Lake Baikal

	The world's deepest fresh-water lake, the deepest point being 1637 meters. 336 rivers run into it. The Angara River is the only one that flows out of it. The area of the lake is 31,00 km ². It has more water than all 5 Great Lakes put together. A local legend:   Natasha related the tale of a man named Baikal who had 336 sons and one daughter -- Angara. Because she wanted to get married, he imprisoned her. She escaped and he threw a rock to stop her. The rock is still there -- where the Angara River joins the lake. Not one to run out of stories, Natasha later commented upon the salubrious attributes of the Lake. People who wash their hands in the water have five years taken off their age. Washing one's face results in a ten year deduction, and swimming in the lake can remove 20 years. I deduced that she was no more than 20 years old when she added that she herself would completely disappear if she were to swim in the water.

This guy reminded me of the unlucky Fredo Corleone.

Natasha studies at a foreign language institute in Irkutsk. In addition to her tour work with Intourist, she tutors English twice a week. In one month she takes in 250 rubles (less than two dollars). I was reluctant to tell her that I received ¥6000 for an hour English lesson in Japan (about $40).

She accepted my invitation to have a drink at the hotel bar when we returned in the evening. We talked for at least five hours. She freely told me everything about her life. Her family had a dacha (vacation house) but they sold it when her father died -- for about 2500 rubles. In 1985, she said, the ruble was worth about 58 cents. Today the exchange rate was 140 rubles to the dollar. She says the new dachas we saw today on the trip are selling for about $800. Hard to imagine. When I told her that houses in Newark, Delaware sold for around $90,000 and converted that amount to rubles, she was speechless.

Natasha's mother is retired, but used to earn 750 rubles a month. The family has been living in an apartment ever since Natasha was born. The government gave it to them for 12 kopecks monthly rent -- at least until the government collapsed. Now they pay only a "little bit more." 12 kopecks is definitely a very small percentage of 750 rubles. I wish my rent in Newark were such a small percentage of my monthly income.

This was a rewarding day and night for me. But the next day it was on to Moscow. Goodbye to Irkutsk and Natasha.