Finally decided to go, this time the destination is Lake Baikal, the mysterious world of ice and snow. Do go out to Lake Baikal decision is very simple; a long time did not have their own out to play, and sister to discuss the travel destination. Planning to travel at the beginning, just because my sister wanted to go to the coveted snow country for more than a year, after all, every southerner has a faraway place, that is, the world of ice and snow.
In fact, at that time the heart is to go abroad to see, the snow township reserved the opinion. There is this thing in mind, when you go to work and colleagues chatting, she said she is preparing for the Spring Festival to Lake Baikal.
At that time, I didn't know "Lake Baikal" or "Lake Baikal", and I hadn't heard of Li Jian's song.
When I looked at a few photos online, I saw the blue ice, I saw the world of ice and snow, and it was great. So within a week swipe to buy a plane ticket and book a hotel for a visa, and then just listen to Li Jian's Baikal from time to time, rendering feelings.
The more you do the strategy, the more you feel that this place is very worthwhile.
Baikal Lake, now belonging to the fighting nation of Russia, is located in the south of East Siberia, in the territory of Irkutsk region, is the world's first deep lake, the largest freshwater lake in Eurasia.
It is also very easy to find her if you look for her on a map, located directly above China's rooster map.
She doesn't belong to Europe, she belongs to Asia; anciently known as the North Sea, it was once the main area of activity for northern Chinese tribes, and legend has it that Su Wu shepherded his sheep here during the Han Dynasty; by the Yuan Dynasty, the Chinese used to call it the Sea of Chrysanthemums; the Qing Dynasty controlled it for a short time, and after the Treaty of Nerchinsk, it assigned the area to the Russian Empire.
I've always believed that every landscape has a unique beauty at different times, and this first encounter with Lake Baikal is still ready to see her mysterious world of ice and snow at the end of January.
The mention of Siberia, can not help but tremble all over, because these four words often in the context of the Siberian cold stream. This time, finally came to this place called Siberia, the nearest city of Lake Baikal, Irkutsk.
The flight from Beijing Capital Airport to Irkutsk takes less than three hours. When we were about to land, after a night of traveling and taking a nap on the plane, we were so tired that we saw the small window framing the gorgeous sunrise view for us.
When we were about to land, with the anticipation of a new journey, we couldn't help but poke our heads out of the window to see the thousands of kilometers of snow outside the window, occasionally interspersed with small forests and cabins, which is exactly what we were expecting to see in the white blanket.
But this is a place that is more than just white, the sunrise on the plane, the Siberian Airlines S7 we flew on was a green fuselage, and the international airport was a fresh, natural blue, like a fairy tale castle, with snow-packed floors driven by buses of all colors.
Still, I couldn't help but run out to meet this brand new destination with excitement in between waiting for the bus. We first went to the little store next to the bus stop at the entrance to buy food, and yes, just like in the guide, most of the local residents don't speak English, so we employed the world's most powerful hand-waving to communicate. We chose a chicken sandwich and the saleswoman said something about the yellow chicken on top of her sister's head, and the customer next to us smiled and laughed and seemed to teach us the word for chicken. It was a wonderful start.
Then we played in the excitement, and also in the smell of soot at -20 degrees, and videoed with mom and dad.
Waiting until we got into the car, we realized that it was, after all, the home of the Siberian cold front, and that sitting in the car felt cold on the soles of our feet.
The car slowly drove out of Irkutsk, but also saw a red church in the snow, which should be one of the landmarks of Irkutsk, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan. I will recognize her immediately, I think because I read too much guide, and I can not reach the regret of this trip.
It is said that the tour of Lake Baikal, the summer routine is the small train around the lake, to the blue ice season, the small train has been discontinued, the conventional tour is on the largest island of Baikal Lake Orkhon, living in the largest village on the island inside the village of Huzhir; so-called day trips to the north line and the south line of day trips are also Huzhir village as a starting point to the island's northern or southern side of the departure.
