I immediately liked Shanghai with it's certain Hong Kong-esque feel, very Western compared to Beijing: the poorer, dirtier and probably more authentic China even as Shanghai is China's most populous city, weighing in at a whopping 19 million. The stores in the subway were more upscale, even the trinkets seemed nicer, though still made in China, of course.
The strange, questionable foods finally did me in here. There will be no more pointing at the menu and blindly ordering things (well, until ? safer Japan anyway). I blame it on the probable kidney mixed with vegetables and more of that mystery meat, the smell nauseated me. And this from the Szechuan region, known for it's excellent, albeit, spicy fare. I realized, although adventurous, I do have certain reservations about my food, this chica ain't no Anthony Bourdain. So I vowed to stick to safer food options of the chicken-esque variety in meals such as hot pot soup. So for the record, it was Shanghai, 3 weeks into the trip where I broke down and had my first real western meal: pizza. Read 'em and weep, China will do that to a girl, even a self-proclaimed foodie.
Explored the happening Nanjing pedestrian shopping district, slightly akin to Vegas with it's garish lights. Hawkers kept trying to sell those laser things, you know what I'm talking about? It's fun to respond you're looking for, say a Ferrari or a yak, they'll still persist with trying to sell you their crap, gotta love their persistence anyway....or not. Moving along at the far end of Nanjing street is the Bund located on the banks of the Huangpu River with it's gorgeous 20th century neoclassical and art deco architecture. What a view of the Shanghai skyline at night, gorgeous! Took a ferry for 2 yuan to the Pudong Financial district, home of the world's third tallest skyscraper, the Shanghai World Financial Center, then hopped on board an open-air tourist bus to the Oriental Pearl Tower. Again, great view of the city at night. Then it was off to try out the Shanghai nightlife on a Wednesday night, ok, not bad but then again we did put on a bit of a show. Who me? Yeah ok, I was dancing in my seat, saving the knee and all, and when a Chinese girl wanted me to dance, this li'l disco diva just couldn't say no! Love the Chinese for their fun loving 'tudes. However, due to the price of liquor, this cocktail girl made best frenemies with Chinese beer.
Timing to Shanghai was great as the World Expo was being held! We braved the very Chinese crowds, avoiding a long queue by hopping into the special needs line (being a foreigner sometimes rocks) then proceeded to stand in a very long line for security, yet again. Ok, it's official, I feel safe in this country. We searched for bike rentals which were nowhere to be found despite being advertised and as the Expo covers a big chunk of real estate, no way could bum knee navigate. So the oxen attempted to first give me a ride on a trash can with the lid closed, ewwww, I couldn't do it (but I did manage to meet someone who works at my first professional job, Christus Santa Rosa hospital in San Antonio, small world!) There were no bus options either and since we had already tried the shoulder ride with some success although lots of Chinese pointing, laughing and taking lots of photos, maybe it was the spoon waving again that did 'em in. So the only feasible option left was a wheelchair. So you know those peeps who are disabled and get first access to everything and you secretly hate them because you've had to stand in line way longer than them and as you're waiting you begin to wonder if they're truly handicapped, well that was me and it got us into way more countries at the front of the line with barely any waiting time. Yeehaw, now I'm loving my bum knee! ;-)
So the Expo is pretty much a traveler's biggest dream or biggest nightmare. Dream, in terms of all it did for me was add yet another country to my already growing list by the minute and nightmare in that there's not enough time to see our big, wide, world. Little did I know at the time how soon I'd get to go back to further explore southeast Asia, and this time not for business. I had been talking to other travelers about Cambodia and Laos especially, so southeast Asia was on my mind. Better get cracking, I'm not getting any younger. And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm actually doing, right now, in the present, the kind of travel I've always dreamed of doing. Jobs and responsibilities will always be there. Youth, not. I'm in a time rich cash poor situation which makes southeast Asia the ideal locale for me. I can not tell you how strongly I feel about this, starting to feel that the universe has conspired to get me to exactly this point. Either that or I'm reading entirely too much Paulo Coelho. But I majorly digress.
Another short trip to a big city, this one about 3 days. The last day explored the City God temple and Yuyuan Garden. The latter was pretty with the classic Chinese architecture and koi ponds although heavily touristed but my heart wasn't in it. Had to experience the Chinese foot massage, which was very nice and then a man with a light on his head came in, from now on he will be called torch dude. Torch dude took care of the dirty business of scraping off all that dead yucky skin, oy, and there was a lot of it, yuck. Sounds scary but was painless and left with the softest skin imaginable. After a bland but safe Chinese meal, finally, nightlife in a swanky club, a high rise building with a view of the river Huangpa and the Pudong skyline. And I did it up right, my friends, 2 caipirinhas, 2 tequila shots and a cigarette later, wow. (And oh yeah, managed to get locked in yet another bathroom stall, this is getting embarrassing.) Yeah, I felt this one and it didn't even wait 'til the morning. Cab ride home I couldn't get enough air and it's cold, peeps! Ok, I'm off the cigs foreva! The 2 hours of sleep and flight the next morning to Osaka was bearable, barely, courtesy of my lovely friend, the anti-emetic.
