Raju's Wanderings

June 7, 2017: If Siberia were a country, it would be the world's largest country. Since the 17th century, it has been a part of Russia. Over three-fourth of Russia is only Siberia. It is where the Russians were sent to exile since centuries. It is the cold version of hell (-67 C, -90 F), and is sparsely populated with barely 3 people per square kilometer. These two advantages made it an ideal place for prisons without walls since anyone trying to escape on foot would die of cold. My trip to Siberia was in summer however, when the temperatures rise to almost 15 deg. C., and you can wear shorts in mid-afternoon. It started with Olkhon Island, in Lake Baikal, around five hours from Irkutsk. On the way to Olkhon Island Ferry crossing to Olkhon Hotel Camping Usabda Nabaimar at Khuzhir, where I stayed Shaman Rock: where Shamanic rites were done since a millenia. A closer view of Shaman Rock at Olkhon Island  Part of Shamanic Poles: They r...

 June 3 and 4, 2017 Vladimir, Suzdal and Yaroslavl are part of Russia's so-called Golden Ring around Moscow. Suzdal was the capital of the Rostov-Suzdal principality a 1000 years ago, when Moscow was still a bunch of cowsheds. It was able to avoid state-sponsored industrialization of the 20th Century as a result of of it being bypassed by the Trans-siberian railway in 1864 - and so, misfortune turned to fortune. Today, it has over 300 architectural monuments and buildings conserved, with the town frozen in time, and the only industry being the tourists who come to the place. Vladimir has been around since the 12th Century, when the Mongols conquered it, when the Prince of Vladimir became a vassal of the Khan. It used to be the centre of power of till 1325 when St.Peter moved the center to Moscow. Yaroslavl was founded in 1010, and till the 17th Century, Russia's second largest city, on the banks of the Volga. KFC, Pizza Hut, MacDonald's - there is an overwhel...