Direction Lake Baikal | Season 20 | Episode 13

If you just come here and say all right, I'm American, I'm from Europe, I know everything, I've been to many trips, that's fine, but in this part of the world I don't think that you will find people that speak your language. So a few words will be a myth. Okay, I have ten thousand, two guys, I completely forgot everything. Perfect. The price was something like three euros, not cheap compared to the food that you can buy or from the cafes that I usually stop. So for example, on the coffee early morning breakfast, four eggs with bread and tea cost me 2.50 and this cost me three euros. But these were the most, the most delicious berries that I ate probably in the last 10 years. Enjoyed so much. And I spoke with this guy about the life here and he said that it's very, very difficult, there is nothing to do here, see all of these houses, there is no work and the nearest supermarket to buy food is 10 kilometers away. There is nothing here and every year the people became less and less and less. And I perfectly understand this. Good that at least they built a new road, now this is a new road, brand new road, see the condition. Perfect asphalt, perfect. But yes, the life here is tough. No, definitely not for everyone. I've done 300 kilometers, but it's 20 past 10 o'clock. It's too early. This is some kind of town. I don't know, maybe I will do more 200 kilometers, then I will stop. I'll go to the center of this town, we'll see, can I draw money on cash machine, maybe drink tea, spend little time and then I will go on this road again. I found the market, but I haven't found the center. Pizzeria, I don't need pizzeria, I need center, I need cash machine. I haven't found anything. Maybe in the next town. I turned from the main road because I saw some kind of village or something and a sign one kilometer and asphalt road and I decided to come and see what it is. Nothing, looks like abandoned village, maybe not, maybe it is. I thought that I might be able to eat something or to relax a bit, but no, nothing. All right, now I made it on time. I have hotel, 15 euros and it has even douche in the room and I will be able to park in the yard, so I don't need to worry about the bike and it's on the main road. I can start tomorrow. So motorcycle will be parked here in this yard, door is locked and because now it's too early, I have some things to fix, like this bolt here. I lost it somehow, I don't know why and when, but I lost it, so I have to find another. I have a spare with me and also this bolt here. This I might even forget in Varna, not sure about it here. I'm gonna lube the chain and a few more things, but let me show the other one. As I said, the price is 15 euros. It has a big bed, TV screen, which I don't need and it has a shower and toilet in the room. Just normal condition. Yeah, very well. I'm gonna fix the bike now and relax. We'll see what I can do today in the afternoon. Mainly relax. The traffic on this road never ends, man, never ends. A lot of trucks, cars all the time, 24 hours per day, full year. Siberia might be at the end of the world for you, but people here are living. This is the hotel behind me and now it's around seven o'clock. After I spent, I don't know, like five to six hours doing nothing, just eat and lying in the bed, I think I'm ready to go to sleep and tomorrow my journey will continue. Good morning from Siberia. It was raining in the last hour and so just up I can see that my road in this direction is clean. This is good. All right, it is 14 degrees at the moment, 10 minutes to nine. Today I woke up around seven o'clock, a little bit late, I don't know why, maybe because of the time difference that I already got. So basically every day I have to move the time with one hour. Irkutsk straight on. Petrol station, I'm full. Let's see, nothing interesting. I'm looking for a place to have breakfast, but haven't seen yet, maybe a little bit later. So maybe because of this time difference I woke up a little bit late. My internal clock need time to adjust, but because of this time every day, a new hour, new hour, new hour, it cannot. But no worries, it is what it is. Okay, tires, nice church. All right, let me give you now a few tips. This big sign, Gastinica, this means hotel. So you definitely, if you ever decided to travel in this part of the world, you definitely need to learn some Russian words, otherwise it's going to be very difficult for you. If you just come here and said, all right, I'm American, I'm from Europe, I know everything, I've been to many trips, that's fine, but in this part of the world, I don't think that you will find people that speak your language. So a few words will be a must. Otherwise, I don't know, you have to shake hands a lot, or use Google translator every time. But a few words that I said, like Gastinica, cafe, or a few more, will help you to make it easy. So now I'm looking for place to eat. Sberbank, I need this, I need to draw some money. Okay, perfect, I can draw some money, 10,000. Okay, now it's all right, now I'm gonna have the money. Okay, I have 10,000, two times 5,000, which is like 100 euros here. Okay, it was necessary to have some cash, because in some places, some small places, you cannot really pay by card. In most of the places you can, but it could happen that it's not possible. That's why it's good to have some cash with you. Okay, now let's find a place to eat, then will be great to have breakfast. Small town, I forgot the name, whatever. For example, the hotel that I've got last night, I was not able to pay by card, but I was able to pay by bank transfer using the application that I have from my bank, this one, Sberbank, and the telephone number of the owner. It was so easy, it just took me 30 seconds to do it, and the owner received it immediately. So this is something