AUG 11, 17 .. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE .. PART VI .. THE IVOLGINSKY DATSAN

IF you want to see map(s) showing where the IVOLGINSKY DATSAN is located, using the below link, please go to Dot.net:

babakaps.net/?p=27221
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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST THE 2nd, 2017

THE IVOLGINSKY DATSAN

"Captain? What is the odd looking word that you just wrote above and in the title?"

"THE IVOLGINSKY DATSAN?"

Oh yes Sports fans. This is an entirely, new-to-all-of-us, yet amazing attraction here in.. 

The Village of IVOLGINSK.. located in the..

THE REPUBLIC OF BURYATIA.. located in..

The Southern part of Eastern Siberia.. located in.. 

The Russian Federation.

 "Changer?" .. "Where are you when I need you to sound out this word IVOLGINSKY for us?"

OK. Datsan in the above title does NOT refer to a Japanese Automobile. As used in the Republic of Buryatia, in Buryat Buddhism, the terms DATSAN and BUDDHIST MONASTERY are interchangeable.

So there you have it.

The IVOLGINSKY DATSAN simply means the Buddhist Monastery located in the Village of Ivolginsk. 

Google Maps show this location as Ivolginsk. Wikipedia says that the monastery is located in the Village of Verkhnyaya Ivolga.

Whether you want to use the word Ivolginsk or the words Verkhnyaya Ivolga to describe the physical location of the monastery, it is located 23km South of the City of Ulan-Ude.

Rhetorical Statement : I am working longer hours and spending more time on this series of Russian Siberia Posts than I did when I was working as a Civil Engineer.

This, my six hundred and twenty second (622) Post on blogspot, will perhaps stand as the first, only, and maybe the last ever Post of yours truly to be considered as possibly a 'Gullible Class' effort.

I did NOT say it is. I merely said that maybe it might be in the eyes of some.

Photos please Captain.

En route North from the Mongolian / Russian Border to Ulan-Ude on Wednesday, August the 2nd, Saina and Deegi pulled off the main highway and drove into a small village to meet-up-with some friends.

That was all. No big deal. "Cap we are going to stop here for just a few minutes to visit some friends."

Unfortunately / or Fortunately, you make-the-call, I Your Captain, 'looked around'. I saw what I saw, and much to the dismay of Deegi, who had us on a tight-time-schedule to get to Ulan-Ude to meet Sergey, off I went to have a much closer 'look-see' at what I saw when I casually 'looked around' at our surroundings.

Below then is..

THE REST OF THE STORY. 

Driving North on the highway to Ulan-Ude, when we approached the below structure, we exited the highway.

I thought to myself as I looked at the structure in these photos.. 

"How odd. It looks like we are in China."

Little did I know : "Captain .. You haven't seen anything yet."

"Whoa!"

"How did we go from being on the road to Ulan-Ude in Russian Siberia to entering the outskirts of Beijing China?"

We parked.

I looked around.

I saw.

Walking fast, I took off to see more closely what I saw from a distance.

"Cap!" .. cried out Deegi as I was rapidly disappearing .. "Cap come back! We have to meet Sergey in Ulan-Ude and we don't have time to stop here Cap!"

Your Captain thought .. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity Deegi."

And I kept walking.

To quote Patti : "Nanook used to think.. If I don't look back and see Patti then she can't see me."

I did NOT look back at Deegi!

Deegi was thinking.. "Gee. I thought he had a recently surgically repaired left hip. Just look at him go!"

I wish I could have done better photographing the below orientation map, but I did the best I could.

It was just too large to capture in one photo.

I was 'on-a-tear'. I felt time-pressure from Deegi and I sure wanted to shoot all the photos I could shoot. 

There were guides showing groups around. 

I overheard one say about these buildings, "The Buddhist monks sleep in this area."

I may die and never know if I 'crashed-the-entry-gate' without paying an entry fee.

The below photos are pretty much in the order that I snapped them. Again, I was on-the-run and I was running.

Notice that this temple is primarily white-in-color.

"Gee Dad. Thank You Dad for photographing me. NO ONE ever takes my photo Dad."

Buddhist Prayer Wheels.

Below are photos of two, small gift shops, located near the entrance into the monastery.

I will close with these two thoughts.

I don't know what I saw.

But I KNOW that what I saw was very special.

With Love and With Respect to..

THE IVOLGINSKY DATSAN.

Cap