Pennod 5 Ar y Lein

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-Travelling along latitude line 52

-has allowed me to fulfil a dream.

-I'm on the world's most famous train

-- the Trans-Siberian.

-There are 6,000 miles

-between Moscow and Vladivostok.

-It's the longest train journey

-in the world - a whole week.

-I'm only travelling part of it -

-from Novosibirsk to Irkutsk.

-Travelling first class means

-that only two people share a cabin.

-This is my home

-for the next two days.

-Very nice - these are my toiletries,

-my wardrobe's up there...

-..cases underneath.

-Even the mug is elegant.

-Some travellers insist on completing

-the journey in one go.

-But I'd rather stop off at

-some of the cities along the line.

-They're cities, not towns -

-and they're growing fast.

-The journey is long

-with trees everywhere.

-It's a good opportunity to read 'War

-and Peace' or write a travel diary.

-Each carriage has a samovar -

-a kettle.

-And a provodnitsa -

-a female attendant.

-They can be dragons -

-but mine was very sweet!

-She even brought me a cup of chai

-when I nodded off.

-My body needs sugar.

-I'm adding some to my drink.

-It's a strange journey -

-but interesting at the same time.

-Sitting around, reading books and

-drinking chai is very tiring work.

-But it's enjoyable.

-It's a little warm, but the

-air conditioning's kicked in now.

-You expect Siberia to be cold.

-It is, in winter,

-but it's hot in the summer.

-The railway was built at the

-beginning of the last century...

-..across the world's largest forest.

-It's a mechanical masterpiece.

-The country is huge

-and there are trees everywhere.

-I'm leaving the train

-and the trees for now.

-After three days of chai

-and dried fish...

-..I've reached Irkutsk.

-Goodbye, train - hello, bus!

-Long before Christianity

-arrived here...

-..shamanism

-was the religion of Siberia.

-It dates back to the Stone Age.

-Shamans believe that every natural

-thing has its own soul.

-Shamanism is quite common

-throughout the world.

-The name comes from Siberia

-and the religion is strong here.

-Situated in a lay-by -

-a sacred shaman site.

-Alex Burmeister

-gave me a lesson in shamanism.

-After touching the wooden poles...

-..leave some roubles or tobacco

-and coffee to appease the spirits.

-And make enough noise to make sure

-they know you've called.

-I've always been interested

-in shamanism.

-Alex took me to see a real shaman.

-On we went through Buryatia

-to the home of shaman Valentin...

-..near Lake Baikal.

-Valentin is a native Buryat.

-He extended us a very warm welcome.

-This is the first time I've been

-invited into someone's home...

-..on this journey.

-As a shaman,

-Valentin's travelled extensively.

-There are pictures of him meeting

-dignitaries plastered on his walls.

-His wife is an Evenki,

-one of the oldest tribes in Siberia.

-They are closely related

-to the Mongols and the Inuits.

-She made enough food

-to fill our stomachs for days.

-It was made of fresh, local produce.

-..culture and philosophy...

-Valentin speaks a little English.

-He also speaks German.

-We communicated very well.

-After lunch, he dressed

-in his shamanic clothing...

-..and took me

-to a very sacred place.

-He guided me through a ceremony

-which would ensure good luck...

-..for the remainder of the trip.

-I'm throwing vodka

-at these three poles.

-One there.

-Pour some vodka here.

-And then throw.

-In the olden days,

-people would use milk.

-Vodka is used nowadays.

-His thumb's been like that

-since he was born.

-It's one of the indicators

-of being a shaman.

-He also has a picture

-of Genghis Khan on his chain.

-We're not far from Mongolia.

-Genghis used to

-ride past here regularly.

-Before we leave,

-he calls on the gods...

-..to thank them for a good journey.

-Having secured our luck

-for the remainder of the journey...

-..we set off for Lake Baikal.

-Some call it the Pearl of Siberia,

-and it's easy to see why.

-I'm on the shore of Lake Baikal,

-the deepest lake in the world.

-The line goes that way!

-I'm going that way - on this boat.

-That's our home

-for the next three days.

-I'm going to have a shower -

-as soon as the kettle's boiled!

-It's not the biggest lake in the

-world, but it's bigger than Wales.

-It contains almost a fifth

-of the world's freshwater.

-If it was emptied,

-it would take a year...

-..for the world's rivers to refill.

-Baikal is almost 400 miles in length

-and 50 miles across.

-It's jam-packed with fish.

-Look at the size of that!

-This isn't too small!

-There are 56 species of fish

-in Baikal.