Irkutsk to the village of Huzhir drive takes about seven or eight hours: the airport shuttle bus all the way out of the city, all the way through the mountains, snow plains, plains, the middle of a service area to eat after stopping, about 3:00 p.m. to the lakeside; because the ice is not particularly thick, so you need to take a hovercraft to the island, hovercraft skidding less than 10 minutes, and then met donkeys is to walk through
It is not a good idea to go to the island to change the air conditioning, and it's not a problem to go to the island to change the ice.
If, on the island for the hovercraft, is the first impression of Lake Baikal, the whole lake is frozen, ice sprinkled with a layer of snow sand, ice is below the deep lake blue, as WeChat circle of friends positioning, this is Water
Body (body of water); also with in the ice walking in and out of the surprise and delight.
And this day's day trip to the northern route is completely into this ice world.
The north line is one of the best excursion routes on the lake, along which you can visit the Human Face Mountain, the Three Brothers Mountain, the Love Stone, and the Cape Hopper. The above is from the guide, and if you ask me, there is no special feeling during the tour, which is what what has a story. Because the driver uncle also does not speak English, to the point just stop the car to let us go down, but also do not say when to gather, because the cold will let us get on the car by ourselves, even if the people are not cold, cell phone camera will also quickly run out of power.
This day's feeling if described in very concise language, is the eye in heaven, seeiing is Believing (SeeiingisBelieving).
Previously, when I saw such photos on the Internet, I would be amazed that such a place existed; but on this day, I was in such a place, and what I saw was like a mirage.
At first, I was afraid of falling off the lake, even though the car had been on the ice for some time before I walked on the lake.
One day of the northern route has been eyes in heaven, has been slightly shocked, the second day of the southern route at the beginning also saw the fine as a feather-like large immaculate wall of waves, the kind of surprise has been a little discounted. But Lake Baikal never let us down, this day, also in the wall of waves, we got off the bus to see a cute little fox scampering around on the depression, this little elf to us a group of people close to the slightly curious. And for a longer part of the day we were traveling on the lake, going to Mt. Fota and also to see the bubble ice.
Olikhon Island, where we were, in the north-central part of Lake Baikal, near the deepest part of the lake, has long been considered the center of shamanism in northern Russia, and is regarded as the holy of holies by the shamanistic Buryat people, and every time a rock, headland, or hill on the island has been given to a legend or a myth. This is why Olihon is also known as the "Mysterious Island" by the Russians. The most famous part of the island is the Shaman's Rock, where the gods of Lake Baikal are said to reside.
After the first day of the Northern Route, we returned to the B&B around 3:00 p.m., a little tired, after lying on the bed for almost an hour, but decided to get up and go to the Shaman Rock.
This was the first time we had been there, and as we walked along the road, every intersection in this quiet little village seemed to be a great photo spot.
It was a great day and the evening sun was surprisingly beautiful, turning the snowy village into a golden world.
It was sunset when we arrived at Shaman Rock having failed to walk as far as we could. It got darker and colder, and by the time we walked to Saman Pillar it already felt like the wind could blow people away, so we just took a few photos nearby and headed back, agreeing to come over early the next day to get on the rock early.
The next day after the end of the southern route, we set off early Saman Rock, the road also stopped at the island's most famous folk NIKITA Nikita Youth Hostel shopping, also huts, but the style is more diverse.
This day's sunset and evening sun did not have as colorful as the first day, but at that moment, the pink of the sun, the sky's green-blue, the lake's snow-white, is still reflected as such.
Almost four days and three nights living in the village of Huzhi, really like isolated from the world; in addition to the north line, the south line tour, we did not go out of the village, but seized every spare time, wandering around the village, the grove, graffiti pier, shaman's rock, the chapel, the Nikita Youth Hostel, schools, restaurants, supermarkets and so on.
The time on the island is like a long, long time ago
The school here, with hockey and slides, it's a time machine that brings me back to my childhood
Here's another fairy tale corner of the ice world, with cabins and fireplaces
This is what I cherish the most, and it's worth wandering around the ice world at least once in this lifetime.
Hereby, I attach my all the way sense of smell, all the way strategy, also wish you can be like me to break into this ice world.
The scenery is only part of the trip, and the memories are made up of the people you meet.
