Day 34-38, To and around Omsk (300 km)

Day 34, 130 km

When I was finished with my couchsurfing request and my blog-updating I tried to sleep in the cheap Motel. My room was the first n a corridor, very close to the TV- and eating-room. More and more truck-drivers had come and they were speaking and laughing, trying to over-voice the TV. It was also very hot, about 18 degrees in my room, so I could not slep. At 03:30 I missed my tent so much that I decided to just get away to a nice wood. But it was so misty outside that I was worried about my safety. I had a reflective vest and a headlamp but the mist made the night completely dark. I could hear a nightingale close to the road but I could not see if it sat in a bush or in a tree. But suddenly the mist disappeared and I saw a nice wood. There I slept until 9.00, then I continued to Omsk. At noon I bought some groceries in a little town where the roads had wheel-tracks that could be 20-40 cm deep. People seemed to be happy anyway.

Day 35, 130km

The day I arrived in Omsk one of the first things I saw was IKEA. Omsk was bigger than I thought (about the same size as Stockholm), so in the end of the day I had cycled 130 km!

What do you think about the spelling?

I was tempted to go inside IKEA and see if I could buy some Swedish food as a gift for my hosts. But I did not know if they would like it. Instead I looked for a bicycle shop. On the way I also found a shop where I could help with the charger of my computer which had a gap in the connector. For only 50 RUB they soldered a new one on the cable!

In the afternoon I had found some bicycle shops who could help me but the solutions were that I had to change quite many parts and it should be quite expensive. 

So I said I should think about it. 

I bought some food at a supermarket and when I came out of it the bicycle seller and his friend Roman, who was a owner of an Restaurant, invited me for lunch. They wanted to practise their English. Roman ordered a lot of Caucasian specialities. When I said that It was much too much, he replied that he could give me the left overs in a "doggy bag". He told me that everything was home-made, even the cheese. 

He had a two months old daughter and his dream was to buy a lot of land an grow his own food without fertilizers and chemicals. His restaurant was a way to make this dream come true.

In the evening I continued to my hosts. Alexis was member of couchsurfing but unfortunately was his flat right now renovated so he could not host me. Instead he had asked his friends Kate and John if I could sleep there. 

All three were expecting me, helped me and my bags up the flat and invited me to a great dinner. For my sake they had googled on a recipe for Swedish salad. Amongst others it was made of sausage similar to "Falukorv".

They told me that they were (motor-)bikers but Kate had no license yet. She wanted to get in the very next day.

Day 36, 10 km

Next day Alex came to show me the town. We decided to take my bike on a bus and go down-town together. 

First we made some business-cards for me and then went to the bicycle repair shop. On the way to it we passed the Musical Theatre. On the front of it there was a square with beautiful fountains. 

 While these pictures were taken the speakers around the square played Euphoria, a very popular song in Russia!

Alex had asked one of his friends where the best bicycle shop was. There they really had chain rings in the right size. So I did not have to change the axis and crank set. They could change cassette, chain and chain ring for a low price (1700 RUB) the same day, so we left the bike there.

In the afternoon John and Kate joined us. They also wanted to show the town. First they showed me this very old building. It is a workman's building which was built 1716, the same year as Omsk was established.

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Omsk also  had one Metro Station. There was no Metro yet, but it had been planned since about 30 years. Now people were planning to initialize it 2016, when the town had its 300 anniversary. 

 We also passed a huge library, called Pushkin library.

 And a famous church.

 And one of the old entrances to the town (now there is no more walls)

 I was astonished how many big beautiful buildings there were!

 But there was also much space and many trees between them.

 Kate and John told me that they had been married for one year and that they should celebrate their anniversary next afternoon in a wood. They invited me to join them. 

A very famous sight of Omsk is Stephen the plumber. He looked a little tired but happy. 

 I liked him!

Omsk is not only a green city but there are also many flowers everywhere.

In the evening we went to a bar and tasted some beer. I tested a red ale which was delicious! 

Then we went to get my bicycle. I rode it home while Kate and John took the bus. Then we ate smoked fish. Suddenly I thought I had got a bone between my teeth but actually one of my teeth had split into two parts. I told Kate and John that I needed to go to a dentist next morning.

Day 37, no bicycling

Next morning John followed me to a dentist. He pulled out a big part of my tooth.

He said he could not mend it because he was only surgeon and there were no dentist working on Sundays. He said that unfortunately no dentist had time for me next day. But when I told him that I had planned to continue my trip round the world as soon as possible he said there was possibly a little time for me.

In the afternoon we went to the wood to have a picknick with Kates and Johns friends. 

Already the day before, they had shown me a whole book with photos from their wedding. It was a typical Russian wedding, exactly as I had read about  when I was studying Russia at the university.

Now we were about 15 persons in a beautiful recreation area.  

Everybody was between 20 and 30 besides of me and a baby boy. 

Everybody was curious about me but because of the difference in age and the language barrier it was in the beginning not so easy to come in contact with them. 

Kates brother caught a hazel-mouse with his hands! 

 We unpacked all cars,

 toasted for the married

 and made up two fires for a barbecue.

Finally we had a really good atmosphere. In Russia you say "after three beers you can speak all languages". But here it seemed as if also one beer did help. We stayed there for many hours and had a really good time with a lot of delicious food.

Almost all of them wanted to meet again in the evening and to take a walk in Omsk. So we did. We went to a square where almost 300 years ago a man called Buchholz had decided that they should build a town. I was where the river Om joined the river Irtysh.

 There was also an old cannon.

Then we went for a long walk to the other side of Om, were there once had been a fort.

Day 38, 30 km

Next day I packed all my bags, then I went to the dentist. When I came there she already knew who I was and that I was travelling. She could not English or German but to be certain that I really understood what she said she several times called somebody who could translate.
After she had investigated my tooth and rinsed it channels she said that I should cone back next day so we could continue.

First I called John and asked if I could stay one more night. Then I explored the town once again on my bicycle. Finally I stopped at the Pushkin Library where I read German literature about Geography and tried to update my Blog. When I had done it unfortunately everything disappeared! It happened because there was no wifi and I had been using my own internet, although the connection was bad in the middle of the building.

Then I rode to the Caucasian Restaurant but Roman was not there. Anyway I got a delicious Caucasian soup.

Finally I rode "home" again to Johns and Kates place. They had invited Alex and his fiancée Alexandra for dinner. Alex had bought a big bottle of my favourite red ale and a miniature of Stephen the Plumber for me!

It was nice to meet them one more dinner - and Alexandra too!