We're getting the train to Mongolia tonight from Irkutsk.  We're also going to be staying in a Mongolian Ger camp on one of the nights, which I'm really excited about.  Our trip on the railway so far has been really fun.  We were in 'cattle class' on the first 3 days from Moscow, which meant an open sleeper carriage with 40 other people.  It was a bit stinky and cramped, but fine otherwise, and we're on a tour with  22 other people from Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Finland, Sweden and the UK, so there's been plenty of people to hang out with.  The local people from Russia and China we've met along the way have also been really sweet, and sharing food etc. 

We've just spent a couple of days in lake baikal which was beautiful, and we had a traditional russian sauna 'banya' which was amazing.  Been on some walks in the woods by the lake, up to an observatory for incredible views.  Eaten some fish from lake baikal - which exists no where else in the world!