Lake Bikal

Location of Lake Baikal.  Irkutsk on Left and Ulan-Ude on the right side of Lake.

Lake Baikal located in Siberia is the world's second most voluminous lake, after the Caspian Sea. It is the most voluminous freshwater lake in the world with an average depth of 744.4 m (2,442 ft) and contains a total of roughly 20% of the world's surface fresh water. Located in the south of the Russian region of Siberia (between Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast), the body of water is also known as the "Pearl of Siberia".   Lake Baikal is the deepest, and among the clearest of all lakes in the world.  At more than 25 million years old, Baikal is also the world's oldest lake. Like Lake Tanganyika, Lake Baikal was formed as an ancient rift valley, having the typical long crescent shape with a surface area of 31,722 km sq/12,248 sq mi.  Baikal is home to more than 1,700 species of plants and animals, two thirds of which can be found nowhere else in the world and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. It is also home to Buryat tribes who reside on the eastern side of Lake Baikal, rearing goats, camels, cattle and sheep.

Last week when we went to Irkutsk for Zone Conference there were still chunks of ice floating in the lake.
The trip by train from Ulan Ude to Irkutsk takes 7 1/2 hours, 3 1/2 of those hours are along the banks of Lake Baikal.  Lake Baikal freezes over in the winter.  Our friends the Southams (Senior Couple in Irkutsk) have walked on the lake in the winter time when it was frozen. We will have a 3rd visit to the lake from the Irkutsk side during Senior Couples Conference  in July 2010.

As missionaries we are allowed 1 cultural day every 3 months, but so far we have only had the opportunity to take three.  Our 1st trip to Lake Baikal was by train on 29 July 2009 and our 2nd trip by Marchutka on 7 June 2010.  We visited two different sites on the lake and got two very different perspectives of the lake.  The lake is like an ocean with waves and water that appears clean enough to drink.  We would not mind having our own Dacha on the lake.  Shown below are a few photographs from both  visits. 

29 July 2009 Visit to Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal, beautiful with clean water.  This is the view from where we sat for our picnic lunch.
 Reminds us of Lake Tahoe.

Good enough to drink by Elder Bindrup.

We had our own little peninsula from which to enjoy the lake, with built in seating.

This is Elder Wilson braving the breaking water (probably wanting to get a little wet to cool off from the hot July day).  Sister Kiselyova is on the left.  She finished her mission last fall and is back home in St. Petersburg now.

Left-to-Right are:  Sisters Timofeyeva (now in Barnaul and goes home in 6 weeks) and Kiselyova (is home in St. Petersburg) ,   Elders: Wilson, Bindrup (both are home), and Elder Petersen (now in Novosibirsk), and Elder and Sister Moleff.  It was a VERY GOOD day - relaxing, rejuvenating, and spiritually uplifting.  Ready and anxious to get back to missionary work; as a matter of fact, on the train back we did a little missionary work.

Lake Baikal 7 June 2010

This is our Marchutka and our driver, Dima.  We hired him and his Marchutka for 4000 rubles or about $130.  He drove us there and back and waited for us as we enjoyed lake Baikal.  This time we brought a picnic lunch (meat, cheese, bread, water & Wacky Cake).  Last time we bought the standard (meat, cheese & bread) at a little store at the train station - more like a train stop.  This trip was a little colder and windy but it was a good trip.  Elder Sargysan sat in the front with Dima and did a little teaching.

This is what Lake Baikal looks like at the place we went to.  Double click on the picture and you can see the hills on the Irkutsk side of the lake.

Our missionaries on a fishing boat getting ready for catching the biggest fish.

Sister Moleff still knocks my hat off.

Well I survived - Barely!  Notice her sheepish grin.

Our present missionary district.  L-t-R are: Sisters Nechunayeva, and Calderwood, Elders Wheeler, Septon, Taylor, and Sargsyan, and Elder and Sister Moleff.