Just enter the island, the same car has a few tourists from Belgium, only to exchange a few pleasantries, where you come from, you live a few days. In the ice and snow bravely took off the heavy coat only wearing sweater two Korean women I regained a few words, asked from Korea? Finally, when leaving the island, met two German girls, at first looked at the costume looks have always thought that the locals, and later to break through the language barrier with the driver and the two of them also briefly chatted a few words.
Also in the restaurant on the way to the attractions to ask for directions, to explore their own strategy, along the way and a couple from Chengdu to talk more. Also in the process of carpooling met a few travelers, self-help has been to Turkey, etc., is also very envious.
As for the locals, because of the language barrier, the communication is very limited, but still can be felt from this limited contact.
Early in the morning in the village of Huzhi, strolling around will encounter combatants, tall or short, but are very strong, encountered us will smile and say "nihao"; early in the morning to go out to school the little boy saw the door of the home of ours, but also appeared to be very surprised and shy, it seems to be afraid of the dog, a good while and tailing! Our big dog hide and hide; into the school after school, a group of children are still playing hockey on the playground, see us past, there are two children also came over, and we took a picture of the excitement and constraints; the last day at noon we passed through the alley next to the school, encountered three or four fifteen or sixteen year old teenagers, very enthusiastic to talk to us, in the limited exchanges, we eventually found that they were asking us if there are no cigarettes.
The funniest thing was this Chinese bus driver who drove us out of Olh?o, a cool dude who looked like Pupkin.
Transferring to the hovercraft, we followed the little note given by the driver earlier to find one of the minibuses to board. After waiting for a long time, we used Google Translate to tell him that he proposed that we should be the ones to pull the passengers (guests coming down from the hovercraft) because we wanted to fill up early and leave early, and he said no, as if he had his own rules, so we waited for wave after wave. I was still a bit touched about that and apologized for my recklessness afterwards.
Soon, this driver's image of being tall and handsome was shattered by himself.
This guy asked the four of us for a fare of 800 rubles each. We gave him 3200, and he looked like he was going to break down, pointing to the number he had written on a piece of paper, "3600", and seeing that we still looked like we were going to argue with him, he took the pen again and wrote down two numbers on his hand, 800 and 4, and said something excitedly. Finally, when I was about to take out my cell phone and count to him, he reacted under the reminder of the uncle next to me, and then ___ drop told us to SLEEP, and then we interacted with each other later, we laughed, he said SLEEP, and pressed my shoulder.
Then it was not easy to drive for 15 minutes, he took a phone call and drove back to put a bunch of documents and set off again.
The island's best and only restaurant, the red soup is good; this time a go, I realized that Shanghai local dishes inside the borscht originated in Russia; yes, you see right, in the small island to eat vegetables are cold, simple models of salad.
Breakfast at the landlord's house is the same every day. The next day we asked for porridgeorfried
eggs, and when we were served porridge I was dumbfounded, how can that be porridge? Rice with milk and oil, sweet. At that moment I was incredibly glad that I only chose a so-called porridge.
It was a fish and rice, of course we prepared kimchi, I didn't realize that the kimchi we bought on the island was Korean Simla noodles.
This is the dumplings over there, flavored with an unknown vegetable, the area is close to the Northeast, but the size of the dumplings is not linked to the Northeast at all.
This is a day trip meal: the first day of the northern route is a rice ball wrapped in sausage, and a slice of bread, as well as black tea; the second day we blinked and blinked to see the other car drivers in the ice in a big way, thinking that we can also improve the meal, eat the legendary fish soup, the result is a potato sandwich sausage. At that moment, it was an internal meltdown.
I can always pick out the good in the bad, although it is not as good as our big China's N cuisine, I have to say that the red soup, sausage, milk over there is good, oh also missed a roasted chicken thighs, the other staple food, regardless of the bread crusty rice is a plastic taste, plastic taste please imagine the pain of a typical Chinese stomach.
This time, the trip is slightly tense, like to explore the road; if there is a chance to go there later, there must be another way to play, to make up for some of the regret.
