Savannah's P.O.V.

Russia! What do I say about....Russia?!? It was definately a nice but drastic change from Mongolia.
I'd say that this country has definately taken a hold of Ammon! These women have got him wrapped around their pretty little fingers! I mean Ammon.......staying behind to shop?!!? Unexpected but cute. We now have to walk far ahead of him for two reasons. First to avoid the ever present trail of drool and so that he looks like he isn't taken already! I guess he just has a new found love for shopping, hah.
The driving here is still crazy like everywhere else except that they drive 100 km/h, which doesn't seem that fast but to us it seems like we're riding in a rocket!! Even after passing a big accident with three cars involved they keep right on speeding in the rain not having been affected at all!
From Irkutsk (Ammon says yeah, another spot on the "Risk" board seen) we went to Baikal Lake for a few days and stayed on Olken island, half way up the west side of the lake, in a cute little town called Khuzhir. Baikal is the deepest and oldest lake in the world and holds 20 percent of the world's fresh water and, interesting fact for you, if all the fresh water disappeared except for Baikal's it could support the whole world's population for the next 40 years! It holds the same amount of water as all the Great lakes combined. Crazy! Anyways the island was a really nice place for relaxing, laying out a towel and sun tanning for the day. Swimming was also one of our options but after only dipping our shoulders (COLD!) we decided to leave that to the crazy skinny dippers and stick to the sun tanning!The lake is gorgeous and is even more peaceful because there aren't any boats or loud motors, only a couple canoes and kayaks passing by once in a while! The water is so clear and blue. We should get some good pictures out of it.
Today we walked ten miles along the Circum Baikal Railway. It seems like a long way to go but it's just a picnic in the park now! Mom says it seems like something coming out of a movie walking along the railway with a beach side view of the never ending waters. Baikal truly is massive but I could never imagine getting sick of it. It's still beyond me how people can manage to get smucked by a train!! I've never understood that.
Russia has been really nice so far, nothing like Ammon threatened it was, and we're heading west to Tomsk (by 30 hr train) tomorrow morning.
Over.... and out
Savannah