So China, here are my thoughts: I loved ya at times but sorry to say, you're not my favorite of countries. Perhaps once you relax the Facebook, news ban, and any other sort of means of freedom of expression, stop pushing everyone in crowds, spitting everywhere and wait your turn in line, I will reconsider. This last point gets me, I truly don't understand the logic behind the anything goes in bathroom lines. Why is it ok to jump right in front of someone? Ok, I obviously need to not be so judgmental and realize this is their cultural norm but these are my gripes. I like many of your people but if I return it will be to a prettier part like Guilin in the southwest and when it's warmer. Noticing the correlation yet? Girl needs some heat ;-)
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Beijing: culture shock as only the Chinese can provide
Leaving Mongolia was a departure from the usual train travel: ahhhh, the luxury of flying after days on a train, you have no idea, I might even stop complaining about domestic air travel in the US after this. The idea was to train it all the way across the Trans-Siberian and then (technically) across the Trans-mongolian into Beijing, a journey of 9611 Km or 5972 miles, phew. In our defense, there was just one train per week and it left UB the day we arrived ergo a different mode of transport was mandatory. There would be no bogey changing in the cards. Disappointed, yes, but a girl even lowish on the princess scale can only take so much. And the toilets just did me in :(
Beijing is 15 million peeps strong, massive. It took 2 hours to get to our hostel by Tiananmen Square from the airport via train and subway. We stayed in an older, more typical hutong neighborhood near Tianemen Square, in a hostel featuring a typical Chinese courtyard. Street food vendors were everywhere: mystery meat on a stick, one vendor used a hairdryer to cook it faster. This was more culture shock than I had experienced on the trip so far, even having visited China before. Trying street food is so up my alley so baptism by fire it was. First night we ate fried eggs out of a plastic bag, egg yolk crackers, dumplings, probable liver with peppers, meat from a shoulder maybe, and a soupy dish with slimy, spicy stuff. Quickly learned to adopt the policy of not asking what you are eating in China. Of course tried Peking duck and lemme tell ya, seeing the head is not the most appetizing of ways to start a meal. Then again neither was the snake tincture of something or other shot I had. Ewwwwww.
It is impossible to visit Tiananmen Square at night, security is tight everywhere, even in the subway and before visiting the square, one must go through screening. So a venture to tourist hell was to be had instead the first night: a pedestrian street full of western shops such as Nike, Starbucks, Tiffany and Rolex amidst Chinese architecture, a strange clash of east meets west. And here my semi-blondness was desired, I was asked to take a picture with a mother and her Chinese daughter, cute!
Off to the Great Wall of China! With traffic, took ~ 3 hours from the hostel via mini bus with a fun bunch of peeps, with the exception of myself all had some sort of British accent. It was a clear but cold and windy day, lucky with the weather as the previous days it had snowed preventing any kind of view. I still managed to slip on ice, not once but twice, once breaking one of my trekking poles, yes, I am officially a dork. The Badaling remnant of the wall was impressive, so high up, used to be the border of Mongolia and China, truly a magnificent sight to see! Spent 3 hours on the wall, which was plenty, especially with my bum knee. A new travel symbol, the plastic teddy bear affectionately known as Disco B, the potential Pin E replacement, was introduced. For it's first day to travel and see the Great Wall, wow, now that'll be a feat hard to top. Maybe disco-ing at the top to Fergie and blowing bubbles with a toy gun. Huh? Yeah, brought to you by spoon man.
After a family style traditional lunch complete with Chinese beers and Disco B almost left behind, we were off. Traffic on the way back was horrendous, a true reminder of China's population enormity. But we made it back just in time for an acrobatics show of contortionists, men jumping through some very high rings and general Chinese random acts of bravery. The most impressive act was the five motorcycles spinning together in a cage, joined one by one, for the finale.
Would avoid bar street unless you don't mind getting fleeced because you are a Westerner. Beers and cocktails all cost much more than local spots with nowhere near the ambience. Although I have to admit I did get my fix of American pop culture with Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera music videos. Ok, if I must be separated from my girlfriends and traveling with an Aussie, I'm gonna need this taste of home occasionally, indulge me.
Last day in Beijing, another fast tour of a massive city at only 48 hours, I couldn't miss the Imperial Palace, or Forbidden City, which I almost passed on until I got a view of the massivity ( is this a word? My iPad thinks not) of the complex and knew I couldn't miss it. Day started late with a bike rental and since my knee was wrecked after the Great Wall, I got to sit back and semi-relax as I rode Dutch style through Tiananmen Square and environs. I would recommend this as a mode of transport, especially if one is in possession of an orange spoon, it's a great thing to wave while waiting in traffic and making the Chinese laugh! All this on the way to visiting a beautiful park, Jingshan, for an amazing view of Beijing along with the Forbidden City.
