An Adventure in Irkutsk

The journey to Lake Baikal was coming to the end and we returned to Irkutsk. We decided to take a short ride around the city before departure.

The local market was picturesque.

After riding around the city we made it to the Gallery of Modern Art.

The contemporary art gallery was fantastic, it's so awesome! There was an exhibition of Dashia Namdakov's works and we were immersed into such a deep artistic aesthetic that we completely lost track of time.

As an experienced driver, I can say that it was the height of recklessness to leave the rented car around a pedestrian crossing where 'others can'. Why, if you disengage from civilization in your tourist trips, revert back to it properly.

When we, exhilarated and pacified, came out on the street, it turned out that our car with all its gear was gone. Shock? Shock. Adrenaline.

The traffic police officer who happened to be nearby was still warm on the subject of 'do you know by any chance?' Of course he knew. He even signed the evacuation document for the car parked in an improper place. He explained everything in detail and comprehensibly, told where to go, indicated the direction with his hand and almost waved a kerchief after him. He was very polite!

With slightly glazed eyes, we set off in a taxi to the penalty lot, taking in the city at the same time. At the penalty lot they told us 'first you have to go to the local Traffic Police', of course on the other side of town. We sped there and got stuck in a one and a half hour queue. Periodically it became funny and scary at the same time. With some of the paper we had acquired we sped back to the penalty lot with a female taxi driver. Everyone was very polite, for some reason this stuck in my mind.

We got the car and took it to return. The guy from the car rental immediately found a couple of extra scratches, showed the basics of acting skills for a long time, which I liked so much that the additional expense went directly to his labor fund. This guy was the best in casting for large plans of surprise, grief, basic psychological pressure, which simply brought a lot of pleasure. Laughing, we agreed that he chose the wrong job, not that one) the scene - that's his calling! At some point it seemed to me that he understood that he was over-playing, but could no longer stop, because the take worked repeatedly and always brought a powerful income. I liked the Irkutsk people! They are talented.

So, if you are planning to travel to Eastern Siberia, don't forget to disconnect from civilization, which happens automatically as soon as you leave the boundaries of human influence. The nature here is powerful. Wish to experience its resonance!