33 shamanic curses

To organize a trip around Baikal for the company of friends.

We met with the customer in Krasnoyarsk three months before the start of the tour. The route of the trip was approved in a week, the same time was spent on the coordination of the menu and additional services. The first half of the tour route is not significantly different from the tours “Swiss President” and “Conference in the taiga”. The differences were only visit to Olkhon Island and an abnormal number of problems that arose during the preparation and conduct of the trip.  

At 7:00 the group boarded a boat and two hours later they were delivered to the Village of Vydrino. The new airboat that we delivered from Irkutsk instead of the damaged one was more powerful. It allowed to reduce a time for delivery and to increase walk.

At 9:15 we divided the guests into two parts and began to throw up the river. While the groups were waiting for each other, we gave them tea with pancakes and homemade jam. By 11:00 the whole group was delivered to the start of the campaign.

Until that moment, we already went eleven times with tourists to the Sobolinie Lakes and noticed an interesting fact. People, feeling a responsibility to other participants in the campaign, are determined to reach the end. Even if their physical training does not allow this. This time we intentionally did not set a goal to get to the Sobolinie Lakes. The only setting was to go back an hour before dark. As a result, the trip was calmer, the guests were not in a hurry, they photographed and communicated more.

For a picnic, we chose a place on the bank of the river, where they could swim, sunbathe and fish. While the guests were resting, the guides cooked lunch. In the evening, guests were taken to the hotel. For dinner chefs cooked pilaf and learn how to drink homemade samogon.

After breakfast, the group was divided into three SUVs and went to storm Mount Mamai. Previously, we rented on Mamai winter house, which the local calls "Paphos”. Unlike other winter houses, Paphos is a two-story cottage with a shower, toilet and wireless internet. The uniqueness lies in the fact that it is located in the wild taiga. Here, guests can relax from moving, and, in case of rain, have lunch in the dining room.

On Mamai the group was met by the local caretaker — Sergey. Together with his wife, he showed the guests how the life of the taiga village was arranged, showed the winter houses and told about the peculiarities of the surrounding nature.

For lunch stewed pork with mushrooms and herbs in the cauldron was cooked. Salad with home vegetables with Adygei cheese was cut with garlic sauce. Also, cutting from spicy lard, smoked bacon and pepper basturma was made. For the tea croissants with apples and chocolate were baked.

After lunch and swimming in the mountain lake, the group went down in SUVs on the Federal highway and went to the Baikal Biosphere Reserve. Guests slowly walked along the cedar alley and suspended bridges. On the way, they collected blueberries and cranberries for tea. Dinner was organized on the territory of the reserve, in the gazebo on the river bank. In the evening we returned to the hotel.

In the morning it was raining and a strong wind was blowing. According to the plan, today we had to go with the guests for a walk along the Tazheran Steppes and go down to the Cave Mechta. While the ship monotonously fought against the waves, moving in our direction, we decided to pre-check the cave. With the conductor we descended the icy stairs, knocking our helmets on the stalagmites. It was cool and damp, but in protective overalls and gloves, it is quite comfortable.

We went upstairs and received information from the captain, “The ship settles in the bay, we will stay at least three hours”. After the guide, who should lead a tour of the Tazheran Steppes called and said that his eyebrow was cut with a closing door of the SUV.

Three hours later the weather did not improve, the ship couldn't leave the bay. We contacted the captain and found out the coordinates of the place where they hid from the storm. We arrived at the place and began to assess the possibility to land guests on the shore.

Watching through the binoculars, as the ship throws on the waves, it was obvious that it would not be possible to deliver people on the boat — it could turn over. With the crew of the ship, we decided to leave the ship for an overnight stay in the bay. The guests are alive and well, having dinner on the deck.

Early in the morning the captain got in touch and reported that the storm had died down and the ship had left the bay. According to the program, that day we met with a shaman, visited the islands of Ogoy and Olkhon. The captain headed for the Island of Olkhon — there was already a car waiting that would take the group to the Buryat Village.

Because of the rain, the soil on Olkhon has washed away and it was hard to walk. In some places, the feet sank in the clay, and somewhere they slid like on ice. Olkhon is still poorly adapted to receive tourists if you plan to visit it, you need to be prepared for the lack of infrastructure. It is better to visit the island during one day: take a picture of the Shamanka Rock, drink strong alcohol on Cape Khoboy to soothe spirits of Baikal — locals say “poburhanit”, swim at Saraisky beach and return to the mainland.

Our guests were interested in Buddhism and shamanism. Visiting Olkhon and Ogoy was a way to get to know local customs more closely. In the evening the group left the islands and settled in the cottage on the mainland. There we organized a meeting with a shaman in a Yurt, a dinner of traditional Buryat dishes and a banya.