Phew! It was a quick trip but on to a more Western feeling city: Shanghai. This time via train and this was a true Chinese experience, 6 bunks in each compartment with no doors. And lemme tell you, the Chinese are not the quietest of peeps! Sleep was only had due to mr. Sleeping pill, thank you very much. We barely made the train, a mere minute later and we would've been shit out of luck, ahhh, the adrenaline. Another 12 + hour trip that if we had waited to travel in one month, could've been on the high speed line at only 4 hours. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.
Beijing is 15 million peeps strong, massive. It took 2 hours to get to our hostel by Tiananmen Square from the airport via train and subway. We stayed in an older, more typical hutong neighborhood near Tianemen Square, in a hostel featuring a typical Chinese courtyard. Street food vendors were everywhere: mystery meat on a stick, one vendor used a hairdryer to cook it faster. This was more culture shock than I had experienced on the trip so far, even having visited China before. Trying street food is so up my alley so baptism by fire it was. First night we ate fried eggs out of a plastic bag, egg yolk crackers, dumplings, probable liver with peppers, meat from a shoulder maybe, and a soupy dish with slimy, spicy stuff. Quickly learned to adopt the policy of not asking what you are eating in China. Of course tried Peking duck and lemme tell ya, seeing the head is not the most appetizing of ways to start a meal. Then again neither was the snake tincture of something or other shot I had. Ewwwwww.
It is impossible to visit Tiananmen Square at night, security is tight everywhere, even in the subway and before visiting the square, one must go through screening. So a venture to tourist hell was to be had instead the first night: a pedestrian street full of western shops such as Nike, Starbucks, Tiffany and Rolex amidst Chinese architecture, a strange clash of east meets west. And here my semi-blondness was desired, I was asked to take a picture with a mother and her Chinese daughter, cute!
Off to the Great Wall of China! With traffic, took ~ 3 hours from the hostel via mini bus with a fun bunch of peeps, with the exception of myself all had some sort of British accent. It was a clear but cold and windy day, lucky with the weather as the previous days it had snowed preventing any kind of view. I still managed to slip on ice, not once but twice, once breaking one of my trekking poles, yes, I am officially a dork. The Badaling remnant of the wall was impressive, so high up, used to be the border of Mongolia and China, truly a magnificent sight to see! Spent 3 hours on the wall, which was plenty, especially with my bum knee. A new travel symbol, the plastic teddy bear affectionately known as Disco B, the potential Pin E replacement, was introduced. For it's first day to travel and see the Great Wall, wow, now that'll be a feat hard to top. Maybe disco-ing at the top to Fergie and blowing bubbles with a toy gun. Huh? Yeah, brought to you by spoon man.
After a family style traditional lunch complete with Chinese beers and Disco B almost left behind, we were off. Traffic on the way back was horrendous, a true reminder of China's population enormity. But we made it back just in time for an acrobatics show of contortionists, men jumping through some very high rings and general Chinese random acts of bravery. The most impressive act was the five motorcycles spinning together in a cage, joined one by one, for the finale.
Would avoid bar street unless you don't mind getting fleeced because you are a Westerner. Beers and cocktails all cost much more than local spots with nowhere near the ambience. Although I have to admit I did get my fix of American pop culture with Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera music videos. Ok, if I must be separated from my girlfriends and traveling with an Aussie, I'm gonna need this taste of home occasionally, indulge me.
Last day in Beijing, another fast tour of a massive city at only 48 hours, I couldn't miss the Imperial Palace, or Forbidden City, which I almost passed on until I got a view of the massivity ( is this a word? My iPad thinks not) of the complex and knew I couldn't miss it. Day started late with a bike rental and since my knee was wrecked after the Great Wall, I got to sit back and semi-relax as I rode Dutch style through Tiananmen Square and environs. I would recommend this as a mode of transport, especially if one is in possession of an orange spoon, it's a great thing to wave while waiting in traffic and making the Chinese laugh! All this on the way to visiting a beautiful park, Jingshan, for an amazing view of Beijing along with the Forbidden City.
Phew! It was a quick trip but on to a more Western feeling city: Shanghai. This time via train and this was a true Chinese experience, 6 bunks in each compartment with no doors. And lemme tell you, the Chinese are not the quietest of peeps! Sleep was only had due to mr. Sleeping pill, thank you very much. We barely made the train, a mere minute later and we would've been shit out of luck, ahhh, the adrenaline. Another 12 + hour trip that if we had waited to travel in one month, could've been on the high speed line at only 4 hours. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Mongolia: home of yaks and two humped camels
Images of Mongolian horsemen laughing hysterically while riding beside the two humped camel caravans across the Gobi desert was my idea of Mongolia due entirely to my guidebook. This didn't exactly transpire as my first breath in the capital of ulan bator it was obvious, this place was even colder than Siberia. They don't call UB the coldest capital in the world for nothing, extreme temperatures of -46 degrees F in the winter are not uncommon. Unfortunately, visiting in October was already too late to do camel and yak trekking across the desert and steppes. But it was possible to visit nearby Terelj national park and stay in a ger (not a yurt as I thought they were called) to explore the rocky area.
