30-31 - 07 - 2006
Kultuk - Tanhoy
After brunch we say goodbye to the Polish couple and our Russian hosts. I am welcome to visit them in Bratsk on my way back from Vladivostok. We will see if I make it there. The road is not so good, but not really bad. We have a relaxing ride along the lake through the towns. We stop at one of the many road-side markets to get some delicious strawberries and smoked Omul. The area is beautiful and the lake is just huge. A lot of nice views along the way. We end up in a town called Tanhoy and spend the night in the local oversized gastinitsa. A big building with a lot of rooms. It is officially called a 'turbaza' which means something like resort. The building was build in 1974 and from what I have seen outside and inside time seems to have stopped here. We are the only guests. How this business can survive is a mystery. If it weren't for our Russian friends at the bike festival, we would not have known there was a gastinitsa here. Advertising and road signs to make tourists come to your business is something the Russians have yet to learn.
Tanhoy - Ulan-Ude
Pretty much the same story. We just travel relaxed and stop frequently. We finally arrive in Ulan-Ude and park our bikes on the parade square just in front of the biggest sculpted head in the world. Of course this is Lenin's head. We meet a Chinese TV crew and they take pictures and talk to us a bit. Also we meet Sergey and his wife. He invites us to stay at his datsha. We agree and follow him there. Food is produced. And once our bellies are full and we have seen all the photo albums, we have a banya. I am starting to love it. Doug hopes it is the last one he will ever have.
After brunch we say goodbye to the Polish couple and our Russian hosts. I am welcome to visit them in Bratsk on my way back from Vladivostok. We will see if I make it there. The road is not so good, but not really bad. We have a relaxing ride along the lake through the towns. We stop at one of the many road-side markets to get some delicious strawberries and smoked Omul. The area is beautiful and the lake is just huge. A lot of nice views along the way. We end up in a town called Tanhoy and spend the night in the local oversized gastinitsa. A big building with a lot of rooms. It is officially called a 'turbaza' which means something like resort. The building was build in 1974 and from what I have seen outside and inside time seems to have stopped here. We are the only guests. How this business can survive is a mystery. If it weren't for our Russian friends at the bike festival, we would not have known there was a gastinitsa here. Advertising and road signs to make tourists come to your business is something the Russians have yet to learn.
Tanhoy - Ulan-Ude
Pretty much the same story. We just travel relaxed and stop frequently. We finally arrive in Ulan-Ude and park our bikes on the parade square just in front of the biggest sculpted head in the world. Of course this is Lenin's head. We meet a Chinese TV crew and they take pictures and talk to us a bit. Also we meet Sergey and his wife. He invites us to stay at his datsha. We agree and follow him there. Food is produced. And once our bellies are full and we have seen all the photo albums, we have a banya. I am starting to love it. Doug hopes it is the last one he will ever have.
posted by Anonymous | 5:52 am
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