We pulled up to the shore, dragged our canoes onto the pebbled beach, and sat on the driftwood logs to snack on our daily oranges and mixed nuts, admiring the view across the lake. To the south and north was an endless horizon, yet across the lake we could make out a large gap in Baikal's western mountain range; the mouth of the Angara River, the lakes only outflow.
The river lay 40 km from where we sat; another 80km down the Angara laid the town of Irkutsk, where the expedition would finish. As the crow flies the end is near, yet without wings an attempt at crossing the lake would be risky, our canoes are no match for the open water and big waves. Instead we will contour around the southern tip hugging the shoreline. It adds a considerable distance; yet it allows us to discover the coast and its many villages.
Sarah McNair-Landry
No comments:
Post a Comment