Upon arriving in UB, a man approached us asking if we needed a hostel, spoon man negotiated and off we went to what I swear he said was France hostel, a bargain at $10 per night, ladies and gentlemen, we have left Russia and the highway robbery prices. He helped us with our luggage, (which is still entirely too much for flash packing), a big bonus in the cold and with my bum knee and at 6 am, having barely slept on the train again, a nice touch but I am not nearly as trusting as spoon man. Indeed, it was not a hostel, it was his home he took us to and did not smell the cleanest, it was not what I would have chosen but in the end turned out to be a good thing, much better to give to a local family vs. a hostel. I wasn't the happiest though as a cold shower after hours of skanky train travel wasn't my idea of a good time. But after crashing into sleep all morning and the family boiling water for us and giving us a padlock for the room, I shed my paranoia.
Decent, non-Russian (!) food was found and then a quick exploration of the city and travel arrangements were made. We were lucky with clear, not freezing weather to explore the monuments and hoods. UB is a dirty city, like most big cities but people were friendly and it was super easy to walk around. Did the usual pictures in warrior pose and of course no Mongolian visit is complete without cartwheeling in front of Genghis Khan statues.
Made a major foodie blunder: ate at an American franchised Mongolian BBQ restaurant. Gasp! But, hey, all in the name of research and yes it works the same although try not to add fat as one of your meats, yuck. Tons of Irish pubs, likely the result of ex-pats of the UN and the peace corps variety. Hit a major tourist destination: the first Mongol Irish pub, cheers, mate!
To truly experience Mongol life, it's recommended to spend time in the countryside. The drive out of UB was through poor, non-arable land with a thin top layer of grass and much trash. UB lies in a plateau with mountains all around and they didn't quit the whole 2 hour jeep ride. In the park itself, it began to turn rocky with horses and a two-humped!!!!!! camel hanging out by our ger-side. Due to the already unbearable winter in late October, the true nomads had already pushed on to warmer pastures, only the crazy tourists would want to spend a night in a ger. Cozy times, right? Yes and no, either you are so hot from the wood heater or brrrrr in a ger. Sorry, couldn't resist. The bathroom situation was good, used the main house where we had 3 hot, probably traditional Mongolian meals: meat-filled fried dumplings, coleslaw, beef stir-fry with bell peppers and rice and my favorite: the plastic wrapped choco-pie for dessert ;) Coffee consisted of a 3 in 1 mix of instant coffee, non- dairy creamer and sugar which was actually not bad, where has my coffee snobbiness gone?
After an hour of exploring the area, eating a huge meal, and taking a disco nap, what next? Our ride back to UB and civilization was 18 hours away and it ain't toasty here, what are two hyperactive peeps gonna do all cold with no camel or yak to ride? I know this might come as a total shocker but we read and talked like normal people. Yeah, ok, not entirely, we did decide to perform an exhumation of our party pinata, affectionately known as Pin E. Our hardy paper machie friend did not want to go down despite being nearly headless and in desperate need of some mechanical ventilation and nutrition support, he clearly had signs of kwashiorkor. It was time for Pin E to move on, in pinata years he was probably 90, we were doing him a huge favor. The wind was a factor, every last match was used to help him on his way, not a thought of how we would stay warm was given, all a sacrifice for the beloved child of spoon man. And so there he rests, on a rocky hillside in the Mongolian countryside aside gers and two-humped camels.
So....on to the ger. Caution: watch your head upon entering, at 5'6" I would've been a giant in nomadic times, yes, folks, I whacked my head forcefully upon entering, that'll learn me. At night, it was only necessary to have a candle and heat, the full moon was our lantern, nice light! Slept well even when the fire went out courtesy of a million blankets. Ahhhh, quiet countryside made a bit more fun during mealtimes with a local 3 year old entertaining us with his pow-pow antics and wanting his picture taken. Very cute!
Back to UB and another afternoon of exploring, this time in the snow, beautiful but cooolllldd! Visited the now working Gandan monastery, after years of Soviet rule, the monks were not allowed to practice and nearly 14,000 died for their beliefs. Gorgeous grounds!
Overall, loved Mongolia and want to return to get my yak on.....in the summer!
Upon arriving in UB, a man approached us asking if we needed a hostel, spoon man negotiated and off we went to what I swear he said was France hostel, a bargain at $10 per night, ladies and gentlemen, we have left Russia and the highway robbery prices. He helped us with our luggage, (which is still entirely too much for flash packing), a big bonus in the cold and with my bum knee and at 6 am, having barely slept on the train again, a nice touch but I am not nearly as trusting as spoon man. Indeed, it was not a hostel, it was his home he took us to and did not smell the cleanest, it was not what I would have chosen but in the end turned out to be a good thing, much better to give to a local family vs. a hostel. I wasn't the happiest though as a cold shower after hours of skanky train travel wasn't my idea of a good time. But after crashing into sleep all morning and the family boiling water for us and giving us a padlock for the room, I shed my paranoia.
