We're back....

B: Hey D, looks like we're back in Novgorod. You're right, it is starting to seem kind of like home. The ladies at the hotel are nice enough, it's pretty comfortable (No A/C, but there's at least a screen in the window and we have hot water) and of course, this town has electricity.

D: yep, i know we do not like backtracking but i am glad that we came back to novgorod from that little town valday. i understand the meaning of "a one horse town"...there was actually only one horse. valday was nice, but when half of the town loses electricity it might be high time to high-tail it out of there. did you see the water pumps at the end of the streets??? no running water. no one pumping water. maybe that is why there was no electricity? it is good to be back where there is at least one english menu in the city.

B: Valday wasn't bad for a couple days. The lake is pretty and don't get the wrong idea folks, we had running water and an indoor toilet and everything at our hotel (just don't ask about the construction paper--I mean toilet paper) was fine. It was just a little more rural than we've experienced, but it was definitely a lot more "real" Russia.

D: to all you okies...it makes talala look like beverly hills! to all you texans, and few new yorkers, google talala....EXACTLY!

B: We had some pretty great food both nights in town. It took us about an hour each time to decipher the menus, but we're pretty sure what "cold appetizer" is and what "cheese and mushrooms" looks like in Cryllic. Luckily, both nights we ran into people about our age from Moscow who knew English and were in the area for a weekend vacation. They were really nice and helped us not starve. We'll have pictures posted someday.

D: do not get it twisted, we have eaten well, but it is not always what we ordered or thought we ordered. we could talley up how many times we have ordered something and it was not what we wanted. like dinner last night...ordering our appitizer and then not realizing that we ordered it AGAIN as our meal. cheesy mushrooms though, you cannot go wrong. it's really funny, we will look at the food, look at eachother, smile very graciously at the waitress so's not to insult her, and talk through our teeth..."what in the hell is this? this is not what we ordered?...oh, oh...dah dah...uhhhmmmm, gracias! i mean, spa-si-ba! didn't they eat this on FEAR FACTOR?"

B: I really liked the hotel in Valday. I got one of my previously-mentioned wishes fulfilled when the lady opened the door for us and we saw that we actually had a double bed that slept two. The place was across the street from a truck stop though...That brings me to another point. Transportation in Russia. So far whether it's been train, bus or taxi, it's all the same. When the bus pulls up you get kind of not-the-best feeling. It looks a little ratty. You get inside and it looks a little ratty as well, but guess what? It runs on time, smells like air freshener and is really comfortable (even has legroom). We rode a couple of fancy Western European buses when in the Netherlands and Poland, and they were cramped and late. These Russian taxis and buses have plenty of room, have A/C (more likely an open window) and are cheap as heck. Our two hour ride from Valday to Novgorod today cost about $7 apiece. We've yet to pay more than $4 for a taxi ride anywhere.

D: we have learned not to ask the price of a taxi. just hand over the money. we went from paying about 60-70 mruble per taxi ride (about $2.50-$3.50) to $2. just hand them the money and do not give them the opportunity to tell you how much the ride will be. they were making a killing off of us, but we learned quickly!!!! hahahah! b-n-d always stickin' it to the man! what can i say, we are cheap as hell!

B: Our goal for the next day or two is to figure out where to go next. Russia is kind of a weird deal. We had to apply for a visa (permission to enter the country) months before we left. Now that we've crossed the border, we can't leave and come back without reapplying for another visa (which is expensive and time consuming). Our train doesn't leave Moscow for Beijing until Aug 24, so that means we're kinda looking around for new things to see until then.

D: i'm hungry...

B: After Novgorod we'll probably head south to the Moscow area. We've been told that there is a "Golden Ring" of historical cities we should check out around Moscow before actually heading in for a few nights of Red Square and all that. Hopefully by the time we hit Moscow we'll find an internet cafe that will let us post come of the 7 disks worth of photos we've accumulated since the last time we put stuff up. Speaking of internet cafes, Deni is going to tell you about a weird phenomenon we've noticed in Russian Internet cafes...

D: thanks for putting me on the spot b...well, porn is not something you really talk about openly in america, but you now these europeans. nudity and sex is just a part of their culture and they tend to be very open about their sexuality. no worries there. bill and i are just happily typing away on emails to grandma and updating the blog. i look to my side and a guy is looking at porn. very openly, looking at boobies. something like that would not bother me, but in plain sight where everyone and the dog could see it? it is not like just boobies, it was a bit more grapphic and i actually covered myself up! so we continue with our posting and what not, and i notice a couple of other guys just doing a porn run. as much as their 50 rubles would get them. i do not even want to think about what the greasy guy in the dark corner all by himself was doing or looking at. there was even a guy looking at gay porn. again, to each and their own, but there is not discreetness about internet pron what so ever. "hey family! let's all go to the internet cafe and email grandma and tell her about all the fun things we are doing!....oh, the guy beside us is looking at porn? no big deal, everyone does here!"

B: I wish I could say she's exaggerating, but she's not. We were in the basement of The Hermitage, one of the most famous museums in the world in St. Petersburg and we were trying to line up a place to stay the next night online. I look over and two swarthy looking Russian dudes were checking out the nude ladies. No, not the famous nude paintings all over the museum by famous artists, but XXX nudes...bow-chica-bow-wow...

D: again, not to mention all the families there. and if you guys ever go to the hermitage, remember you do not have to dress up, especially if you work there...everyday is casual day at the hermitage. that's right guys, just put on your greasey garage one-sie or your sweatpants from 1985 and head on down. i'm ticked we did not get a picture of this!