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Lake Baikal is recorded as the deepest lake in the world by the Guinness Book of Records. The lake stores 20% of the fresh water on Earth and has the size of Belgium. Besides records, Lake Baikal is also a tourist paradise for those who love to explore. There are many names of this lake such as "Stream of the World", "The Pearl of Russia", "The Lake of Water Tears". It still contains many things that few people know and not everyone has the opportunity to visit. This has prompted a group of Vietnamese students studying in Russia to set foot on.

8 Vietnamese students love to explore and decides to choose Lake Baikal as the destination when studying in Russia. Photo: Vn Express.

"I was really surprised when I arrived here. It was not only a lake but also a majestic destination, which was much more spectacular than I thought. I felt so small and humble when standing there", Luu Ngoc, a student in the trip, shared. During the trip, the group of friends experienced unexpected things.

The lake stretches as far as the eye can see

The first surprise was that Lake Baikal did not seem to have an end point, which leaves them unable to see the shore while walking in the middle of the lake. When they reached the top of Mount Shamanka (also known as Cape Burkhan) to see the whole lake, they were surprised with the scene of a large island, not the mainland. When visiting the lake at night, they was lost and it took them half an hour to find the landmark leading to the right place even though it was only about 200 meters away.

"Besides ice and water, Baikal is attracted by the vast, majestic landscape, the vast lake, the mountains of thousands of miles long covered in snow. Our trip lasted 4 days and we just traveled at the above places and around the lake, but I do not feel bored, " said Minh Chau.

Photo: Quân Trần

Observing clear ice at the bottom of the lake

Although it is the deepest lake in the world with a depth of hundreds of meters and the deepest section is 1,642 m with the ice covering above 1.5-2 m thick, visitors standing on the ice are still able to see the bottom. It has scared Vietnamese tourists at the first moment they set foot on the lake.

Tra Le said: "The ice at the edge of the lake is lighter and more opaque. The farther you go, the greener and clearer the ice is." In order to walk on the ice confidently and firmly, they chose shoes with soles, serrated or sneakers with multi-groove sole.

"The ice is quite slippery, so it takes a while for me to get used to and keep balance. Moreover, looking down at my feet also feels the lake has no bottom but depth. The water is clear so I was scared even more, " Minh Chau recalled first steps on the lake.

Photo: Vn Express

Ice caves brace for reminiscent of the homeland

Seeing ice caves on Lake Baikal, Tu Uyen thought of Vietnam. Ice cubes in caves by the lake reminded her of Phong Nha - Ke Bang of Quang Binh.

Contrary to Tu Uyen, Tra Le felt like "Frozen" in Frozen animation while sitting among large ice sheets to take pictures. Also, they were surprised when the temperature was about -10 degrees Celsius but it wasn't too cold. Young people could freely wear their favorite costumes to took pictures.

Photo: Vn Express

The highway is right on the lake

The time 8 Vietnamese students discovered Baikal was in early March, which turned warmer and the ice began to melt and slippery. To ensure safety, they went on tours of the local people instead of exploring on their own. This does not limit interesting experiences. The next surprise is that they experienced on the highway right on Lake Baikal. Specialized cars carry the whole group at high speed, many bumpy sections made them both excited and scared.

The "needles" under the ice

Baikal is charming at any time of the year but according to their opinion, "the most impressive magic begins in winter". Lake Baikal is rich in oxygen and methane. The bottom of the lake is not a solid one but a marsh-like sediment, which is rich in gases, including methane.

Photo: Vn Express

Photo: Trang Dương

According to the researchers, the total dissolved methane gas in the lake is more than 800 tons. Gases are formed from the transformation of organic matter in sedimentary rocks located deep in the lake's bottom. Oxygen bubbles and methane gas freeze in the water, giving it a special effect. They look like needles, the carnations frozen in ice.

In the winter, large bubbles of methane can endanger vehicles moving across the ice. In some areas of the lake, the methane bubble is so large that it can cause cars to collapse. Their positions change from year to year.

Unique Buryat culture

Baikal land is still unspoiled and contains many mysteries. The Buryats here believe in shamans, who are believed to have the ability to heal and connect people with the afterlife. They have a tradition of tying colorful ribbons on poles. Each string, each color represents a wish. Yellow color to pray for riches; red pray for family happiness, brotherhood harmony; blue color prays for favourable conditions. These pillars play an important role in Shamanism's beliefs and spirituality, appearing in life and rituals. When tying a rope, people often bring milk and candy to worship the gods.

Photo: Trang Dương

According to the group of friends, the cuisine in the Baikal region is also different from the European part of Russia, with the meal mainly containing meat and fat. While the Russians in the West prefer to eat salad and sandwiches. Coming to Baikal, visitors can enjoy the famous Omul white salmon specialty.

At the end of the trip, they gained more motivation to continue to explore other unique and mysterious things of Russia. "Traveling to Baikal is not difficult although it is still untouched. The thing to do is to find out carefully about this place before the trip. The people here are very friendly, always ready to help if you have any problems, feel free to ask, " shared Minh Chau.

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