Decent, non-Russian (!) food was found and then a quick exploration of the city and travel arrangements were made. We were lucky with clear, not freezing weather to explore the monuments and hoods. UB is a dirty city, like most big cities but people were friendly and it was super easy to walk around. Did the usual pictures in warrior pose and of course no Mongolian visit is complete without cartwheeling in front of Genghis Khan statues.
Made a major foodie blunder: ate at an American franchised Mongolian BBQ restaurant. Gasp! But, hey, all in the name of research and yes it works the same although try not to add fat as one of your meats, yuck. Tons of Irish pubs, likely the result of ex-pats of the UN and the peace corps variety. Hit a major tourist destination: the first Mongol Irish pub, cheers, mate!
To truly experience Mongol life, it's recommended to spend time in the countryside. The drive out of UB was through poor, non-arable land with a thin top layer of grass and much trash. UB lies in a plateau with mountains all around and they didn't quit the whole 2 hour jeep ride. In the park itself, it began to turn rocky with horses and a two-humped!!!!!! camel hanging out by our ger-side. Due to the already unbearable winter in late October, the true nomads had already pushed on to warmer pastures, only the crazy tourists would want to spend a night in a ger. Cozy times, right? Yes and no, either you are so hot from the wood heater or brrrrr in a ger. Sorry, couldn't resist. The bathroom situation was good, used the main house where we had 3 hot, probably traditional Mongolian meals: meat-filled fried dumplings, coleslaw, beef stir-fry with bell peppers and rice and my favorite: the plastic wrapped choco-pie for dessert ;) Coffee consisted of a 3 in 1 mix of instant coffee, non- dairy creamer and sugar which was actually not bad, where has my coffee snobbiness gone?
After an hour of exploring the area, eating a huge meal, and taking a disco nap, what next? Our ride back to UB and civilization was 18 hours away and it ain't toasty here, what are two hyperactive peeps gonna do all cold with no camel or yak to ride? I know this might come as a total shocker but we read and talked like normal people. Yeah, ok, not entirely, we did decide to perform an exhumation of our party pinata, affectionately known as Pin E. Our hardy paper machie friend did not want to go down despite being nearly headless and in desperate need of some mechanical ventilation and nutrition support, he clearly had signs of kwashiorkor. It was time for Pin E to move on, in pinata years he was probably 90, we were doing him a huge favor. The wind was a factor, every last match was used to help him on his way, not a thought of how we would stay warm was given, all a sacrifice for the beloved child of spoon man. And so there he rests, on a rocky hillside in the Mongolian countryside aside gers and two-humped camels.
So....on to the ger. Caution: watch your head upon entering, at 5'6" I would've been a giant in nomadic times, yes, folks, I whacked my head forcefully upon entering, that'll learn me. At night, it was only necessary to have a candle and heat, the full moon was our lantern, nice light! Slept well even when the fire went out courtesy of a million blankets. Ahhhh, quiet countryside made a bit more fun during mealtimes with a local 3 year old entertaining us with his pow-pow antics and wanting his picture taken. Very cute!
Back to UB and another afternoon of exploring, this time in the snow, beautiful but cooolllldd! Visited the now working Gandan monastery, after years of Soviet rule, the monks were not allowed to practice and nearly 14,000 died for their beliefs. Gorgeous grounds!
Overall, loved Mongolia and want to return to get my yak on.....in the summer!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Lake Baikal: world's deepest fresh water lake
Irkutsk/Lake Baikal to Ulan Bator
Arrived, very skankily, after 60+ hours on the train to our small hostel in Irkutsk. A hot shower never felt so good! Explored the town a bit, known as Paris of Siberia, ate omul, the fish from nearby Lake Baikal, in a friendly, funky restaurant. Met lots of peeps from the hostel, including Richard, from our first train ride. Touristally (this can't possibly be a word, my first bush-ism), drank beers at a German beer haus, odd to see Russian girls dressed in dirndls in the middle of Siberia. After a nearly sleepless night coughing up my lungs and likely keeping up half the hostel where I earned the nickname of coughing vampire due to my inability to sleep before say 2 am or so, about the time my coughing fits commenced, a hike to the deepest fresh water lake was in order.
Lake Baikal is said to be able to supply the world with it's water for 40 years if there were no other source. Michael, a very well traveled Canadian, joined us, well more like I was joining them, the banter was quite, how should I put this, boy-ey. I slept through most of the apparently windy and icy drive to the trail head, which was nothing more than some railroad tracks and we were told to meet her in the second village, her white car would be waiting, it would only take us 2 hours. 4 1/2 hours later, 12 km walked, we arrived but I digress.