For example, I only spent half a night in Irkutsk, and didn't do much shopping. If you can spend a few more days in the city, you can take a bus from the central station to the small town on Lake Baikal, Listvyanka, and experience dog sledding, museums and fishing villages on the lake in winter. The city's Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan is also just a glimpse out the car window in the drifting snow, and it's not certain that it's the prettiest Orthodox church in this Russian Far East city of Irkutsk.
If you go back next time and have enough time, you can still look forward to riding the legendary cross-border train, which takes a week to travel from Beijing, through Ulan Bator, to the shores of Lake Baikal, and then on to Moscow. There are also small trains around the lake, but of course none seem to go around the whole lake.
I'm in a state of mind where I want to go to places I've never been to, and if I have the opportunity to go back to places I've been to, I'm naturally ecstatic about it, because every time I do, it's different.
Self-help travel, in fact, on their own more demanding, need to do more tips. Here I share my tips.
Traveling abroad, mainly air alcohol visa. The first two times out of the country, one back to South Korea is a business trip, one back to Phuket, Thailand, the company departmental tourism, are the whole company booked a good plane alcohol visa, follow the walk on the line; this time I especially want to experience their own planning cross-border travel.
After learning about Lake Baikal, I probably looked at some other people's itineraries and compared airfares, and found that the price of a round trip of 2,100 was already very beautiful, and behind the beautiful price was a slightly tighter schedule, and just a limited number of vacations, so I booked a ticket.
The airfare is booked, and the approximate itinerary can be pieced together.
1/26 afternoon, high-speed rail from Shanghai to Beijing
1/27 at 5:00 a.m., take off from Beijing Capital Airport, about 8:40 a.m. to Irkutsk
1/27 at 10:30 a.m., on the van to Orkhon Island, in the middle of the highway service area to eat, after arriving at the surface of Lake Baikal to change to the hovercraft, and then change to the vintage car to the island, the afternoon will be nearly 5:00 p.m. to check in to the B&B, B&B dinner, and the night of the night of the night of the night of the night of the night of the night of the night of the night of the day. The night after dinner at the B&B, I went to the supermarket to buy some dry food, fruits and vegetables
1/28 morning stroll through the quiet village, went to the pier, 10:00 a.m. to start the day trip to the north line, 4:00 p.m. to come back to go to the shaman's rock to see the sunset, dinner at the B&B
1/29 morning to go to the chapel on the hillside, 10:00 a.m. to start the south line of the day trip, came back to go to the B&B first next to the grove and then went to the shaman's rock
1/30 morning wandering, mainly on the lake near the pier, noon in the village foraging, 1 pm left the village of Huzhir, and the island 10 people in a small car, hovercraft, 18 buses back up, about 7 pm to Irkutsk Marx Street, wandering for food
1/31 2:40 am boarded the plane to leave Irkutsk I arrived at Beijing Capital Airport at 6:00am. After the duty-free store blood shop, the airport bus process, went to the Forbidden City in Tiananmen Square, noon and good friends to meet shabu shabu hot pot, 7:00 p.m. sleeper train to leave, arrived in Shanghai early the next morning, go directly to the office to work
Beijing to Irkutsk, in addition to this class of the red-eye, there is also the HNA 09:55-12:55 flights, but if the formation of nervousness that day is going to go to Baikal Lake may be a little difficult. At the time of dinner on the island met a small friend took this flight, the day is very nervous to rent a car, I was told that the driver along the way is also the speed of the speed, hard to catch the ferry before dark, of course, the transportation fee will correspondingly charge more.
My own energy is good, S7 red-eye back and forth also feel okay, just stay up late waiting for the plane is a bit tired, after getting on the plane to sleep in the dark, to go to the next day in the cabin or back to the next day in the Beijing-Shanghai line on the sleeper are very satisfied with the sleep.
Well, behind the cheap airfare is the baggage allowance, fortunately, my sister and I only brought hiking bags, less than 40L, heavy ones are worn on the body.
