Boats in Irkutsk

The above picture shows the ice-breaker Angara with small boats piled in front of it, at Irkutsk. Siberia is known for its fierce winters--I was told that most people put their cars in storage for the winter, and the ice-breaker keeps the river open. The river bank at Irkutsk is lined with small cafes where locals relax in summer.

According to a small guidebook on Irkutsk, in summer it is possible to travel from Irkutsk by hydrofoil to Listvyanka, Peschanaya Bay and as far as the mysterious Olkhon Island, noted for its wildlife.

Probably everyone has heard of the Silk Road, but in Irkutsk I learned about the Tea Road that used to connect Irkutsk with Kyathka on the Mongolian border. Tea is perhaps the favourite drink of Russians, rivalled only by vodka. Until 1992 there was a large tea-packing factory in Irkutsk that shipped its products throughout the old Soviet Union.