The first part of the hike to the lake was though forest and some shoddily made bridges, reminiscent of the Blair Witch project. (Pictures will explain this correlation). An hour or so we approach a "town" of 6 buildings and were unsure which way to follow the train tracks, our only directions from our driver. This was our first glimpse of Lake Baikal and she is a beaut! Luckily, Jake, from Baikaler hostel, where we were staying, spoke enough English to point us in the right direction but not before he offered us the use of his canoe, as long as we could name the colors of the Jamaican flag, very cool dude. He was also running a hostel here for only 200 rubles per night ($7 US dollars/per night!, even more amazing as Russia is not cheap) so close to the lake and what a chillaxed feel it had. If it weren't so damn cold, I would've wanted to stay here for longer but we were lucky enough in having a clear day so alas, another time I'll be back to kick it with a bottle of vodka and hear some random stories from fishermen.
After our cold canoe ride, we were off for the portion of the trail on the railroad tracks and through some tunnels, the old railroad. Stopped for a picnic lunch and more bantering with our new Canadian friend then off again to walk the never ending trek back to the white car. Normally this would have been easy but my knee had different ideas, just 3+ months post ACL surgery, I was limping towards the end but was so glad I survived!
Back at the hostel front, we joined a group who was leaving that night on the same train as us to Ulan Ude, the last stop in Russia. We ate at an I restaurant having grown tired of the Russian fare, meanwhile exchanging traveling stories and suggestions.
On the train again, this compartment was older than the last, it seems the further we were from Moscow, the older they were. We shared it with 2 Russian girls who giggled for most of the trip, making me sorely miss my girlfriends. :( 6 am (or was it 1am Moscow time? Still so confused.) we arrive and we must gather all our belongings and change carriages, on the same train although. And the carriage was the oldest/worst yet although we had 2 very cool Dutch guys who we entertained and vice versa. One guy worked for the government as a lawyer in The Hague, the other a more melancholy freelance writer. This company was most welcome as this was by far the most frustrating portion of the trip, crossing into the Mongolian border. 4 1/2 hours still for just one carriage!!! And then more waiting once in Mongolia proper. Have you any idea how difficult this is for two 7 personalities on the enneagram scale? It's quite one thing when you're moving to be on a train for 24 hours, another to be stopped for half of that during daylight hours when the Siberian scenery was just getting interesting. Even more frustrating was learning the bus just took 12 hours and was cheaper. But I rant. This is when we started drinking vodka and warm beer and turning our train into a disco!
Arrived, very skankily, after 60+ hours on the train to our small hostel in Irkutsk. A hot shower never felt so good! Explored the town a bit, known as Paris of Siberia, ate omul, the fish from nearby Lake Baikal, in a friendly, funky restaurant. Met lots of peeps from the hostel, including Richard, from our first train ride. Touristally (this can't possibly be a word, my first bush-ism), drank beers at a German beer haus, odd to see Russian girls dressed in dirndls in the middle of Siberia. After a nearly sleepless night coughing up my lungs and likely keeping up half the hostel where I earned the nickname of coughing vampire due to my inability to sleep before say 2 am or so, about the time my coughing fits commenced, a hike to the deepest fresh water lake was in order.
Lake Baikal is said to be able to supply the world with it's water for 40 years if there were no other source. Michael, a very well traveled Canadian, joined us, well more like I was joining them, the banter was quite, how should I put this, boy-ey. I slept through most of the apparently windy and icy drive to the trail head, which was nothing more than some railroad tracks and we were told to meet her in the second village, her white car would be waiting, it would only take us 2 hours. 4 1/2 hours later, 12 km walked, we arrived but I digress.
The first part of the hike to the lake was though forest and some shoddily made bridges, reminiscent of the Blair Witch project. (Pictures will explain this correlation). An hour or so we approach a "town" of 6 buildings and were unsure which way to follow the train tracks, our only directions from our driver. This was our first glimpse of Lake Baikal and she is a beaut! Luckily, Jake, from Baikaler hostel, where we were staying, spoke enough English to point us in the right direction but not before he offered us the use of his canoe, as long as we could name the colors of the Jamaican flag, very cool dude. He was also running a hostel here for only 200 rubles per night ($7 US dollars/per night!, even more amazing as Russia is not cheap) so close to the lake and what a chillaxed feel it had. If it weren't so damn cold, I would've wanted to stay here for longer but we were lucky enough in having a clear day so alas, another time I'll be back to kick it with a bottle of vodka and hear some random stories from fishermen.
After our cold canoe ride, we were off for the portion of the trail on the railroad tracks and through some tunnels, the old railroad. Stopped for a picnic lunch and more bantering with our new Canadian friend then off again to walk the never ending trek back to the white car. Normally this would have been easy but my knee had different ideas, just 3+ months post ACL surgery, I was limping towards the end but was so glad I survived!
Back at the hostel front, we joined a group who was leaving that night on the same train as us to Ulan Ude, the last stop in Russia. We ate at an I restaurant having grown tired of the Russian fare, meanwhile exchanging traveling stories and suggestions.