-This is a grayling.

-There are sturgeons here -

-some weighing 250lbs at one time.

-They're smaller now.

-But this one's big enough for me.

-There aren't many ports on the lake.

-Alighting the boat is like trying

-to tackle an assault course.

-Luckily, I'm a Capricorn -

-half goat, half fish.

-Not a place to wear your stilettos!

-The things I have to do

-for my supper.

-No prizes for guessing

-what's for supper.

-The boys had lit a fire

-using driftwood.

-Fair play -

-they kept the best job for me.

-Open your mouth for Mami!

-There's nothing better than eating

-a fish you caught yourself.

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-Lake Baikal is the coldest place

-I've visited so far.

-I spent a lot of time below deck,

-in my thermals!

-In winter, this is

-the world's largest ice rink.

-The water is very clean and pure.

-You can drink water straight

-from the lake...

-..and they say you'll live an

-extra 25 years by swimming in it.

-I had no time to go for a dip.

-Alex, the boat's owner,

-welcomed us ashore.

-We could smell the market

-from the boat.

-They sell souvenirs and they also

-smoke, dry and steam fish here.

-It's painful - the smoke

-goes straight into your eyes.

-It smells nice

-but the smoke is awful.

-I know they look strange,

-but they're very tasty.

-People chew them

-while drinking beer.

-On we went to Alex's dacha.

-A dacha isn't a first home -

-it's more of a weekend home.

-Almost every Russian family

-has a dacha in the countryside.

-Somewhere you can grow

-your vegetables and enjoy clean air.

-But they're not all like this.

-This is a deluxe dacha.

-Baikal! Yuri Gagarin!

-The Government encouraged people

-to own dachas during the Soviet era.

-Buses were organised

-to take people to their dachas.

-Shaman shashlik!

-Baikal shashlik!

-Baikal shashlik!

-

-Baikal shashlik.

-These kebabs have been prepared

-the Baikal way.

-I'm really looking forward to them.

-The recipe was given to Alex

-by the shamans of Lake Baikal.

-The secret is safe with him,

-he says.

-I'd never tasted better kebabs.

-I received a very traditional

-Russian welcome.

-Spasiba, Alex - and dos vedanya.

-And dos vedanya to Lake Baikal. I

-hopped back on the Trans-Siberian...

-..and headed for Buryatia's

-capital city - Ulan-Ude...

-..'red river'

-in the Buryat language.

-You needed special permission

-to visit Ulan-Ude until 1987.

-There's usually

-a wonderful view behind me.

-The Cossacks established the town

-here in 1666.

-Today, we can see very little.

-And the reason -

-the forests around us are on fire.

-This is smoke -

-and it's hurting my eyes!

-It's been like this for a fortnight.

-We couldn't see the sun, but it

-was warm and humid in Ulan-Ude.

-Everyone was queuing for kvass -

-a thirst-quenching root beer.

-The welcome was warm, too!

-HE SPEAKS RUSSIAN

-Do you speak Welsh?

-HE SPEAKS RUSSIAN

-It wasn't the weather

-to buy a fur hat...

-..but this is one

-of the best places to buy one.

-I decided I had to try one.

-Too warm!

-Look, Mam!

-I must admit, I liked this hat -

-except for the pompoms.

-But it was 50!

-No - I didn't buy it.

-But I know I should have.

-Away from the hustle and bustle

-lies a Buddhist monastery.

-The Ivolginsky Datsan.

-Russia's largest Buddhist centre.

-Hello.

-Good to see you here.

-You're welcome

-to the Buddhist centre.

-A trainee monk called Chingis

-welcomed me.

-He gave me the history

-of the datsan.

-All other datsans were destroyed

-during the Soviet era.

-Stalin allowed this one

-to be rebuilt in 1946.

-Explain now - what is this place?

-This is the building of the Buddhist

-institution - Dashi Choinkorlin.

-The trainee monks

-are taught many things.

-Analysis of old Tibetan articles,

-mathematics, English...

-..and when I heard they knew about

-Wales because of Llanfairpwll...

-..the next lesson became very clear.

-Llanfair...

-Llanfair...

-

-Llanfair...

-..pwllgwyngyll...

-..goger...

-..ychwyrndrobwll...

-..ychwyrndrobwll...

-..llan...

-..llan...

-

-..llan...

-..tysilio...

-..tysilio...

-

-..tysilio...

-..gogogoch.

-..gogogoch.

-

-..gogogoch.

-Well done! They speak Welsh!

