Gobi #1

Life and death of a mongolian horse...

Are we ever gonna make it to Mongolia??

...hope you had enough time to enjoy the Baikal!.. it's about time we move on again!
After a few uninteresting days in Ulaan Baatar mostly spent trying to form a group to go out into the majestic wilderness of Mongolia, it was time to hit the road again.. well, when i say the "road"...




and off we went into the Gobi....

I'm not late!

I had all of January to wish you a very colorful year 2008!

Baikal #14

ok, one last shot.. for those who haven't seen it yet, this is one of my favourites..

Baikal #13

i just can't get enough..
i just can't get enough..


... and i just can't seem to get enough!

Baikal #12

..exploring the wilderness of the island...

Baikal #11

Inland Olkhon..

Baikal #10

Baikal #9

The town of Khuzir

Baikal #8

Baikal #7

Baikal #6

Housing on Olkhon island is pretty basic. Although 2005 was a leap forward as it brought electricity to the island for the first time!... But honestly, for the time i was there i didn't make too much use of it; life is around the stove!

It's funny to think that this dream like island was once for convicts sent to siberia as punishment.. although, while it appears as a dream island for a tourist like me coming in summer, the long siberian winters, cut from all form of civilisation would have been quite a punishment!..

Baikal #5

One morning as i went for a walk and a few photos, i came across this dead dog - or was it a wolf ?
The birds had already started to eat its insides and its heavy fur was falling, spread by the wind.

Baikal #4

Much bolder than it may seem, a young russian takes a quick foot bath in the freezing waters

Baikal #3

I wasn't really expecting these buddhist prayer flags before a while, but soon i came to realise that the Buryats, the Mongols, and the Tibetans have more in common than i had imagined.
Change of scenery, change of culture.. 4 days in a train had sent me to a complete new world.. a world of ancient traditions and mystic beliefs... Moscow seemed so far already!

Baikal #2

Young Buryats have an evening chat before the sun sets, admiring the reflection on the lake... i approach them and try to communicate.. between my russian and their english, it makes an awkward discussion!
When i take out my camera to take a shot, they carefully hide their drinks!

Olkhon, on the Baikal

Me, by my better half..

transsiberian #5

transsiberian #4