On the train again, this compartment was older than the last, it seems the further we were from Moscow, the older they were. We shared it with 2 Russian girls who giggled for most of the trip, making me sorely miss my girlfriends. :( 6 am (or was it 1am Moscow time? Still so confused.) we arrive and we must gather all our belongings and change carriages, on the same train although. And the carriage was the oldest/worst yet although we had 2 very cool Dutch guys who we entertained and vice versa. One guy worked for the government as a lawyer in The Hague, the other a more melancholy freelance writer. This company was most welcome as this was by far the most frustrating portion of the trip, crossing into the Mongolian border. 4 1/2 hours still for just one carriage!!! And then more waiting once in Mongolia proper. Have you any idea how difficult this is for two 7 personalities on the enneagram scale? It's quite one thing when you're moving to be on a train for 24 hours, another to be stopped for half of that during daylight hours when the Siberian scenery was just getting interesting. Even more frustrating was learning the bus just took 12 hours and was cheaper. But I rant. This is when we started drinking vodka and warm beer and turning our train into a disco!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Trans-Siberian shenanigans
1st jaunt on the trans-siberian railroad from Moscow to Perm was 20 hours and we were spoiled compared to the train we're currently on which unfortunately is triple the time although much more authentic but I digress. Finding the platform for the train was interesting, we had electronic tickets and were told that's all we needed, hmmmm, I tried to go through without a ticket and was quickly stopped by the scary Russian men in uniform. Backing up with my huge pack was not an easy feat, good thing they caught me as I was heading to the subway, that would have been a much less scenic 20 hour trip.
Compartments in second class consisted of four bunk beds: 2 up, 2 down, we had the upper accommodations which was cool as we always had our private space but did at times mean we were impeding on the downers' space, where the only common area to talk or eat was. Our carriage was shared with a young Russian couple, Dmitry, 23, and Oksana, 19, newly married couple and pregnant. Very nice Russian couple, engaging and interested in speaking to us in English. Aside from Richard, a friendly American traveling from Moscow to Irkutsk and eventually all the way across the Trans-Sib to Vladivostok, we were the only tourists. We all debated the virtues of American collegiate sports, politics, traveling, and life in general, over many a beers, well the boys outdrank me at least 3 to 1. Good fun!
Our first stop was Perm, a city built only due to its' strategic position along the Trans-Sib and made famous by Dr. Zhivago. It had a lot of Soviet charm and by this, I mean white, white, and more white with the random green alien selling computer gadgets on top of a white, white and more white shopping center. Stayed at the Hotel Ural, as we were on the western edge of the Ural Mountains, although the scenery was very flat and stayed this way for most of the trip. Perm did not leave much of an impression, was mostly just a stop off point to take a hot shower and watch clothes as the trains don't have showers and the next jaunt would be 60 hours, whoa! What I did notice was a lot of straight hair in Perm.
On the longest train journey I've had to date: 60 hours. Dreaded this knowing the train wouldn't be as nice and from the moment we spotted it, we were sure this would be a much more authentic experience as we were far and away the only tourists on board. Our time schedules never quite adjusted to the locals. All trains run on Moscow time and there are 9 time zones across Russia so going to bed at 2 am after reading, watching movies and what not in the dining car, we were really going to bed at say, 5 am and waking up mid-day Moscow time which was really 3 pm local time. We were never sure when to eat and one night, missed dinner entirely, were told only vodka and beer was available but managed to phenangle instant noodle soup, prawn crackers and peanuts out of the staff. I'm pretty sure today is Saturday, we got on board Thursday mid-day Moscow time which was two hours ahead in local Perm time. We arrive in Irkutsk Sunday morning 4 am Moscow time which probably means local time maybe 8 am? We will sleep 3 nights on the train, this is longer than we spent in Moscow. And somehow time does fly by, the daily routines of sleeping, waking, eating breakfast, reading, changing clothes and trying to converse with others and mostly just talking to each other seems to eat up the day.
