Lake Baikal: An Oasis In Siberia?

“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Siberia any more…” – Dorothy from Wizard of Oz…At least this is what Dorothy would have said had she stumbled by Lake Baikal on her Trans-Siberian trip.

After a while the harsh, barren, snow-covered land dotted with groves of birch and evergreen trees witnessed from the train window gives the impression that Siberia is the neglected orphan of Mother Nature in the winter. A common suggestion on a Trans-Siberian itinerary for a pleasant break in that scenery is the city of Irkutsk. Irkutsk is over four thousand miles away from Moscow by train and the nearest major stop to Lake Baikal. Lake Baikal holds twenty percent of the freshwater on Earth, exceeding the capacity of the Great Lakes combined. The locals commonly called it a sea, rather than a lake. The ecosystem is unique; there are thousands of species of animal and plant life found only in this region.

Given the view so far in Siberia, I was skeptical as to what the lake could offer. However, once the first glimpse comes into focus, you get the idea that you are not in Siberia any more. This fact alone makes it worth the stop. The lake swallows the horizon as far as your eyes will take you. I was fortunate to have a break in the clouds letting the sun bleed through. It looked like the lake was putting out a fire in the sky. This view combined with the peaceful water, rich shades of blue, and muted noises gives off a placid ambiance. This ambiance is compounded by experiencing the juxtaposition of the surrounding region, ranked among the bottom of hospitable places on Earth.