After getting to bed around 9PM last night, I awoke nearly 13 hours later at around 10AM. I definitely needed some good sleep and I did sleep pretty well. The bed is comfortable and the sheets were clean. I did wake up for a little bit at around 10:30PM and was surprised to see that the sun was still up! Since we're so far north, this doesn't surprise me but time will tell how it messes with my sleep patterns.

I was able to take a hot shower this morning which was very pleasant. Brushing my teeth this morning was a little bit of a surprise... The water was initially a deep rust color but it slowly faded back to clear. I had been warned about this and I plan to use bottled water for all my hygiene needs for the remainder of the month. In regards to bottled water, you have to ask for воду без газа ('vadoo bez gaza', water without gas) when you buy it because carbonated water is far more popular here and is the standard when you order. Most drinks come bottled and you are served a glass along with it. I did try my first traditional drink, квас (kvas), which is a non-alcoholic bread based drink. It tastes kind of like a dark beer but with a bit more sweet. It is still a little bitter for my taste and I probably won't be drinking it often.

For the most part, I'm all settled in to the room. Everything seems to work and there is nothing to complain about!