Author Archives: rongatesphotography

It was an amazing experience, spending nearly a week with our eagle hunter and his family but it was just that, an experience.  For them and many others in the countryside this is part of their everyday life. The eagle … Continue reading →

This is going to be a short blog.  Quiet, I can hear the cheering now! I left Ulan Ude at 7:30am this morning bound for Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia as planned.  I went by bus because I’d read that the bus trip … Continue reading →

My train left Irkutsk at 8:57am and arrived in Ulan Ude at 4:22pm.  Those are times on the schedule and that was the time they left and arrived.  Russian trains are punctual.  If it appears we’re going to be a … Continue reading →

Nikita Bencharov, according to my guidebook and some of the young people who work here, is almost singlehandedly responsible for making Olkhon Island accessible to visitors.  He still lives within the compound but wasn’t here during my visit. The compound … Continue reading →

I left Irkutsk last Monday morning.  The shuttle picked me up at my hotel about 8:20 and I expected a ride of a couple of hours.  Well, two hours later…after making multiple stops at other hotels, a street side shuttle … Continue reading →

After arriving in Irkutsk yesterday morning, I headed for a couple of cathedrals near the shores of the Angara River.  The Church of Our Saviors and the Cathedral of the Epiphany.  I captured some images during the afternoon and then … Continue reading →