Shortly
after arriving I entered an upscale hotel in the center of town
hoping someone behind the desk could not only speak English but would
direct me to the street where my intended homestay was located. I
found my paladin in the form of a woman named Alana. Not only did she
call someone to pick me up and bring me to the homestay (she was
friends with the wife of the son of the owners or something along
those lines) she also changed money for me, called the Ministry Of
Foreign Shit on my behalf, and even smiled. I am amazed how much I
have come to appreciate a smile. Sometimes it pays to be tall and
helpless.
Upon
arriving at the homestay I discovered that the owners' daughter also
spoke English. It was like friggin Christmas. At one point the
owner/mother of said daughter made an attempt to warn me about the
Russian miscreant in the room adjacent to mine. Apparently, he was an
unsavory type. She kept advising me to lock my door, put my bags in
the wardrobe, and keep my window locked. The truth is my Russian is a
little non-existent so you could say I was a teensy bit confused. At
one point her husband put a screen of metal bars (I helped) on my
window. Who the hell was this guy? Hitman? Bank robber? Insurance
salesman?
