Cabin Fever in Siberia
Low Season in Khuzhir
Shuffling through the snow, I headed back to my two-room cabin in the middle of the small town of Khuzhir on Olkhon island. Although it was dark out, the stars and moon reflecting off of the powder white snow was enough to illuminate my way back to my isolated Siberian bungalow. In my hand I was carrying a bag full of carrots, instant noodles, and some sausages bought from the local supermarket. The reason for my grocery shopping was not that I like to cook, but rather that the two restaurants in town are fully booked up by Chinese tourists traveling during their holiday.
February in Siberia is usually considered part of the low season. Therefore, many hotel and restaurant owners will close down shop for the winter. But for the one week that is Chinese New Year, this rugged remote oasis is overrun with Chinese tour groups. When entering the only two diners left open, I was told all the tables have been reserved and that I couldn’t even take a meal to go. So, here I was, a pathetic sight, bringing my few vegetables and sausages to turn into a stew fit for a hobo.
Siberian Bungalow
The cabin I booked was incredibly comfortable and reasonably priced. Complete with a decent sized bedroom and a small kitchen. It was truly the kind of place I could see myself retiring in to. But with all the neighboring bungalows vacant and no wifi, I was left turning the pages of a book i’ve already read twice over.
Every morning I looked forward to the young woman who managed the cabins to come bring me my breakfast. It almost seemed as if she was a relative visiting me in prison. She would come knock on the door, place my plate of eggs, toast, and bacon on the small dining room table, and leave by saying “paka” with a wave.
For a couple, this cabin would have been the perfect romantic getaway. As a solo traveler confined to it for a mere four days, it gave a taste of how some people come down with cabin fever.
Lake Baikal Tour
I was smart enough to book a day tour through the lovely owner of my bungalow, giving me an escape from the solitude of the cabin and the empty village. The tour took me and a couple dozen of Chinese tourists up to the northern part of Olkhon island, driving over the ice roads on Lake Baikal.
Early in the morning, the classic Russian UAZ-452 van came to pick me up right in front of my accommodation. I was lucky to be the first one in the van, so I secured my spot in the front seat. After making our way through the back streets of the village, stopping at various guesthouses and hotels, the van was completely full. Our driver, a rugged man with a big smile which shows off his golden tooth, made the turn towards the coast, taking us out onto the ice.
It was less of a tour and more of a shuttle, taking the tourists from one land-form to the next. At each stop, the tourists slid across the ice, finding various absurd poses to take pictures with the ice sickles and jagged blue hunks protruding out of the frozen lake. That is not to say the trip is not worth doing, while in Khuzhir it is difficult to get around on your own.
When at one of the stops, everyone scatters in their own directions, exploring different caverns and cliffs while keeping in eyesight of the van. The first few spots were within a walking distance from the village, easily seen from the famous shaman’s rock. As soon as all the other tourists got their fill of taking their selfies, we loaded back into our classic Soviet relic and glided over the ice towards the northernmost tip of Olkhon island.
Cliffs of Olkhon Island
The last part of the tour was vastly different from the first two destinations. While the first leg was looking at some islands covered in snow and ice, the last stop was in the shadow of dramatic looming cliffs and crystal-clear, see-through ice. Other parts of Lake Baikal have been driven over by cars or packed in by the snow, making it difficult to see through the ice. At the northern tip, however, the frozen lake acted as a window, giving us a glimpse of the life below.
A few slips and slides away from the cliffs was the famous “blue ice”, looking like a kind of jelly, these hunks of ice shine a brilliant shade of blue when the sun hits just right. After getting a few pictures, I returned to our drivers, who were busy sliding bits of ice across the lake’s surface with the rest of the tourists. When it became clear that everyone was now bored, we huddled back into the van and made our journey back to Khuzhir.
The Village of Khuzhir
On your own, the town of Khuzhir can easily be seen in a day. During the winter season, the amount of sunlight is scarce, therefore the time I had to explore was limited, that is as long as I didn’t want to freeze. After wandering the streets for a while, it is inevitable that one will eventually wind up at shaman’s cliff. The totem polls look over some of the nearby islands and give a great view over the village of Khuzhir.
Just some ways south of there is the old harbor. Complete with an abandoned boat terminal and a ship graveyard. The snow and ice have climbed up the hulls of many of the broken-down ships, looking as if waiting for spring so the lake can bring the boats down to the deep. I have found that in Russia it is sometimes difficult to tell which places are truly abandoned and which are still operational.
Many times, I find myself ready to explore an abandoned building only to run into workers and security guards still working as usual. Khuzhir’s harbor looks well beyond saving, but still I would advise to be sure no one is busy at work.
The Ice Crossing
The final day, a similar van pulled up in front of my cabin to take me back across the ice roads to the mainland. The highway over Lake Baikal is only open depending on the weather reports and a judgment call by local authorities.
Four days earlier, when first arriving in Khuzhir, the ice roads were closed. Therefore, the transports which took tourists from Irkutsk to Olkhon Island had to stop at her banks. The travelers then had to either pay for the hovercraft to take them over to the island or make their way on foot. Of course, I chose to hoof it.
With just a backpack it was an easy hike, but for those with oversized suitcases, it was quite comical seeing them stumble across the ice.
Going back to Irkutsk was much more straightforward since the roads were open. Like any other highway elsewhere in the world, the roads were complete with speed limits and traffic signs. After arriving on the mainland, tourists huddled together, waiting for the transports to arrive from Irkutsk.
Lake Baikal and Olkhon Island is the place to truly see all of Siberia’s wonders. Especially during the winter, your idea of an unforgiving frigid wasteland will be turned into a winter wonderland adorned in white powder snow and blue crystal ice. If I could have done the trip any differently, I may have tried booking a homestay in Khuzhir, to get more of a perspective of the lives of the locals on Olkhon Island.
For couples wanting a romantic getaway or solo travelers with at least more than one book, the cabin truly gives you the rustic feeling of being in the Siberian wilderness. Which is a great feeling, as long as the cabin fever doesn’t start to set in.
In Khuzhir I stayed at Usadba Valentinu, during the winter they are quite cheap, but expect a hike in prices for the high season. Want to read more about Russia? Click here!
