Ulan Ude

I (Hannah) thought we could update you on the (amazing) first leg of our journey another time and I'd tell you about where we are now, now!
Well, we arrived in Ulan Ude yesterday, its a small city near(ish) to Lake Baikal, which is this huge expanse of water, which we saw from the window of the first train- pretty impressive. Its been really hot everywhere we've been so far, and here is no different. Its a really interesting town, the people living here are a mix of all different races, theres some Russians, some Mongolians and some Buryat people. It has a really nice feel to it, its laid back and quiet.
Yesterday, after having a night of virtually no sleep due to a 7 hour border crossing which started at about 10 at night, we dropped our stuff off at our homestay (Olga's homestay) and headed out to the Ethnological Museum, which is supposed to be the top attraction here.

The bus ride was quite an adventure! We knew we had to get the no 8 bus, but had no other knowledge of how the buses work! They are amazing, they are little mini-buses/large cars which stop if you wave at them and you're in the right place. Once you're on the passengers work between them to do everything, its so friendly and cooperative! You pass your money down the bus and the driver passes back the change (whilst driving), if more people get on then the passengers pull down new seats for them and open up the doors. To stop you shout out and someone passes the message down and you get off. I just think its so lovely and makes me feel so ashamed of London where we all ignore each other on public transport for some bizarre and unknown reason. We mentioned to some passengers that we were going to the museum and they told the driver and they detoured to take us right there!

The museum itself is supposed to be the best museum of the different ethnicities of Russia in Russia. It was pretty awful! It was an outdoor set-up, with lots of full-scale replicas of the houses of different cultures, there was even a fake monastary. The houses weren't that bad, you could peep into each door and see some traditional furniture and clothes. Then at the end there is a 'zoo'. I dont really want to say anything too bad about it because we are still in Russia for a while, but it really distressed me. There were huge big bears in tiny cages, camels, eagles and other birds of prey and lynxs and foxes all in teeny cages with nothing really to amuse themselves with. They were all skinny and unfed so that I didnt even begrudge the Russian tourists who fed them cheese biscuits through the bars. It was very sad. I really think something should be done about it.

Anyway, we're all stocked up on noodles and canned fish and bread for the final leg of our trans-siberian foray which begins in a couple of hours. We're in first class, yay!

If we find the internet in Vladivostok we will report back, if not then see you in Japan! (OMG I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT JAPAN!!!!!!)
xxx

p.s. Mongolia was so amazing and getting engaged there was just awesome, I'll do a little essay on it another time (and WILL include pictures, somehow)
xxx