Omsk

[Louie]

Thanks for the trip report and the pictures, after looking and reading your report, I cant wait to go myself, I will be going to Volzhsky in Late Aug to see the lady I have been talking to, and look forward to spending time with her, she has such a great sense of humor and makes me laugh all the time

[Muj]

We headed over to the main Aftobus Stanstia to catch our mashroutka to the village get away. The trip was about 1:15 on roads that would stop a Sherman tank from passing and occasionally were all dirt. We get there get into the room which was decent looking but with 2 single beds (when we asked about a double they just told us to push them together, okay well, eta Roosia so we did) and unpacked a bit. They do have a indoor tennis court, a sauna with a warm mineral water pool (I say pool but it was only about 8 X 8 ), a billiard room, a shashlyk and picnic area for parties in the center of the area, a badminton/volleyball area, a kids playground, and horse rides just down the road. And yes, each activity does cost extra so we decided to just chill this evening and start doing things tomorrow.

We went for a walk around the village and around the complex. Parts of the village make rural Kentucky look wealthy in comparison but at one end of the village was a little mansion with air conditioners and satellite dishes on the house, an 8 foot fence around the whole place (with at least 5 large dogs barking their heads off inside the yard), a two car garage with a security camera over it and 2 brand new large SUVs in the driveway. Politician, lawyer, mafia? Maybe all of the above. So we get back to the room and slept our little butts off until about 6 or so in the morning when we get up and go for another walk through the village and try out the tennis court to kill some time and keep busy until breakfast which is not until 10. The food here was very good. Simple fare, but very well done and plenty of it.

After breakfast we got them to start up the sauna for us and played some pool while we waited then grabbed a couple of beers for me and some juice for Elena and went to sweat and soak for a bit. I think the place was a former Olympic training facility that they were trying to get up to speed to be a resort. The management was a little disorganized but so far so good for us. Another walk after lunch then dinner and we were pretty much ready to chill for the evening.

Night of the attack! We go to sleep and during the night we feel a bite here and a bite there and we both were thinking that we were just imagining it and not really being bitten. About 3 in the morning we’ve had it. Either bugs or our imaginations we get up and turn on the light. Well now, I look at my arm and there are a dozen or so little tiny black flies on it and a few hundred flying around us. There is a screen on the window but these are TINY little monsters. That was enough for us. Cheap or not it is not what we want to spend our time doing and it is too hot to sleep with the window closed. Since we are already invaded we shower, pack up, head into town and catch the mashroutka back to the city literally covered with hundreds of little bites that are starting to itch like crazy. Another wild ride back to town and were back at the flat and Baba Klava is making blini and peroushki. I do love the food here!

Village and resort pics:

Nice trip report Ken!  Great pics !  The mural on the house reminds me of PA Dutch hex signs on painted on houses and barns. 
Black flies, way worse than mosquitoes.

[catzenmouse]

Nice trip report Ken!  Great pics !  The mural on the house reminds me of PA Dutch hex signs on painted on houses and barns. 
Black flies, way worse than mosquitoes.

Engaged,

 They reminded me of the PA Dutch decorations also. I've met several different versions of black flies (In Alberta, Nova Scotia, and Michigan) but these were even smaller than those ones and they must have smelled that new tourist blood and went nuts. I guess we weren't bothered the first night because they were out gathering up the army to storm the castle so to speak. It's been almost three weeks and we still have the bite marks and they still itch. Maybe they are some super secret new weapon for world domination...?!?

Ken

[Michelangelo]

Another thing I like here is the billiards they have. All white balls with one red one that you break with. After that you can use any ball as the cue and shoot at anything you want. The balls are bigger and the pockets are smaller so it is a real challenge but a lot of fun and a great way to get to know the in-laws better.

Ha!  I also played billiards with a girl last year in Ukraine.  I'm ok at pool.  But at billiards, she creamed me. 

Actually Ken, the pockets are MUCH smaller in billards.  Maybe that's why I got skunked. LOL

[2tallbill]

I have a pool table in my garage and I was killed by a Ukrainian woman about 10 games to one.

Good time however. Great trip Report

Bill

[Voyageur]

Great trip report Ken and great pictures. This winter we will be returning back to Stavropol for Happy New Year and Russian Christmas. I can't wait to return, all my wife's relatives are counting the days until they see their grand-daughter again.   Our circumstances are somewhat like yours with regards to K-2 adjustment of status. I hope everything gets cleared up for you.

[catzenmouse]

2Tall, Voyager,

 Thanks much! I need to get back and finish this. Stupid "real life" is really interfering with my RWD time!!! 

Voyager,
 We're hoping this time around the K2 will go through. If they screw around with us again I think Elena will just say "To hell with this country and leave". Can't say that I feel much different either.

2Tall,
 Good thing for me Igor was about my level of pool. We did see some real sharks in the pool hall. Probably looking for someone like me to take all my roubles.

Ken

[groovlstk]

thanks for a great TR, Ken. I cracked up when I read your comments about the pull-out beds and the lack of shelf space in Russian bathrooms! If I had to sleep on one of those sofa beds I'd end up like Stephen Hawking in a few months.

[catzenmouse]

Thanks Groovlstk but mine are no where near as interesting as yours! BTW, really happy for you how its working out for you this time. Lots of folks here are pulling for you too!

Ken