-When they're not in class,

-the monks pray and meditate.

-I truly enjoyed my visit

-to the datsan.

-It must be a special place - the

-Dalai Lama has been here five times.

-On I went to explore

-the rest of Buryatia.

-The forests were still burning.

-Just outside Ulan-Ude,

-they've built their own St Fagans...

-..as a reminder

-of Buryatia's history.

-You can see

-how the Evenki used to live...

-..there are houses

-built by Buryats...

-..and there are houses

-from the early Russian period.

-In such a densely wooded area...

-..you wouldn't expect them

-to build brick houses!

-The museum is truly fascinating,

-with old shaman teepees...

-..but this was my favourite building

-- an old Buryat home.

-The Buryats were a nomadic tribe...

-..but in the 19th century,

-they started settling down.

-This is a traditional Buryat house.

-This type of house would

-normally belong to rich people.

-There's a place for everything

-and everything has its place.

-They all slept together here -

-here's a wonderful baby's cot.

-A hole in the ground for a fire.

-There is one thing I don't like.

-Women stayed on that side,

-men on this side.

-Women prepared the food there...

-..men ate it here

-but women ate it over there.

-Other than that, I love it here.

-If I had one,

-I'd live on both sides.

-From the traditional way of life

-in Buryatia...

-..on I went to the far east

-of Russia.

-This is the modern city

-of Chabarovsk...

-..on the banks of river Amur.

-I'm only 25kms from China, but this

-looks like a very European city.

-During the day, Chabarovsk is quiet.

-At night, it comes alive

-down on the river banks.

-This is where people drink,

-find love...

-..and catch the boat back

-to their dachas.

-Some are happy to watch

-the sun set...

-..and pretend they're not

-being bitten by mosquitos!

-It's time for me to move on

-once more.

-I'm going to cross the sea

-to the island of Sakhalin.

-The island is the same size

-as Scotland and very close to Japan.

-Russia and Japan have fought

-over the island for centuries.

-Sakhalin was once home

-to society's down-and-outs.

-Chekhov visited the island in 1890

-and said it was hell.

-It's improved since then

-but it's still an odd place.

-The old Soviet buildings contrast

-with the grandeur of Chabarovsk.

-There's plenty of money here thanks

-to oil, gas, coal and uranium.

-But little of it is returned

-to the local economy.

-There are some grand buildings.

-This is one of them - the museum.

-It contains artefacts from a time

-before Russians lived here.

-Some of the tribes

-had very peculiar customs.

-One tribe worshipped bears.

-They would capture a bear cub

-and choose a woman to rear it.

-She had to breast-feed it. Aw!

-When it had grown up,

-they would honour it by killing it.

-They would eat its meat

-and make clothes from its fur.

-People lived on Sakhalin before

-the Japanese and Russians arrived.

-There were the Nivkhs,

-the Oroks and the Ainus.

-The Ainus moved to Japan,

-there are very few Oroks left...

-..but 2,000 Nivkhs still live here.

-Unfortunately, only the old people

-speak the language.

-The youngsters don't speak it.

-A way of life is disappearing.

-Before long, another race

-will only exist in a museum.

-Sakhalin came to the world's

-attention in 1995...

-..when it was hit by the biggest

-earthquake in Russian history.

-Its plants are world-renowned.

-Some are familiar enough.

-Who'd have thought it?

-This botanic garden has many

-indigenous varieties of plants.

-Most of these plants

-are in my garden.

-But here, they're covered in snow

-for six months of the year.

-This much snow!

-They're very proud

-of their plants here.

-That's in my garden.

-So is that.

-And that.

-But these aren't.

-Some of these

-would come in handy in Wales.

-Sakhalin is renowned

-for its gigantic plants.

-These are still young - within a few

-months they'll be bigger than us.

-I've reached the most

-eastern point of Sakhalin.

-This is the end of my journey

-through Russia.

-That's the Pacific Ocean.

-But it's not pacified today.

-I knew Russia was big.

-It's more than that - it's gigantic.

-I've come all the way from Saratov

-to Sakhalin.

-It's been an epic trip.

-I've enjoyed every minute of it.

-All good things must come to an end.

-Russia ends here.

-The Sea of Okhotsk is over there.

-North America lies beyond that -

-that's my next port of call.

-As Yuri Gagarin once said -

-'poyekhali'.

-Dos vedanya, Russia.

-Next week, I'll be in Alaska

-and the Rockies in Canada.

-Somehow, I feel I belong there.

-S4C subtitles by

-TROSOL Cyf.