I
therefore decided this time to try staying in a youth hostel. I hadn't
stayed in a hostel since my trip through Asia in 1999. Not that I was
really looking forward to doing so again, but since I was looking at
spending three nights in Moscow it seemed like the prudent option,
especially as--thanks to our wildly successful president--the US dollar
now buys thirty percent less abroad than it did just a few years ago.
So,
I went online and looked to see what was available. I'd stayed in a
hostel once in Moscow--some place near Prospekt Mira where I'd stayed
back in 1998. That place was closed, but to my surprise I found several
listings for places, all of them offering a bed in a six-person room
for about $30 a night. I made a reservation for two nights at a place
called the Sweet Moscow Hostel on Arbat street, but had to book my
third night at a different place, since the Sweet was full on Saturday.
To
put it mildly, the Sweet was not so sweet, but I guess it was a good
enough deal, considering most of the alternatives. The good part about
it was the location--right on Arbat Street, close to the action. But
man, it was really packed. My six-person room actually contained nine
people, and the room was really small and cluttered with people's
belongings. On the plus side, they did give us storage lockers where we
could put valuables. On the negative side, I think I slept about thirty
minutes my first two nights here.
The
place where I'm staying now is more expensive--$40--but is considerably
better. Because of the price and location (a bit farther out, near 1905
Revolution Street station), it's less crowded. There are seven beds in
a large room, but only three of them are occupied. They've got wireless
internet which is good, and which is the reason why I've been able to
update the site today. All in all, I'd probably even stay here again.
Both
of these places are unofficial hostels. They are basically just
apartments with loads of beds in them. There are no markings outside,
nor are there any other indication that they are hostels. Neither of
the places I've stayed in appear to register passports, either.
All
in all, however, the 1905 place is pretty good. Only two of the rooms
have beds in them, and the living room is comfortable and a good place
to hang out. The building is new, and the kitchen and bathrooms are
well-appointed and very clean. The guy who runs it, Karim, was also
very friendly, and I actually enjoyed spending time here, so go figure.
Anyway, Ufa
awaits me with a 7:30 flight tomorrow morning, so I must be getting
some sleep. For those of you who haven't been there, Ufa is about 900
miles east of Moscow, north of Kazakhstan. I was there for a few weeks
in 2005 and liked it pretty much--I'm hoping that at least I won't be
sleeping nine to a room there!
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