Siberia Adventure 1986 - Mongolia? Manchuria? They both start with "M"

Sino-Siberia Adventure – Summer, 1986

The Proposed Adventure – Another Lydon original

When I approached our big-time travel guru in San Francisco about setting up an itinerary that began in China and then, boarding a train in Beijing, went up through Mongolia into Siberia and then east to Khabarovsk and to Japan, he laughed.  “Who would want to take such a trip?” he asked.  I had already researched the trip – pre-Internet – and believed that the schedules might just connect, and we began advertising the trip through Cabrillo’s study-travel program.

This was the route we had planned.  Boarding in Beijing, north through Mongolis into
Siberia and then west to Irkutsk before boarding the east-bound Trans-Siberian
Railroad from Irkutsk to Khabarovsk.  We would have gone to Vladivostok, but this was 1986, and the
Soviet government was not allowing Americans to travel to Vladivostok.

We studied not only China, but also Mongolia, Siberia and Japan.  It was a long trip – over 3 weeks, and before long we had 65 people signed up.  Nobody would want to go on such a thing?  Hah.

 We had a nice long visit in China (Tiananmen, the Wall, etc.), and then we boarded the train in Beijing’s incredible main train station in late afternoon and headed north.  Well, what I thought was north.  I had scoped out the train route, had seen where the Trans-Mongolian passed through the wall at Badaling.  I knew where we were going.  Or thought I did.  I kept telling group members that we’d be passing through the Wall very soon and to be alert for it.  Have those cameras ready, I suggested.  But no Wall.

 

The route we took, going eastward and then north through Harbin and Manchuria.
The Soviet Customs and Immigration folks in Manzhouli were not accumstomed to
having a group of 60+ Americans cross the border from China into the USSR.  So, they
took their time and worked us over pretty good.  I found out later that the Trans-Mongolian
Railroad was not open to American groups in 1986, so we couldn't have traveled that way anyway.

As the sun began to set behind us, it was obvious we were traveling east, away from Badaling,  and one of our group members, Dr. Robert Millslagle, came out of his compartment and pointed at a map he was clutching and announced “I think we’re going the wrong way!  We’re going through Manchuria!” 

And so we were. The stop in Shenyang, and then the next morning in Harbin clinched it.  We’d studied Mongolian history for nothing.  Hey, from an historical perspective, Manchuria wasn’t chopped liver what with the Qing Dynasty, the Japanese occupations, etc. etc. But  Robert Millslagle has never forgotten it.  It was a challenging (no air-conditioning, no refrigeration – no cold beer) trip.  From crossing the border at Manzhouli into the USSR (and being worked over by the Soviet Customs and Immigration folks while the train was suspended in mid-air so they could change the bogeys) to crossing eastern Siberia on the Trans-Siberian Railroad and then flying to Niigata, Japan, it was an amazing trip.

 A note in my defense:  I found out later that, in 1986, the USSR was not allowing American travel groups to come through Mongolia, so we couldn’t have done it anyway. 

 When we returned from the trip I confronted our travel guru and told him that we went to Manchuria instead of Mongolia to which he responded, “Manchuria!  Mongolia!  They both start with ‘M’!  How much difference could there be?”

 So, 28 years later, we’re going to finally take at least part of the Trans-Mongolian Railroad from UlaanBaator to Ulan Ude and revisit Lake Baikal and Irkutsk. 

Siberia, USSR, 1986

 These photographs are from the collection of Robert and Lindy Bixby who were members (some of the younger) of the group.  We even had a t-shirt designed for group members.

 

The Gang of Four - Sino-Siberia 1986 -- Left to right:  Annie Lydon, Lindy Bixby,
Robert Bixby and the History Dude.  Look at all that hair!

Luggage – This group did not travel light, and we had over 100 pieces of luggage for the group. 

The group with its tons of luggage.  The gentleman in the right front in the
bomber jacket with the shades is Dr. Robert Millslagle, the guy who
has never let me forget that we went to Manchuria and not Mongolia.  Many of
Santa Cruz County's finest in that group -- can you find Joe Trent?  Jess Tabasa?

 The Group – There are several group members who were not in the group when Lindy Bixby took this picture (that’s why she’s not in it), but this was an amazing group of local folks.



Ah, the 80s.  Look at all that curly hair!  Even the History Dude (front right)...

 The Irkutsk Railway Station – We went west to Irkutsk from Chita, and then re-boarded the Trans-Siberian and headed east to Khabarovsk.

Irkutsk Railway Station.  Note Lindy Bixby's curly hair in the lower left. 
And this was BEFORE she went into Lake Baikal. (See below.)

Irkutsk, 1986 – Irkutsk was a busy place, and group members had a number of interesting shopping experiences. 

Downtown Irkutsk, 1986.  Busy!

 

There wasn't much to buy, though what
there was was displayed artfully.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lake Baikal –Lose Twenty Years!  Then as now, Lake Baikal was the jewel in the itinerary.  We had heard from someone that the Siberians believed that the lake’s water has curative powers.  That if you washed your face and hands in Baikal water, you could erase 10 years from them, and if you went all the way in, you would take off 20 years.  

Lake Baikal, 1986 looking toward the south end of the lake.

 Lindy Bixby had stashed a bathing suit in her gear and after changing into it in the back of the bus surprised us all, including her husband Robert, by dashing down the ramp and into the lake.  If you know Lindy (Dr. Lindy Bixby, DDS) you now know why she looks like a teenager.  It obviously worked.  There were some other consequences as well, but you’ll have to ask her about those.

Lindy Bixby emerging from Lake Baikal (damn cold, that water!) after
dropping twenty years.

 

 

Many Changes in Siberia since 1986 – We were very restricted in where we could visit and what we could do when we were in Siberia in 1986.  But, since the collapse of communism and the Soviet Union in 1990, there are few restrictions.  We suspect that the passage of 28 years has wrought considerable change in Irkutsk and Ulan Ude.   But, I’m going to see if I can find some of that silky, dark brown vodka that we discovered in 1986….

Russian Orthodox church outside Irkutsk

 

Village east of Irkutsk on the way to Listvyanka.  We could
stop along the way in 1986, but we couldn't wander.  Things are much
more open here in 2014.  We're looking forward for the chance to explore.