As many of you know, I am leaving in a week to travel around Sweden and Russia for two months, the majority of which will be spent in Eastern Siberia on the shores of Lake Baikal.
I am spending six weeks working on trail maintenance and trailbuilding with the Great Baikal Trail project, the largest project of its kind: a group of international volunteers working together to create a system of trails around the worlds largest freshwater lake. The project helps stimulate ecotourism in the area, and also provides an opportunity for a diverse array of people to come together, work hard, and learn lots from each other in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Oberlin's OCREECAS (Russian, Eastern European, and Central Asian Studies) program has generously sponsored my trip as one of several Oberlin students and alumni who have lived and worked with GBT.
Because I will be leaving the country, I will not have access to my cell phone or my personal computer for two months. That being said, the best way to reach me will be through email. My email address, for those who don't know it, is smadaytr@oberlin.edu. Here are the dates that I will be in Irkutsk, and thus have internet access:
July 6th-July 8th
July 22nd-July 27th
August 10th-August 11th
August 21st-August 23rd
The dates in-between those times, I will be hiking/backpacking on the lake, and thus won't be able to contact you. If I don't get back to you right away, don't fret! I'll be sure to get back to you as soon as possible. I'll be back in the States starting August 25th.
Mail is extremely slow and unreliable; however, for those who have their heart sent on sending me a letter while I'm in Russia, you can send it to the hostel where I will be staying. Mail takes about a month to get to Irkutsk from the U.S., so plan accordingly.
Maday Travis S. L.
Penguin Hostel
Ul. Yamskaya 5A-46
664000 Irkutsk, Irkutsk
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
I do plan to be writing to people from Irkutsk, so if you want some mail, leave your address!
Check out more information about the project I'm working on at http://www.greatbaikaltrai
There's also a translated site about Baikal here: http://www.baikal.ru/old.b
I also highly recommend the view of Lake Baikal from Google Earth.
I'm super excited to be traveling and can't wait to share stories about the adventures ahead!
Much love,
San
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