Catering to Faults: Let's Do This Thing!

Ok so, long story short and since my resources are somewhat limited, we have, in the last week, travel on the below schedule:
Monday: Minsk (no internet)
Tuesday - Thursday: Narich (limited internet)
Friday: in transit Narich to Zaslonava (no internet)
Saturday: Zaslonava to Vitebsck to Orsha (nor Orich, sorry about the typo before) (no internet)
Sunday: Orsha (no internet)
Monday: Orsha to Zaslonava.

As you can see we have been rather busy travelling around the northern parts of Belarus.

Now that we are back in a somewhat more stationary portion of our adventures it is time to update you with some much requested pictures.

So last week before the travelling commenced Igor took me on what can only be termed an off-roading bicycle adventure. Since it had only been a mere 7 or so years since I had ridden a bicycle for longer than 3 minutes it was only fitting that it would be on this bike delivered from 1970.

"the blue bruiser"

We road a wonderful 6 mile ride a long...."good road," which at the time I thought was not really the truth but now I know is, with the exception of certain highways and heavily travelled road, to his grandmothers house (fathers mother). This bike got the name "The Blue Bruiser" a little later when my rather cushioned rear end feel as though it was being abused by the not so nice seat it was being accosted by.

This village, which according to Igor used to have about 60 + people, now has probably some where closer to 20, no running water or flushing toilets. But for all this that would deter most people it has its own kind of peaceful serenity. And the water and toilet situation, I have come to find are not really uncommon here.

In a way the village it a testament to the changes that are taking place all over. The families that once were born and grew old together in one place are now spread out. Children have left the village for the cities. The houses of the grandmothers and grandfathers get abandoned to time and nature left to take them back into her arms.

According to Igor he hardly even recognizes the places were he used to play and were he has so many fond, and some not so wonderful memories. Though I cannot relate to this completely I can image that if I were to return to Benicia and see all the areas where we used to swim, play and grow covered by trees, brush, thistle, and nettle so thick that you can't walk through it, I would feel the same sort of sadness.

As has been famously stated more times that I can count: "You can never really go home again" for everything is always changing. the world doesn't stop when we leave it, it just keeps moving on.