Free E-book on Palestine

Pamela Olson (www.pamolson.org) is a young writer whose work I admire and she is offering a free electronic version of her new book "Fast Times in Palestine" through Amazon (www.amazon.com.) Ms. Olson studied physics at Stanford, but has managed to make a name for herself as a travel writer about Siberia, the Middle East and other relatively exotic places. I want to read her book on Siberia especially, and as soon as I can figure out the Kindle thing I will have a look at the one on Palestine.
The e-book revolution seems to be upon us, with unknown results. For the moment, though, there is a lot of good reading available either free or at very low cost. As far as writers go, this is quite a mixed blessing, but I guess we all have to join the fray sooner or later. My friend and former co-author Susan Lukowski has recently published a mystery book set in Georgetown, one of the posh parts of the District of Columbia, and it is available as an e-book on Amazon for a mere 99 cents. The title is "Death is in the Details" by Alex Winter, Susan's nom de plume for this book.
I'm working on a short travel e-book myself and will let you know as soon as it is published.

Cruising on the Yenisey

Several years ago I was fascinated by a traveller's account of a trip on the Yenisey River of eastern Siberia. This river runs from southern Siberia all the way to the Arctic Ocean, and along its upper reaches it is the main transportation artery for many remote towns. I never was able to find any information on how to travel on this river, but have now discovered a way, thanks to the Lonely Planet Russia guidebook.
Sib Tour Guide (http://sibtourguide.com/) is a Website run by a resident of Krasnoyarsk who offers booking for Yenisey River cruises, as well as a homestay with the site owner and his family, and an apartment for rent in Krasnoyarsk, a town on the TransSiberian Railway. Nature lovers can also stay at a typical Russian dacha in the area.
The cruises can last for several days, and the pictures of the ships are appealing. Some cruises run all the way to Norilsk, a major mining centre near the Arctic Ocean. However, Norilsk is closed to most foreigners expect by special invitation. Not a bad thing, perhaps, since it is also one of the most polluted cities in the world.
The chance to see such a remote part of the world in relative comfort sounds very intriguing, at least to me. Cruises run only in summer.

Universitetskaya Hotel

I have discovered another budget priced hotel in Moscow, an expensive city. No sorry, it's not in the Kremlin, but it is well located near Moscow State University, hence the name Universitetskaya Hotel (http://www.hotel-universitet.ru.)
I had heard of the hotel before, but thought it was open only to people studying at the university. It is managed by the Pilgrimage Center of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Orthodox Church, and open to all. (However, the hotel's Website talks about its quiet, homey atmosphere, so don't expect party central.) Single rooms with bath and breakfast start at 1800 rubles, about $75, and basic doubles start at twice that amount. There is free parking, a rarity in Moscow, and the hotel is in a green area of the Sparrow (formerly Lenin) Hills.
It sounds like a good bet for those looking for a peaceful refuge in a busy city that is not far from downtown. It is rated three stars and is 15 storeys tall.