Awesome Kayaking!

So Kayaking in Lake Baikal was AMAZING! I had so much fun!

The weather was amazing – the the sun shining brightly and reflecting off the water in the most amazing fashion, the air was still, fresh, and mild, and the sky was really clear so that you could see all the way over to the snow-capped mountains on the other side of the lake! Ireina, the Kayak instructor was lovely. She sat in the back of the tandom kayak and me in the front, and we chatted as best we could in broken english and listened to jazz, latin and popular music (even the beatles!) playing from her phone as we paddled across the lake. The water was amazingly clear and fresh and a joy to splash around in, and it stretched away into the distance for miles! It was at the the same time exhilarating and amazingly peaceful, it just made you feel so happy to be alive!

In total, we were out for about 5 hours (but I would have loved to stay out for even longer had my shoulders not been getting tired by that point!) We paddled across from one bank to the other, had a picnic on the other side, then paddled back (in total about 10km). As we paddled along we saw four endemic fresh water seals (nerpa) popping their heads out of the water then diving back down, and loads of different birds flying above or floating on the lake. We also went for a stroll along the shore when we stopped for lunch, to see this beautiful lake from another perspective.

On the way back, we stopped to visit Baikal Museum, which included information about the flora and fauna that live in Baikal, and also an aquarium displaying examples of the fish that live there, and two seals. I have to say I don’t really agree with seals being cooped up in an aquarium, but I do admit I was excited to see them up close.

Today I am back on the train heading for Beijing. I am feeling much better now and am looking forward to whatever comes next!