Not in Kansas anymore

Unless you visit, there is simply no way to describe this world giant. To give you some perspective, consider their little sister....Canada This area has more natural resources than any area of the world and spans many multiple time zones. The name of this area means 'the sleeping land'.

One of the best ways to give you an impression of the size is to discuss the infamous gulag system. When one thinks of a gulag or prison, visions of guards with guns, electrified fences and so on come to mind. Here most of the gulags did not have fences or any kind of barrier to keep people in. With freezing temperatures in the winter, huge rivers of mud and water in the summer, the land formed a natural gulag for many of the prisoners. If a prisoner escaped from a gulag, there was simply nowhere to go. The gulags were not even heavily guarded. In fact, many gulags in remote areas didn’t even have fences. The closest population center might be 1,000 miles away. In the 1700's, this area became a place of exile. It continued to be "the last stop" for criminals and political exiles throughout much of the 20th century. There is even a city that is in fact known as the “City of Exiles.”

But don't think that's all the locals have to offer. There are many who work on the Railway or in the massive natural resource industries. Here you can find tremendously large oil, gold, timber and diamond deposits. With the turn to capitalism, the country is making a major effort to take advantage of such resources. This has led to a population explosion in cities. The diamond deposits here are so extensive, other countries pay them not to mine because of a fear the diamond market would collapse. Gold is so plentiful that a $2,000 gold bracelet costs about $35 in local cities as of 2004.

Most people, when the think of this area, they think of nothing but the freezing cold, I can tell you it does get “Oh, my goodness” cold in the winter. Temperatures can drop into the –40s. In the spring and summer, however, temperatures can reach as high as 110 degrees. Bet you didn't know that. With such a massive area, the climates and temperatures fall all over the map. Think about how many different temps the US has. This places has more.

If you thought everything was big in Texas.... you don't know big. Big Lake B is the largest fresh water lake in the world. Fed by over 300 rivers, the lake is really an inland sea. The lake has over 30 islands. If you drained all of the water from lakes Superior, Erie, Huron, Michigan and Ontario, you still couldn’t fill Lake Baikal. Standing on one shore, you cannot see the other side. It is simply huge.

This is one of the few locations in the world still considered to be an untamed adventure travel destination. You can fish, hike, camp, hunt, drink vodka, ski, swim, take in a spa and do just about anything you like. The locals are universally friendly and can tell one heck of a story.

When we were in Estonia we talked about meteors. Here with some of the largest plains, your going to find some massive meteor impact that flattened trees for hundreds of mile, but the fun part is that it takes almost five years to investigate because officials could not get to the remote locations.

Now Tigger, we all know is a cute cuddle and bouncy friend of Winney the Pooh. But here you find a tiger more regal and less bouncy. These burly creatures can weigh up to 850 pounds and are about 10 to 12 feet in length. That's one big kitty. These kitties need up to 20lbs of meat a day to survive. They primarily eat deer, elk, and wild pigs and Monkeys, fowls, frogs and fish if they are on hard times. but I wouldn't press your luck, you are nothing but fast food to them.

I've dived in many areas, but to say you've dived in such a remote place, is something for your journal. Two thirds of the plants and animals found here are found no where else in the world. We've all ready talked about this lake being the largest, but it is also the deepest and the oldest Scientists determine the age of 25 – 30 million years old, is one of the oldest lakes in the world.

aaaaaand one of the most seismically active intercontinental regions of the globe. Strong earthquake in 7 points occur with a periodicity of 1-2 years.