Olkhon Island, located off the Irkutsk side of the lake, is considered the sacred center of Lake Baikal. There are four tiny villages on the island, and it can only be reached by ferry. Despite no running water and no electricity, it is a wonderful place to visit, with beautiful beaches, gorgeous views of the lake, and no mosquitos. One of the benefits of no electricity is that the night sky is filled with the most amazing stars. I really regret that I was too busy staring with my mouth open to shoot any star shots. I hope this doesn’t change when the island gets electricity later this summer. Many of the shots feature shaman rock, the most famous landmark on Olkhon.