September 30, 2001 – Irkutsk

We were transferred to our Intourist hotel, Hotel Baikal. Irkutsk is almost in the centre of Asia, and though it was a cold and grey rainy day, we saw 18th century churches, bright painted shutters and log houses decorated with wooden 'lace'. 'Modern' soviet-style administrative blocks and soaring bridges reach out across the Angara river in this city, sometimes known as the "Paris of Siberia".