The World's Oldest Lake

Today went to the world's oldest and deepest lake, Lake Baikal. The lake is also the longstanding ancestral home for many small distinct indigenous groups, including Tofalars, a group of nomads who practice reindeer husbandry for sustenance. It is said that Lake Baikal holds 1/5 of the world's fresh water reserve and the lake itself is in the shape of a half-moon. Below is a picture of some more statistics from a marine biology museum we visited today. 

                          

We also saw Baikal seals, probably the fattest and cutest seals I've ever seen. Fun fact: these seals are the world's only freshwater seals. 

We also visited Saint Nicolas the Miracle Worker Church, pictured below. We had to wear our babushka scarves over our heads and we even had to tie a silk skirt over our pants because there was a religious ceremony going on. 

We then went to Lake Baikal, pictured below. 

We took a short cruise around part of the lake. 

And so I had to have a Titanic moment. 

              

We also visited a local bazaar that was a fish market and souvenir shops (obviously more touristy than it originally sounds). 

After a long day of sightseeing, we headed back to Irkutsk. Tomorrow we are headed to Moscow!