Diving into Baikal!

Today started off with our first journey on the Kozhov (the boat that
will be our home for the future lake expedition). We traveled to
Listvyanka to pick up a pair of dry-suit divers and then continued to
a more southern region of the lake, where the divers gathered samples
of benthic organisms in the lake. Many exciting and endemic species
were identified including Sponges, Gammarids, and Planaria.
After our dive expedition, we returned to Listvyanka to visit the
limnological museum. It was a great opportunity to see some of the
lake's harder to find animals, like the gammarids that prefer depths
over 200 meters and the crowd-pleasing nerpa (Phoca sibirica -- the
Baikal seal).
After our tour we had the chance to explore the downtown strip of
Listvyanka, where the group tried our first smoked omul (an endemic
species of whitefish), roasted pinecones, and golomyanka (a bizarre
endemic sculpin). Tonight we finish the day with a celebration of our
translator Kolya's birthday as thunder rumbles overhead.
Selina and Sarah

Seven Miles for Science!

Hi everyone! Our first full day at the biostation was packed. We
started off with presentations by Tatyana and Anya about eco-tourism
in the Irkutsk region and the Great Baikal Trail. Afterwards we saw
the trail in action on a four mile hike along the shore of the lake.
After lunch we had an hour of free time, which we used to swim in the
lake for the second time in two days! Unlike yesterday, we were brave
enough to take the plunge off the dock rather than wading into the
water. Once we got over the freezing shock, we sunbathed on the beach
for a while.
After our swim, we put our hiking clothes back on and walked three
miles in the opposite direction from this morning, collecting samples
of gammarids, algae, and aquatic worms from the shore. Professor
Rodenhouse was seemingly able to identify every single plant we saw
along the way.
We're wrapping up our day with Frisbee and a campfire singalong with
our intrepid translators, Kolya and Vitya.
Yours in squad formation,
Evan and Zoe

At long last, Lake

Today we finally arrived at Lake Baikal — the most anticipated moment
of the summer! We had an early start in order to catch the hydrofoil
that took us up the Angara River and into the Southern Basin of the
lake. It was misty and windy on the ride, but as we settled into the
Biological Station in the village of Bol'shie Koty, the sky cleared
and we were able to get a good look around. We met Dr. Zhenya Zilov
who gave us a tour of the station and its museum. We ate delicious
homemade lunch and set out for a hike to Chernaia Pad' ("Black
Gulch"). On our hike, we stopped every few minutes to look at new
plants, flowers, and wildlife, but eventually we reached our
destination and sampled the lake sediment in the shallows. To cool
down from our hike, we jumped into the lake — a very exciting and
intense experience! Now we are settling in at the biostation and
looking forward to another interesting lecture tonight. Poka!
Maddy and Annie

Decembrists and More...

This morning we escaped gloomy weather by visiting the Decembrist museum. The museum, located in the former mansion of famed Decembrist Prince Sergei Volkonsky and his wife Maria, is dedicated to the memory of the Russian nobles who took part in the failed uprising of December 1825 against serfdom and autocracy, and were exiled to Siberia for their efforts.

     The house was airy and beautiful, furnished in typical nineteenth-century style, with large windows and a lovely garden donated by the current Prince Volkonsky (he lives in France, and has good taste in nasturtiums).

     After the tour, we strolled down the historic streets of central Irkutsk to the Tourist Information Center, where we admired a collection of wooden house-shutters in the traditional Siberian style. Irkutsk is famous for these elaborate and symbolic architectural details, which beautify and protect its houses from the encroachment of evil spirits.

     In the afternoon we explored Irkutsk's fashion district and then stopped in at a café to enjoy some traditional Buryat food and drinks, including ta-hone say (milk boiled green tea), arsa (fermented mare's milk), and pozy (dumplings). It was rockin yo. Ayyyyy. 

     We have had a really wonderful time exploring Irkutsk these past couple days. Tomorrow the second part of our adventure begins: Lake Baikal!

Abby and Rosamond

From monuments to Buryat delicacies

We started out our day shuffling into a bus from the hotel. With our notebooks and headscarves in hand, we went about the city of Irkutsk visiting the local monuments, churches, and historic buildings. Two of the five churches we were able to explore were Russian Orthodox of the baroque style. The gold leaf and intricate icons, coupled with the smell of burning incense, inspired a different experience for each of us. Afterwards, we stopped at an Uzbek restaurant for lunch to rest from the morning tour. Shortly after, our group met with the former NGO Baikal Wave office along with its co-chairs Jenny Sutton and Marina Rikhvanova. They told us about their humble beginnings, the most imminent threats facing Lake Baikal today, and what we can do to help. Our meeting wasn't so much a lecture as a conversation focused on creative solutions to the environmental problems currently at hand. We concluded our day by celebrating the birthday of our very own Professor Hodge with fermented cow's-milk wine -- a Buryat specialty called tarasun. All in all, this day made us reflect on the historic Irkutsk and the potential paths towards a more sustainable future.

Lyubov and Hayley

Day 1 in Irkutsk

Flocks of swifts greeted us at the airport near Irktusk this morning as the sun rose and fog blanketed the runway. Our local tour guides/interpreters, Viktor and Nikolai, met us at the airport and kindly helped us with our bags (Viktor was prepared; he already had his Wellesley sweatshirt on!) We had a delicious and varied breakfast at the hotel. Throughout the day, people have explored the esplanade by the Angara River, primed their water filters, and caught some much needed sleep!

Helena and Rebecca

Breakfast in Irkutsk

Here's the entire Wellesley-Baikal team, with our intrepid translators, Viktor and Nikolai, sated after a sumptuous Siberian smorgasbord at the Hotel Irkutsk, our base of operations until Friday. We're settling into our rooms as they become available gradually this morning. Showers, teeth-brushing -- all the comforts our weary travelers need. This will be a day or rest before we tackle the city's cultural treasures tomorrow.

Tom Hodge

Both groups made it onto Irkutsk flight!

Whew! It was touch and go, but we all made it. We'll report from Irkutsk once there. We are all together, including Helena an Hayley. Baikal, here we come.
Tom Hodge

Group 1 made it to Heathrow!

Good flight to London. Will board plane to Moscow in half an hour. Group 2 all boarded their London-bound flight successfully and are still en route.
Tom Hodge

Update: British Airways itineraries

Having abandoned Lufthansa, we are now taking two BA flights Boston-Moscow:
Group 1 (Tom, Nick, Selina, Evan, Sarah, Zoe): BA 212 & BA 233. Depart Boston 7.20 pm, arrive Moscow tomorrow 2.35 pm.
Group 2 (Marianne, Lyubov, Annie, Rosamond, Rebecca, Maddie, Abbey): BA  214 & BA 235. Depart Boston 9.35 pm, arrive Moscow 4.55 pm tomorrow.
We'll meet Helena and Hayley at Moscow. The entire group of 15 will then take tomorrow's 6.30 pm flight Moscow-Irkutsk. Wish us luck!
Tom Hodge

Urgent: Travel complication Sunday 24 July!

We haven't even departed, and already there are complications. Because our original Lufthansa flight tonight is delayed by two hours, we are forced to break into two groups and take two separate British Airways flights tonight that will connect to Moscow via Heathrow tomorrow. Because one of these new flights has an earlier departure, I am asking all Baikal students meeting at Logan today to arrive at 4:00 p.m. at the Lufthansa desk in Terminal E. Please spread the word. Thanks,

Tom Hodge, Co-Instructor