Monthly Archives: September 2008

Mongolia day 2 – Trans-Siberian, Nomad Ger Camp

Posted on Saturday, 20 Sep 2008 by Hattie

Second day with the Nomads and the weather is sunny and warm.  Today we take the short walk to the edge of the Gobi and up onto the dunes.  There is a clear demarcation here between the pasture of the … Continue reading →

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Mongolia day 1 – Trans-Siberian, Ulaan Bataar

Posted on Friday, 19 Sep 2008 by Hattie

Arrive in Ulaan Baatar at 7 am after an exhausting journey.  We are met by our guide who immediately launches into a tour of the city – just what we need after 24 hours on the train.  We want a … Continue reading →

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Russia day 20 – Trans-Siberian to Ulaan Baatar

Posted on Thursday, 18 Sep 2008 by Hattie

All day on the train travelling to Ulaan Baatar, capital of Mongolia.  We had been warned to expect a lot of waiting around at the border crossing between Russia and Mongolia – and it wasn’t an exaggeration.  We arrive at … Continue reading →

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Russia day 19 – Trans-Siberian, Ulan Ude

Posted on Wednesday, 17 Sep 2008 by Hattie

Today is another lovely day – blue skies and sunshine.  Our guide, Andrei, picks us up for our second  day trip which involves an hour’s drive to see Ivolginsky Datsan which  is the centre of Buddhism in Russia.  This Lamestary … Continue reading →

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Russia day 18 – Trans-Siberian, Ulan Ude

Posted on Tuesday, 16 Sep 2008 by Hattie

Arrived in Ulan Uday at 6.15am – it is dark and very cold!  Ulan Uday is the capital of Buryatia which is a semi-autonomous region of Siberia.  It’s main claim to fame is an  enormous Lenin’s head in the central … Continue reading →

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Russia day 17 – Trans-Siberian, Listvianka to Ulan Ude

Posted on Monday, 15 Sep 2008 by Hattie

Glorious day, blue skies and sunshine.  So clear that we can, for the first time, see the snow-covered mountains across the lake.  Today we transfer from Listvianka to Irkutsk at 10 am and spend the day there before catching the … Continue reading →

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Russia day 16 – Trans-Siberian, Listvianka Lake Baikal

Posted on Sunday, 14 Sep 2008 by Hattie

It rained all night and was still raining this morning when we got up for breakfast at 10am.  How nice to have a lie in for a change!  Today we have a free day – nothing to do but please … Continue reading →

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Russia day 15 – Listvianka, Lake Baikal

Posted on Saturday, 13 Sep 2008 by Hattie

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 … Continue reading →

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Russia day 14 – Trans-Siberian to Irkutsk

Posted on Friday, 12 Sep 2008 by Hattie

Weather is sunny and warm.  Arrived in Irkutsk at 9.10am with an immediate transfer by mini bus to Listvianka on Lake Baikal.  The station is extremely busy bordering on the chaotic and it is here that you realise just how … Continue reading →

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Russia day 13 – Trans-Siberian to Irkutsk

Posted on Thursday, 11 Sep 2008 by Hattie

Second full day on the train. Slept really well, woke up at 8.30am (10.30 local time) having gone through two time zones during the night. The weather started grey and raining, but by afternoon we had sunshine- hooray!!  It is … Continue reading →

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