Псков и Печоры

So for the last weekend in Russia Tim and I travelled to Псков (Pskov). Pskov is about the same size as Novgorod. But we quickly realized that there aren't as many people walking the streets and the town reeks of eeriness. There are dogs that have creepy barks and other things too. Well the first day we walked around the city. We saw the Kremlin and the cathedral inside. We both noticed that the Kremlin in Pskov is nothing like the Kremlin in Novgorod. Novgorod's Kremlin at least has some other buildings inside, but Pskov's only had a cathedral and open ground. Tim made the comment that it resembles Forts out in the American West. Only walls and not much inside. We also went to the Museum there it was very interesting, they actually had to kick us out. There was an exhibit on The Great Patriotic War (WW II), icons (don't need to see anymore icons for a long time) and village life. We found that the people in Pskov were much more talkative towards us. We'll these kids asked for our help b/c their friend was puking, drunk, wet his pants, and so Tim helped pick him up w/another guy and brought him to a railing. An Orthodox priest blessed us later in the Kremlin. Immediately asked us which state we were from and then asked us if we were Christians. I told him yes and that I was Catholic and he told us how we all believe in the same God and then he blessed us. People also asked us for directions around town, I being a foreigner would have said, "Sorry, I'm not from Pskov." But Tim w/his trusty map would look on the map and try to help them out and he did. I thought it was a little bit funny that the Pskovians got help around their city by an American. hehe.

On Sunday morning someone set the trash can on fire (b/c he didn't put his cigarette out completely) in the toilet room of our hostel even though it is forbidden to smoke in the hostel/bathroom. That day we went to Pechori. On the way we saw a huge sign for a Kolkoz (collective farming from the time of the USSR), that was exciting for us. But the monastery at Pechori was really neat. Imagine a bunch of small orthodox monasteries placed in a valley and surrounded by a wall. On the bus ride back, the man sitting next to me asked if he could look through my Lonely Planet Russia and Belarus book, I said yes. He was looking through it with his girlfriend and he came to a page and told me there was a mistake in the spelling of a city. I told him to write down the correct way and we started talking for the rest of the busride. I found out that he is from the Agin-Buryat Autonomous District, it borders the Mongolia. He asked what we were doing here. I asked him why he was so far away from home, he tells me he is serving in the army. I asked him if he can do Mongolian throat-singing and he told me no I'm not able to do it. But his girlfriend brought out her cellphone and had us listen to some throat-singing, very cool. Tim asked him to speak some Buryat for us and he did, also very cool. It's related to Mongolian. He also told me that book is wrong saying that the Buryat language is Turkic. It's Mongolian. Sunday night Tim and I walked around the city, we saw towers, churches, and a ferris wheel. I arrived back in Novgorod yesterday. My host sister Ксеня left for Dubai yesterday. She told me that she and her friend decided to go there only a couple days ago! ha! I said goodbye to her. Today I have to pack for I will be leaving Russia tomorrow morning. Can't believe it has gone by so quickly. When I get back I'll post pictures up.