Day 10: Ulan Ude and the Old Believers Village

Helge and Karen stop in the "rolling hills of Siberia" to experience lunch at an Old Believer's village.

There are some 200,000 Old Believers living in Siberia; their forefathers settled here around 1765. According to our guidebook, the Old Believers are an Orthodox Christian sect who fled persecution from the doctrinal reforms of their church in the 17th century. In doing so, they avoided imprisonment, forced labor, execution and being burned alive. Some settled in the U.S., Canada, Brazil and even Australia while others, thanks to Catherine the Great and her religious tolerance reforms, settled in Siberia. Safe in their isolated communities, they've managed to preserve their culture. In 2001, they were recognized by UNESCO as one of 19 original "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity."

Karen finds the group welcoming and hospitable, and the travelers enjoy an organic meal of local favorites while being treated to the singing and musicianship that the Old Believers are famous for.

Karen and Helge then departed Russia and are making their way toward UlaanBaatar, Mognolia's capital, aboard the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express.

Continue to follow along on their adventure across this legendary journey or take a look back on the 3,485 miles they've traveled so far!