Taltsy Wooden Architecture Outdoor Museum, Baikal Ecology Aquarium (Day 18)

                                                                                              Friday, June 24
Taltsy and Aquarium,
    After I posted last night, we walked to town to get ice cream.  Dinner, since we were still full from lunch.  I saw my second seal!  Only the head, but it was a bit closer than yesterday's, and I think they may be bigger than a speck.
    Oiy choy oiy, I'm exhausted.  We got to sleep in again, and Dad didn't get up until 6:30.  I didn't worry about him since I could hear him breathing in the next room.  Please note--I did not say 'snoring in the next room'.  I want this to be clear since Molly and I are already out of his will--we left his baseball cap on the train yesterday.  Not that he can't take it himself, but we told him we'd get everything.  Luckily, he bought a cap at the Great Wall, so he has a spare.
   Today was full of facts--yes, more facts than what I've already given you.  My brain is full.  We started at the Taltsy place.  I have no intention of writing that entire title again.  Short history lesson coming up.  And since our guide talks fast, I am not sure of the accuracy, but here's what I got--
   Cossacks invaded this area and found the Buryats.  They (Cossacks) decided that the Buryats needed some help with their culture.  Namely laws, government, schools, religion, building yurts . . .  So they kindly (?) took over and showed them how to do all of this.  Some fighting ensued--so much for the kindly part.  Does this sound at all familiar to those of you who know American history?
   Then a big fire burned down the entire village so they rebuilt it with bricks instead.  And if that wasn't enough--a dam was built and they had to move again.  Pretty sure they left the bricks . . .?   They made vodka with milk, slept on the wood stoves in the winter, and ironed with water not heat.  They had raised doorsteps to keep out the evil spirits.  And they didn't name their children until they were 5 years old.  They felt at that age, they could fight off the spirits.   I found it quite interesting, at least my version!
   The photos below are of the outside museum, no one lives here, but it depicts what the real ones looked like.
  Had another great lunch.  I found out that the fish oameal, is spelled omul.  We were at a restaurant and we had it raw in a really delicious salad (which tells you the salad had very little lettuce in it), in soup with a broth that was really delicious, and then grilled over coals.  All 3 were good.  When they brought us dessert, I checked inside to be sure it wasn't fish.  Okay, I didn't really, but if I had thought of it at the time, I'm sure I would have.
  Then we went to the Aquarium.  We found out there are 250 million omul in this lake, so I think our eating around 9 would not be too much of an impact.  The seals depend on them for food.  And for dessert, they eat the 25,000 toads that are also in the lake.  Speaking of--we had ice cream again due to a late and big lunch.  There were 2 seals in a tank.  I'm up to 4 now!
   And lastly--seals can dive down to 200 meters.  Whew!  I have emptied my brain.  Oh no--Dad has gone to bed and is singing, "Good night, ladies!".  We spent our childhood listening to him sing "Home on the Range" every morning.  This could fall under child abuse?
   Tomorrow we fly to Moscow.  A 6 hour flight and a 5 hour time change.  Backwards.  This means that 8 PM in Moscow is 3 PM our time.  We are hoping to all stay awake until at least 7.
  Happy Friday to all of you.  This has been a really interesting place.  We don't want to leave, but then we think of the winters, and that makes it easier to get on the plane.   Dad's comment tonight was--"Until a week ago, I had never heard of this place, now I know everything about it!"  Dave and Sylvia fly back to Indianapolis tomorrow.
amy

From our hotel today at 9:30 AM

The clear water.  Dad is still not letting us drink it.  

The Taltsy Museum

Church 

Farming tools

Dad is checking to see if anyone is in the jail.  No one stayed there longer than a couple months.  They were expected to see the error of their ways in that time.

Sink for washing your hands.

Yeah, yeah, I know.  But I liked the abacus and the writing on the chalkboard.

More farming stuff.

Accordion!  Had to take this one.  (thought of you, Steve!)

Now I know you might claim that this could be anyone--but it's me.  As a kid I had a pair of stilts, and when I saw these I had to try them.  I walked a good 6-8 steps.  Molly and Dad are my witnesses.  Note the one on the left is off the ground.  

They tried . . .

One of the two yurts.  This one is actually a gift shop.  And that is Dad.

A picture of a picture, but he was so "Cossack" and I had to take it.  

Always a handy word to recognize in case it isn't in English.

At the Aquarium.  The blue is Lake Baikal.

A crab in the Aquarium.

Don't they look like a balloon?  I imagine they need all the blubber to keep warm in this really, really cold lake.

Some world lake facts.

. . . and more facts.

And even more facts.  

The Taltsy Museum.  You can see the "Lincoln Log" buildings.

Another of the 2 seals.

Here's what the Omul look like.  We think they might be a type of trout.  

This rock marks where the Angara River meets Lake Baikal.  It's call the Shaman Rock.  Like an iceburg--at least 90% of it is under water.  It is not shallow here.  

Standing at the same place as the first pano, this was taken at about 4 PM.