January 26th afternoon, high-speed rail from Shanghai to Beijing, originally chose the G8, 7:00 Shanghai Hongqiao departure, arrived at Beijing South Railway Station at about 11:00, ready to eat a late-night snack rushed to the capital airport. But on the 25th, due to the fire near the Beijing-Shanghai high speed train, or due to the snowfall near Shanghai, there were many late or canceled flights on the 25th and 26th, so on the 25th, I quickly decided to change the booking to a high speed train at 4:00 pm. At that time is very panic, because the 25th of this class canceled, decisive improvement after the 26th morning found that the G8 has also been canceled. The final class of high-speed rail late more than 2 hours in the middle of the night more than 11:00 to arrive at Beijing South Railway Station, is still considered lucky.
Some people say that travel is complete because of this unexpected, but think, if you really can't catch the plane to go, I'm canceling the trip to play in Beijing for a few days, or buy a ticket of three and a half thousand to postpone a day to go over it. Either way, the moment was extremely stressful.
After seeing the sunrise and sunset in the northern part of the country on the plane, the plane just landed, and was very excited to get out of the cabin, all the way to think about it seems to be here is not cold, and rushed into the customs, which happened to be in the third of a queue. Irkutsk's international airport is on the small side, and customs is relatively small, with about six entry points. At this point, we were the only plane coming in, and the people coming off the plane were either tourists or locals returning home.
The front of our team is a few middle-aged tour groups from Jiangsu, this time in front of the row of two sisters, the first sister with a passport to the front, in a short time through, then the official out of the gate, toward the crowd said a Russian, and then all the back of the line of locals bustling all crowded into our row. Is it possible that this line has suddenly become exclusive to the locals? It's a bad feeling, and at this point I don't realize that even worse is yet to come.
My sister and I rushed to the next line where a lot of locals were squeezing through and waited to cross the border. It was my turn first, and I stood outside the glass window, looking up at the official sitting inside with a serious face. I brought him my passport turned up to the visa page and attached a copy of the hotel invitation. He expressionlessly put the copy of the invitation aside, his eyes went back and forth between the information page of my passport and my face, and suddenly made a gesture of getting his hat, which I did. I thought it was almost over when he suddenly said, WAIT, and menacingly asked me to step back to the back, but keep my passport. My sister was next and went through the same process as me. While we were waiting, we suddenly saw a small soldier who was summoned, very much like a Chinese, and eagerly went up to him to ask in Chinese why we were being detained. It turned out that he was actually a local, more nervous than we were, and could only say WAIT.
Just as I was worried that we might be kept waiting until we missed the bus that was coming to pick us up at 10am, I went to use the restroom, and within a few minutes of coming out we were released. It was probably a ****ty delay of 20 minutes or so before and after, and we really don't know as to why exactly we were held up.
Outbound travel, or this kind of that kind of messy experience, set aside buffer time will be better.
On the afternoon of the 29th, on the island of Olh?o on the way to take the southern route, listening to the carpooling partner said that on this small island, in the early hours of the 28th, a tourist facility fire, resulting in two deaths and five injuries, the dead are said to be two Chinese passport women. When I returned to the village on this day, I had internet access and received inquiries one after another from friends who had seen the news and expressed their concern. I didn't purposely send out a circle of friends to indicate that I was safe, because I felt that people would know I was safe by comparing the times, and I sent out several waves of photos on the evening of the 28th. Still, I'm thankful that my friends, concerned as they are, don't have time for that kind of rational reasoning.
Later, between the things to do more understanding, happened in the early hours of the first night of our arrival in Lake Baikal, is said to be a cabin short-circuit fire, the same village, but also such a tragedy, is very shocked, so that sleep at night, even the electric heating do not dare to turn on.
This matter has been afraid to talk to my parents. Before my mom expressed reluctance to let us two go to Russia, afraid of frostbite; I also said over there, it's okay, our heavy winter clothes have been prepared for all right, mom also sent a "consider the feelings of the parents, okay". Just like grandma often say to me, do not go to the United States, do not go where where, there will be a bombing a murder; perhaps a lot of enlightened parents in the child's long-distance travel will have such and such concerns, the ancients said "parents in, not far away," as a year-round outside the drift from time to time to pursue the faraway daughter of me, sometimes!
