Sunburned in Siberia

I honestly have no idea what day it is. All I know is that tomorrow afternoon we are getting on the train again (four days this time) and heading for Moscow. So this will be my last blog for a while. I'll try to catch up a bit on the big whole in the center of my writings -- e.g. time from arrival in Beijing until Irkutsk.

Irkutsk is a tremendously interesting city. Buildings range from old wooden houses to huge victorian buildings to typical square grey communist architecture. This morning we went on a three hour walking tour of the city and ended up in a museum showing some of the history of the place. We got kicked out of one of the Russian Orthodox churches because we were wearing shorts. I had put a scarf on my head and shoulders and hadn't thought much about my knees. Alex said it was strange but priest will tolerate the shortest of mini skirts (because they are skirts) but not short trouser (not traditional). We saw the outside of the church "Christ the Savior" - which had a tall bell tower. The purpose of the bell tower was practical and not related to western influence. for the early churches you needed to have a lookout for enemy and for fire...I guess the bells could be warning bells.

The old wooden homes, made of larch are from pre- 1878. That year there was a great fire that they couldn't stop for five days. After that the governor of the province or city decreed that homes and buildings would be made of brick. Many of the old wooden homes are still occupied, mostly by old people who have no motivation to leave the city center. Apparently life in the homes is difficult. There is no problem with them having electricity, but there is no plumbing. In areas with wooden buildings there is a communal pump where people from the houses have to go to get their water. Because there is a lot of ground water here, water table 3 to 5 meters below the surface, there originally were cellars in the homes and no foundations -- e.g. stone. So in many you will see the windows at knee level due to subsidence. In some instances the entire first floor is below ground.

There is a lot of repairing of roads and building sewer lines along Karl Marx street. There is still a statue of Lenin pointing to the cities central square. Last year a statue of Czar Nicolar the II was rebuild near the river. He decreed the transSiberian RR be built. His son saw it completed in, I believe 1908. The headquarters for TSRR east is here in Irkutsk and is probably the most impressive building next to the government building.

The Bruic people (sp) practiced Shamanism and their clothes and bead work is incredibly similar to much Native American clothing, tools, and work. There was a cool hanging cradle, like a car seat in the museum. Interestingly, but not surprisingly, lake Baikal was a barrier for the Bruik tribes or people. Those on the western side were influenced by Cossacks and those on the Eastern side by Mongolians. The ones to the east are Bhuddists, those to the west are Russian Orthodox. Still, apparently the Russian orthodox priests were more interested in numbers than actual converts. So they would report baptising a hundred today, a hundred the next day and so on, while largely turning a blind eye to shamanism...so there is still some practiced today or intermixed with parts of religion.

Another group, closely related to Eskimos, only has about 800 people left living the old ways and keeping the reindeer herds. The young people are leaving for the cities and for univeristy.

Irkutsk had two big boom times. One when gold was discovered at Baikal. The gold only lasted about 5 years but brought people from all over the world. Irkutsk was/is a wealthy city and was the capital of eastern Siberia. The second boom was when the RR reached Irkutsk. We are on the direct tea trading route to Europe here. The Silk trading route goes through Kazakistan, Turjikistan and so on. That is the next trip that our group leader Monty is leading. Wish I was going on that one too even though I am suffereing from total overload of information and new sights.

Last night we went to a beer garden and I ended up with fried potatoes and two bottles of water. I gave up after a couple of hours and wandered back to the hotel via the Angara River. It is light until about 11 and people are out strolling on the promanade and doing whatever people do in cities -- the full range. Tonight we are having champagne and wine before dinner on floor five. Monty is going to throw a party for us on the train as we cross from asia to europe. Think I'd better buy some booze so I can contribute to the general inebriation on the long train journey.... for others, of course.

At the garden last night there were two singers taking turns. The man played a keyboard (sometimes) and sang. At other times the keyboard played itself and he sang. When he had supper break a young woman -- maybe 17 with a fantastic voice (rich alto) sang, with music from a cd in the back. She had long bleached blond hair and graceful hand gestures. That was probably the most realistic "cultural" show we have had so far.

OK. Fill in time --
Mongolia.

