un bateau qui nous aurait amenés à Omsk au sud ou bien au cercle polaire , à nouveau, en 7 jours de navigation..... Le second interêt était le kremlin et le premier contact avec la Sibérie. Le premier objectif n'a pas été atteint au motif que les bateaux sont rares, 3 par mois vers Omsk et 6 vers le Nord...mais la chance aidant pourquoi pas? Je me suis contentée du charmant Kremlin, de la ville étalée depuis les berges de l'Irtysh jusqu'à la gare. Mais surtout, j'ai rencontré Natalie, chercheur en entomologie pour l'université de Krasnoyarsk, l'Inra, et bien d'autres.

Nous avions acheté à la gare les billets en destination de Omsk, tout en sachant que l'étape serait plus longue vers Novosibirsk . Nous étions résignés à dormir à Omsk et partir le lendemain. J'avais besoin de reprendre mes esprits après cet effort...Voilà que Natalie nous aborde, me demande où nous allons et comment. Elle a un billet pour Novosibirsk qui part dans l'après midi à Tyumen et, à la même heure que nous, Tyumen / Novosibirsk, meilleur marché, plus tôt et distance parcourue plus longue en transsibérien..Temps total de voyage plus court.

Je n'ai pas encore récupéré mes esprits mais il vrai que 12 h de train en moins, ce n'est pas négligeable! Finalement nous sommes d'accord pour demander à changer nos billets et elle manage tout. Nous voyageons pratiquemenet avec elle et un couple de jeunes néerlandais! Super! 18 h de train, 24 h de voyage. Le temps passe plus vite ainsi. Les paysages sont semblables: forêt, prairies ondulées, rivières, à travers des vitres qui finissent par être sales vu les distances parcourues.

Je lis Dostoyevsky avec l' IPad. Mais, comme en voiture, cela me donne le mal de mer. Souvent dans le train, je rencontre des gens qui ont envie de parler avec des étrangers et de partager la nourriture qu'ils ont amenée...en général, beaucoup trop! Et parfois les gens sont volubiles. Je n'ai que de bons souvenirs. Parfois aussi, personne ne parle....cela m'est arrivé seulement une fois, pendant 18h! Ce monsieur connaissait bien "good morning" et je l'ai eu plusieurs fois..

Arrivés à Novosibirsk, Natalia nous a arrangé un taxi qui nous a amené à l'hôtel, direct.