Russia. Ulan-Ude - May

Surprisingly Ulan-Ude appeared to be a lovely town with a mix of Asian and old Russian architecture.

The first thing to do here is to try Buuzy (authentic Mongolian and Buryat steam dumplings):

See Datsans - Buddhist monasteries widely spread in Siberia, Mongolia, and Tibet. It was very unusual to see such buildings in Russia.

Ivolginskiy datsan:

Tie colored ribbons around the trees to appease the spirits:

Learn the Buryat language:

Meet the giant Lenin head:

And see some other artifacts of the old civilization:

Ulan-Ude is 2-3hours from lake Baikal. You can take almost any Trans-Siberian train to get to the small station of Babushkin located on the south shore.

It is worth visiting not only because of the views of Baikal but also because of the old port. At the beginning of the XX century, the station used to be a port for the railroad ferry that connected 2 shores before the Circum–Baikal railway was built.

You still can see the trucks going into the deep waters:

One hundred years ago, a ferry with giant trains arrived from another shore. Some of them are still here:

Anyway, the place is quite exciting and wholly abandoned. It could be a great tourist spot if adequately maintained.

Finally, there is a pleasant village of Tarbagatai. This place is connected with the history of the Russian Old Believer Church. All houses look neat and tidy even in spring - the dirtiest time in Russia.