I loved Mongolia!!!! It was so fantastic to leave the dirty grey skies of northern China and end up in the land of blue skies. We spent one night in Ulaanbaatar where we saw the most magnificent cultural show. I may have already talked about it, but the stringed instruments were trapezoidal and one size was similar in tone to a viola and another larger trapezoidal one similar to a base. The violin sounding instrument had a small barrel shape, an excessively long neck, and, I believe, only two strings. There was also an instrument similar to a clarinet or oboe or saxiphone that was curved, and drums. The musicians were incredible. There was "orchestra" music, solos with singers 4 women and 3 men soloists, dancing, and unbelievable acrobatics. I heard throat singing for the first time. I thought someone was playing a flute or whistling a thrednody along with the main melody, but both tones were coming from the man at the same time. The thing that did disturb me was the acrobatic/contortionist number with really young skinny children. I can't imagine it can be good at all for their bones or joints or general health.

The next day we went to a tourist camp in a national park and stayed in gers for two nights. That may have been my favorite part yet. The land was rolling grassland with some tries at the hill tops and some impressive rock formations. The gers are incredibly comfortable and sensible. They can be put up in one hour and dismantled in 1 1/2 hour. The young people at the camp were working there on their school holidays, probably college holidays. We were only a little over an hour from UB the capital of Mongolia and where over half the population live.

At the camp we climbed on rocks, rested, ate, visited with a herd of goats, took pictures of cows wandering toward our camp. Some brave souls went on horseback rides. Sean, from Australia apparently got some magnificent bruises on his bum and wan't anxious to sit down the next day. He and Kay road to a monastary in the adjoining valley. I had ridden a camel on the way to the camp so was quite satisfied to have one of my long time wishes fulfilled :) Tina of Mongolia.....

We visited a Nomad family the second morning. The man and woman (Grandpa and Grandma) had marvelous faces. He had lived in Ulaanbaatar since he was about 20, had lived in an apartment, been a policeman for ten years then a truck driver. When he retired, he decided to go back to the life of his childhood. A couple of his sons and daughters have also decided to live the Nomad lifestyle. We asked how he got everything to his winter camp, and he responded -- by car. They had a refrigerator in their ger which they use in their winter quarters. I think they have a special deal with some of the tour groups, sell them mutton and rent out their horses. The grandchildren were out there on school, summer, holiday.,

The last night we were there, we had real Mongolian BBQ. Jack arranged it. Our driver and one other guy took a huge pot that looked like a milk can and put some broth, hunks of sheep, hot rocks from the fire, chuncks of meat, hot rocks and so on and then some broth until it was full. They put the lid on and rolled it downslope to mix things up, then set the can on the circular open hole on the wood stove outside. Was that sheep ever tender and delicious!! I made a pig of myself. We were given the hot rocks from the pot to toss from hand to had (like playing hot potato) and they were hot. It is supposed to be very healthful and good for circulation.

The landscape made me feel like I'd come home and the experience brought our group much more closely together.

On the way back, we went to a war memorial for the Mongolian soldiers who died in WWII. Apparently, the Russians did most of the fighting for them. There is a new part of the city being built. One part China Town with huge houses for wealthy Chinese, and Japan town which will eventually house 40,000 Japanese families. I asked Jack how he felt about the Japanese coming to live there and he seemed pretty indifferent. When asked about the Chinese, he simply said, "We don't like Chinese!" In the NP there was a new golf course that had just been build by Koreans. The Nomad G'pa thought it was stupid, saw no sense in it and said it was affecting water availability.

With such a small population in Mongolia, I fear that they are going to be swallowed up by Japanese, Korean, and Chinese cultures in the near future. That would be a shame as Jack displayed the stongest sense of national pride I have seen in a long time.

Interestingly, 2/3 of the population of UB are women. I am curious about what has caused such a huge imbalance between the sexes. Spike heels and pointy toed shoes are quite the rage in Mongolia and here.

Here in Siberia there are many very very tight pants on both men and women and skimpy see through tops. We are hopelessly fashion challenged.

In Beijing
Beijing was such a grim, grey place. We went to the great wall and saw it dimly through the veil of grey. Incredibly impressive nonetheless. Women farmers would pick a tourist and follow that person up the steps, fanning and making friends, saying "slowly", "be careful". Mine was a really nice woman, much nicer than some of the others. She had a sense of humor, and when I said good bye, she said "Goodbye No". When I said "Goodbye Yes" she and the other women laughed. I of course ended up buying post cards from her, but was happy to do so. We were in the bus about 8 hours getting to and back from the more remote section of wall we went to.

The next day we went to Tianneman square, the temple of heaven, the Forbidden City, and the silk market. All were overwhelming. The Forbidden City was by far my favorite place in Beijing. Has to be seen and experienced to be believed -- and I only saw a minute portion of it!

Gotta sign off. More from Moscow.

The following day