The Volga Hotel is across from
the market, 5-7 min. walk from the bus station. Clean, quiet, $10-25/night for a double room. Call them at 8-08263-21636.
Don't forget to wait for the dial tone after 8, and to press the "talk"
button if using the public phone.
September 19, 2005
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Need your visa registered? I spoke to the Volga Hotel people and was assured that visa registration is no problem. It is done on the spot in their hotel's accounting office across the river. Need your visa registered in Moscow? No problem as of the moment of writing this. $25 total cost, including errand boy's tip for footwork. Done usually within a day. Outstayed your welcome? Visa problems? Yes, I can help you pay appropriate fined and do whatever is required for you to leave the country a minimum of fuss and without getting on the black list. Your problem can't be resolved? Try hiding at one of the nearby caves. Hot meals will be delivered for a small fee. Food parcels, books, and personal item delivery to prison can also be arranged. |
Of course you are most welcomed to stay with me in the Village of
Dubrovki, 5 miles down from Staritsa, on the left side of the Volga.
Take a look at
www.russian-horse-rides.com/izba.htm.
I am glad to say that my neighbours were inspired by my examples and now too offer grassroots hospitality in exchange for a bit of financial help. These two pages have no English translations but should give you an idea what it is like to stay with them:
- http://www.restplace.ru/ - This is my neighbour Nicolas. Same village but bigger and better house with a view onto the Volga river. The bad things is that your host is a chain smoker.
- Oops.. Link removed at site owner's request who attempted to read my English pages and mistakenly thought I'm blackmouthing him. Welcome to small-town idiocy, the Russian version. Those interested in exploring the limits of rationality and otherwise turning your trip into an exploration of semantic rather than geographical space are invited to consider my Misery Tourism (c) concept.
And no, suggesting that you stay in a cave was not a joke. I can avail you sleeping bags and blankets and whatever else you need to enjoy total dark and silence and humidity. This cave is a couple of miles down the Volga from my dacha. Temperature is +8C (????Fahrenheit) year round.