We wake up to rain and mist – a very unpromising start for our all-day hike in the forest. We debate whether we should go, but after breakfast the weather is brightening up and we meet our guide, Sacha and four other Brits – Adam and Sharon from Liverpool who are also doing a RTW trip – and two women (Louise and ??) who are from Derby and Worksop. The lake is surrounded by steep forested hills which fall directly into the lake and the start of our walk is a very steep over one of the hills behind the village. We are heading for a beach on the other side which involves a two-hour walk through though the woods. The paths are narrow and the drops steep – not good for my vertigo! By lunchtime the sun is out and we can sunbathe on the beach (think pebbles and very cold water) while we wait for lunch to be prepared. After lunch, we head back hugging the coast line this time, reaching the village after a about and hour-and-a-half. We are exhausted! But we spend half-an-hour looking around the market before heading back for dinner.
The scenery is spectacular, particularly as you look down through the woods to the lake. You could easily think you are by the sea as the waves lap the shore line and there is no sign of land as far as the eye can see. It’s hard to believe we are actually on a lake. A few excursion boats chug up a down as well as the occasional speed boat, but generally there is total silence, no traffic noise at all – where can you find that back home?! There are plenty of berries and mushrooms in the forests and Russians come to forage either for their families or often you see them selling what they have gathered on the roadside.
Lunch is mash potatoes, cheese, sausages, bread and a salad of tomatoes and cucumber – followed by fruit and chocolate. All washed down with the ubiquitous tea (always without milk), which seems to be served at every meal no matter where you are.
We keep having to remind ourselves that this Siberia! It seems incredible that we are here and it isn’t cold!
We arrive back at the village about 5pm totally exhausted, but decide to have a wander round the village market which specialises in a strange combination of smoked and fresh fish and jewellery made from local semi-precious stones.
No eggs for dinner thankfully – instead potato and onion dumplings. Kathy, Noreen and Lance have left and now it is just the four of us.