Hey all... Hope you're all well..we've finally arrived in Siberia, Western Russia after a four days and three nights in a small 4 berth cabin. We shared with two Russians, Vladim, who spoke hardly any English but still insisted on chatting to us and trying to teach us mind boggling Russian card games and Tanya, who spoke really good English and explained that he was cheating in the mind boggling card games! The journey was really great fun and totally relaxing, all we had to do was juggle our precious time between drinking beer, eating noodles, walking to the restaurant car and snoozing. We met plenty of other Westerners on board, who are all on similar trips, including a cool Oz guy called Ian and lots of English girls heading for Australia. In Lake Baikal, we stayed with Ian in a 'homestay' with a Siberian family. It was very cosy and very rustic...including an outdoor toilet and no shower but a traditional banya sauna instead (also outside) which was amazing especially after we had failied to wash for four days! Spent three days chilling out and eating proper food, including Omul, a tasty fish only found in the lake. Downside of the trip was a 'soft forest trek' as described in the brochure. First warning was when Debs was sent back to put proper socks on because of the biting horseflies and second warning was when the guide very firmly advised us this was a hike, not a trek. Within minutes into the 'extreme walk', we had climbed vertically up the mountain, sweated out own body weight, and been stung all over. Debs ended up in her so-called joke mossie head net, much to the intital amusement but then jealousy of everyone else. Spent the night getting very drunk and counting bites....after a final night in Irkutz we are heading to Mongolia..... Enough for now tho'. C ya xx