Once we got off our train, we organised our stuff and then made our way to the station building. We wanted to try and see if we would be able to change one of our tickets here, but no luck. We were sent from window to window, using our poor Russian to ask for directions to the ticket counter. In the end, we did find the correct counter, but we were unable to change the ticket. Even with the help of some of the people in the line (who again waited very patiently), we did not make much progress. We were told how much it would cost to change (an astronomical amount), so we passed. We think that there must have been a miscommunication or she was trying to discourage us from changing (the paperwork is a real headache).
So, after that futile exercise, we head outside to catch a taxi to our hotel. After a bit of negotiation, we arrange for a taxi to take us there. They claim they know where out hotel is, but as soon as we get near to the area, the driver is asking us how to get there. It gets a little exasperating after a while when he keeps on asking and starts to get a bit angry. But we are clearly foreign tourists, so how should we know how to get there. In the end, we ask a number of people and they are able to point us in the right direction. We have to go into a courtyard formed by a number of residential blocks. Even then it is not easy as there is no sign on the door or the building. But, after asking one more person, we are able to identify the building and ring the door bell.
We are not staying at a real hotel. It is the Academy of Geology's residence for visiting professors and scholars, but they will make rooms available to others if they are free. It turns out to be a very nice place. The staff are friendly and the rooms are spacious and clean. We soon settle down into our room and quickly organise our stuff. Then it is time to head out for a quick look around the city to get our bearings and to have a bite to eat. We also hope to check our emails.
So, around 6 PM we wander out and head down the main street towards the center of town. Along the way we pass the Opera & Ballet Theater. We spend quite some time looking for the internet cafe. The one located on the guidebook map has long since disappeared. But with the kind help of a number of strangers, we are able to find one located in the post office building. The only good thing to come out of this wandering is that it allows us to get a good feel for the city and it's streets.
On our way back to the hotel, we have some difficulty in finding a place to eat, so in the end we just stop off in one of the fast food places where we can point at the food that we want. We are back in the hotel around 9 PM and spend the rest of the evening having a long awaited shower and working on our journals.