that was new for me, and I was surprised to see how easy everything is. Okay, let's now try to find a place to eat. Ustrintse cafe, all right. Cafe. So when you see this big sign cafe, it does not mean that this is a place where you can have only coffee. No, this is actually a place where you can eat. Cafe means everything, it's like a restaurant. So let me see. Ah, it's from 10 o'clock, okay, it doesn't work. All right, we'll do it later. Gastinica, hotel, I mean. Coffee over there. Another coffee. Cafe. Okay, I'll try to do it here. Okay. Let's see the menu. Once again, it's only Russian. Okay, so they don't have eggs, but anyway, I'll find something else to eat. There are so many things. Anyway, I just wanted to show you on practice what is to deal with everyday necessities here, like bank, restaurants, and petrol stations, and everything. And I hope that this will be useful for someone who decided to travel in this area. I have two of these, they are with potatoes, and one pancake, and one tea for only 1.30 euros. And the place is nice. Well, this was excellent breakfast for such a low price. So now I have to hit the road again, which I don't really mind. I do it with pleasure. Turn on my heated grips, and follow the road. Nice road, but man, it is endless, and it is, you see, at least no traffic. I had another hour of rain, and now it's quiet again. It looks like today is going to be like that. Rain, without rain, rain, without rain. But anyway, I'm in the middle of the road, 200 kilometers, and got 200 more to Irkutsk. But the plan is to visit Irkutsk for a while, go to the city center, film something, maybe eat something, and after that get out of the town direction Ulan-Ude, and find place to sleep. In the last hour or so, I thought that something is wrong, no traffic at all. But now we are talking. Back on the normal game. Traffic in both sides. Another one construction works, and train. See how long it is. I don't know, probably 300-400 meters minimum. Good coil. I remember this long roundabout from the last time I was here in 2017. Let's see what they sell. They sell honey. so I'm gonna hold on it. Now when I go down, it will be again 20 and something. I don't want to twist much, because I will eat my front tire. Just will do it slowly. Finally, Baikal Lake. The biggest non-salty water lake, I believe, and the deepest. Right in the center is 1,600 meters deep. Nice, isn't it? The road in the last 50-60 kilometers was brilliant, just brilliant. A lot of turns over the mountain. Fantastic. I was here six years ago, but honestly, guys, I completely forgot everything. It's like new for me now. One day straight on. A lot of people here, so many places to eat, and still no hotel. Well, this was a nice place, but they don't have any free rooms. They call another colleague, they also don't have. All right, cafe and hotel. Okay, let's check now. My famous luck works again. I have a place. This is the motorcycle. This is the yard. I just saw chicken here running, and this is the hotel that I have found. Nothing special. As you see, motorcycle is safe. It has two beds. Very simple. Table and toilet. Yeah. There is a shower in the common area if I want. Cost another 1.50 euro, and this room cost me 15 euro. Perfect. And the restaurant is over there, so all good. This is the place. This is the main road, and now I'm gonna cross the road and go on the other side where Baikal Lake is. I really wanted to see and make some pictures, and this truck supposed to bring me there. As I said already, I've been here before, but last time I just went through and I haven't seen anything, so now is the proper moment to see finally this famous lake. Maybe even to put my feet over there, and too cold to swim on it, but at least my feet will be definitely inside. This is the famous Baikal Lake. Unfortunately, on this part where I am, there is no sand, only stones, but even so, now I'm gonna put my feet in the water of Baikal Lake. It is not that cold. It's all right, actually. Oh, nice. So another one observation point. It's covered. I'm gonna relax for a while here, then I will go back into the hotel, eat something and sleep. Good morning. Free-range chickens. I knew that I saw chickens yesterday here. Anyway, like 6.20, I'm ready to go. I slept well last night. Okay, this one or this one? Okay, this one. more. A little bit later I'm gonna stop, have tea, maybe breakfast. Oh man, another day. 11 degrees. No traffic, just me. Direction Olan-Ude. Start with this beautiful road. I really hope that somewhere I'll be able to to stay on the cliff and see the whole Baikal Lake. Still looking for observation point. Nothing until this moment. I found this spot, which is fantastic for camping, if you don't mind mosquitoes, because see, there are a lot here. Don't forget that you're in Siberia. It's a fantastic spot. But anyway, I'm gonna continue trying. Maybe I will find a place, the place that will have a view. So far everything goes absolutely well. I'm moving slowly to my direction, steady, slowly but steady, because I'm not in a rush, as you know. I don't need to go there fast. That's why I can allow myself to go out of the road and explore places like this, just with the idea to see where I can find a view through the lake. But there are no views so far. And the road around the lake, I'm gonna show you after a minute, we will go there. It's fantastic. Maybe one of the best roads, this type of roads that you can find in Russia, in common. Maybe similar roads you can find in Altai. But the rest, no, just flat roads. And of course, train. The railway goes next to the lake. I guess this is Trans-Siberian Express. So if you get it, you'll see the lake. Now the moment is 14 degrees, and I dressed everything that I have. But it's the same every day. Start with 10 or 14, and then later in the evening, like 23, 24.