On Flowers and Flies

Morning began with some much needed free time which allowed us to catch
up on our journals and sleep as well as wash our clothes (finally). At
10:30 we were joined by two botanists from Irkutsk State University,
Svetlana Sizykh and Sergei Kaliuzhnyi, who led us on a flora-filled
journey through the forests and meadows of the Bol'shie Koty valley.
After hiking and lunch, we split off into groups to take an inventory of
the species of moss, herbs, shrubs and trees commonly found on the
western shore of Lake Baikal. Next we moved into the sunny meadow where
we once again took an inventory of the plant life. Many insects joined
us on our journey, most notably the infamous Siberian mosquitoes and a
few bees. Now we are here at Bol'shie Koty awaiting a lecture about the
medicinal properties of the plants we've seen today. After a week of
exceptional weather, the rain has finally come. We plan to escape the
cold by embracing a noble Russian tradition: the banya!
Kira and Rebecca