23 July 2006

them's some mean bastards

IRKUTSK, RUSSIA - Yesterday we banyaed at Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world and home to a quarter of the earth's freshwater suply (and site of the fifth ocean when Europe and Asia finally split).

We overheated ourselves in a private sauna, then ran outside and up a rickety ladder, off a diving board, and into the freezing crystal clear water. We would have done it naked, but we were both feeling prudish, so we kept our underwear on (the Russians hate us enough already). Dirk dove three times; me once.

Now we're in Irkutsk, which isn't so bad, except that everything here is broken, just like in the rest of Russia. We sometimes drink a lot of vodka and sometimes it makes us wake up in bad moods.

On a positive note, it's my birthday, so we gorged ourselves on sushi and Japanese beer, then Italian coffee and synthetic cakes.

Lekker.

Tomorrow we board the train, where we'll stay for 33 hours before disembarking in Ulaan Batar, the capitol of Mongolia. There we've swung a cheap hostel room and are working on an excursion into the Gobi on camels or horses or some other four-legged creature.

Being veg here hasn't been bad either, as the Russians are great at salads and Asian vegetables. Although once I did order a salad and wind up with a plate of cold meat with mayonaise. Their honeymead is amazing, also.

Oh, yes, and it's gorgeous. The only problem is the Russians.

betholindo at 19:21

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