Russian visa does not require proof of income, proof of employment, etc., but the need for local hotels in Russia's invitation (not every night of the hotel, as long as a), and expressly to the original invitation. According to online tips, with a bit of luck the scanned copy will also pass, but there is still a risk.
So after buying the tickets we were looking at hotels, and generally Irkutsk hotels can provide invitations for free, and some may include cross-border postage. But our itinerary didn't really allow us to stay in the city, so we contacted the B&B, and the landlord there politely told us that we could EMAIL the invitations, but not mail them.
Back then, I also considered the GOTORUS website, which can do the invitations on behalf of us, for about 100 for one, and about 200+ (for two people) for normal postage.
Originally rushed to think of their own to handle, but also to go to the consulate to run up a posture, and finally or lazy, double eleven in a treasure to buy a package, a person 618 for a visa, so that when you think about it, than their own for more than 100 more than the expensive (to go to the embassy for the cost of an individual tourist visa, the ordinary visa once a visa- -5 working days is 320RMB), but also save a lot of trouble.
Afterward, my colleague went to apply for his own, said he took a copy of it, and it was very convenient to apply for it at the embassy, which took about 15 minutes.
Foreign accommodation booking, generally two more common sites, airbnb and booking. we probably looked for a few on the site, the comprehensive consideration of the cost-effective, and finally in the airbnb to find this no private bathroom no meals cabin, 3 nights 623RMB price is really beautiful. The price of 3 nights 623RMB is also very beautiful. After living in the house is also very satisfied, is to go to the next floor upstairs to go to the toilet such an experience is a little bit worrying.
The local tourism of Lake Baikal has been quite mature, after booking a room on airbnb, we asked the host to go from Irkutsk to the lake transportation and the local north and south line day trip. The hosts will write down in a small notebook, and then arrange for a vehicle, which will be sent to us through the airbnb
APP after arriving on the same day. The hosts speak English, and this communication totally took into account the reality that we couldn't communicate with the driver.
Besides the amazing views on this trip across the snowy world, I'm proud that I've done such an intermediate level of cross-border self-guided travel, and also, realistically, that it was actually pretty good value for money.
The main focus of the trip is transportation and accommodation: transportation round-trip air tickets 2112RMB, Beijing round-trip Shanghai high-speed train fare is 553 + 690RMB; accommodation Huzhi village three nights single 311RMB. outbound travel visa is also a big consumer, we have a certain treasure visa a person 618RMB.
Local use of the ruble, the rate of exchange is 100 rubles is probably 10.5RMB. 10.5RMB. local day trip is 1200 rubles a person package Chinese food, Irkutsk to the village of Huzhi transportation one-way, bus plus hovercraft is about 1000 rubles or so, in the middle of the meal a meal of about 400 rubles, *** counting the island spend 1000RMB or so.
The above hard costs a *** 5300 or so, bits and pieces and Beijing small traffic, local buy some snacks souvenirs, a *** spend less than 6000, is not cost-effective is very good.
I send a circle of friends, there have been friends reply, across the screen can feel my cold, but also a hard to ask me if I am cold, my reply is that a few days is minus 18 degrees, warming up, the body feel okay, not cold.
It is also true that this is the case, living in Shanghai side of the year, although it is Jiangnan, winter cold up or deep bone marrow. There is a kind of cold called no heating wet cold. This time back to the long-lost north, reached the highest altitude in history, countless times planned my ability to resist freezing, prepared a long down jacket, rushing pants, ultra-thick thermal underwear, woolen hats with earmuffs, cotton masks, gloves, etc., the acquisition of not ever stepped on the snow boots, as well as not used the warm baby, which set off, hey, it really is not cold.
It is the need to solve a core problem, bare hands to take pictures really cold, how not to take off the gloves to take a good picture is very important. Also, in the cell phone cold before the shutdown to take a satisfactory picture is also very important, walk the north line and the south line, we have a big struggle direction is how to get off in the first ten minutes before the cell phone shutdown to shoot portraits to shoot a big scene.
Here a little spit on the baby warmer, this thing, it can only continue to produce heat in the hot place, cold when it is out of action ~ I function to take out the warm baby warmed up on the stomach to continue to warm up my cell phone.