I was quite sick when arriving on the train and felt badly at bedtime knowing I was waking the others with my cough. The lady from Vladivostok is a Doctor and gave me nasal decongestant and a throat spray and proceeded to show me how to use and wash the device, taking me to the bathroom in order to be sure I knew to wash it in between uses. Awwww, so sweet. She was a chatty woman, spoke no English, the only way we know where she was from was Andrew, the first man from Moscow who spoke some English. His replacement, Sergei, came in the middle of the night, this just when two Russian men took an interest in me with Igor kissing my hand repeatedly and giving me a thumbs-up, all this transpired when spoon man took advantage of the long train stop to get in a run. We were then invited into their room for some beers, I only knew the invite as he flicked his chin in an okay symbol, thanks for the tip, Amie! Found out he's in the military, doing what we have no idea as when we tried to leave, he proceeded to lock us in his room. Alrighty then. Most embarrassing moment so far was when we needed a private moment and both our bunkmates were gone so we locked the door but Natasha needed something in our room so spoon man let her in, she came and left quickly, closed the door and said "bye-bye" and proceeded to leave us alone the rest of the day. :-)
Food can only be described as passable at best. Fish, fish bones, and more fish bones, beans and mashed potatoes for breakfast, and instant Nescafe coffee, yeah, definitely not in Seattle anymore. The translations on the dining car menu are quite amusing: caesar salad is mayonnaise, peas, corn and cucumbers, not the worst meal I had although. That would have to be the bloated sausage and Eastern fairy tail steak. Lovely. I say all this and yet it was all a part of the experience, and one we did not share with the other Russians as they would never consider eating on the dining car according to the guide book. That explains the emptiness in the dining car and the reliance of the food cart and meals eaten in the compartments. I would go nuts spending as much time in the compartments as the locals do, each stop I wanted to get out and MOVE! I had train fever, got testily antsy only once and this was quickly solved with some fresh air, a walk outside at one of the many stops. And here I will only make one mention of the bathrooms: GROSS.
As a thank you to Natasha, we tried to give her a bottle of wine which then turned into a chocolate and wine fest for all with our bunkmates and Viktor, who spoke some English. Topics discussed included petrol costs, education, what we thought of Putin, why we were traveling, how we met, and where we've lived and traveled.
So far from St. Petersburg to Irkutsk we have traveled 3,742 km or 2,296 miles!
Compartments in second class consisted of four bunk beds: 2 up, 2 down, we had the upper accommodations which was cool as we always had our private space but did at times mean we were impeding on the downers' space, where the only common area to talk or eat was. Our carriage was shared with a young Russian couple, Dmitry, 23, and Oksana, 19, newly married couple and pregnant. Very nice Russian couple, engaging and interested in speaking to us in English. Aside from Richard, a friendly American traveling from Moscow to Irkutsk and eventually all the way across the Trans-Sib to Vladivostok, we were the only tourists. We all debated the virtues of American collegiate sports, politics, traveling, and life in general, over many a beers, well the boys outdrank me at least 3 to 1. Good fun!
Our first stop was Perm, a city built only due to its' strategic position along the Trans-Sib and made famous by Dr. Zhivago. It had a lot of Soviet charm and by this, I mean white, white, and more white with the random green alien selling computer gadgets on top of a white, white and more white shopping center. Stayed at the Hotel Ural, as we were on the western edge of the Ural Mountains, although the scenery was very flat and stayed this way for most of the trip. Perm did not leave much of an impression, was mostly just a stop off point to take a hot shower and watch clothes as the trains don't have showers and the next jaunt would be 60 hours, whoa! What I did notice was a lot of straight hair in Perm.
On the longest train journey I've had to date: 60 hours. Dreaded this knowing the train wouldn't be as nice and from the moment we spotted it, we were sure this would be a much more authentic experience as we were far and away the only tourists on board. Our time schedules never quite adjusted to the locals. All trains run on Moscow time and there are 9 time zones across Russia so going to bed at 2 am after reading, watching movies and what not in the dining car, we were really going to bed at say, 5 am and waking up mid-day Moscow time which was really 3 pm local time. We were never sure when to eat and one night, missed dinner entirely, were told only vodka and beer was available but managed to phenangle instant noodle soup, prawn crackers and peanuts out of the staff. I'm pretty sure today is Saturday, we got on board Thursday mid-day Moscow time which was two hours ahead in local Perm time. We arrive in Irkutsk Sunday morning 4 am Moscow time which probably means local time maybe 8 am? We will sleep 3 nights on the train, this is longer than we spent in Moscow. And somehow time does fly by, the daily routines of sleeping, waking, eating breakfast, reading, changing clothes and trying to converse with others and mostly just talking to each other seems to eat up the day.
I was quite sick when arriving on the train and felt badly at bedtime knowing I was waking the others with my cough. The lady from Vladivostok is a Doctor and gave me nasal decongestant and a throat spray and proceeded to show me how to use and wash the device, taking me to the bathroom in order to be sure I knew to wash it in between uses. Awwww, so sweet. She was a chatty woman, spoke no English, the only way we know where she was from was Andrew, the first man from Moscow who spoke some English. His replacement, Sergei, came in the middle of the night, this just when two Russian men took an interest in me with Igor kissing my hand repeatedly and giving me a thumbs-up, all this transpired when spoon man took advantage of the long train stop to get in a run. We were then invited into their room for some beers, I only knew the invite as he flicked his chin in an okay symbol, thanks for the tip, Amie! Found out he's in the military, doing what we have no idea as when we tried to leave, he proceeded to lock us in his room. Alrighty then. Most embarrassing moment so far was when we needed a private moment and both our bunkmates were gone so we locked the door but Natasha needed something in our room so spoon man let her in, she came and left quickly, closed the door and said "bye-bye" and proceeded to leave us alone the rest of the day. :-)
Food can only be described as passable at best. Fish, fish bones, and more fish bones, beans and mashed potatoes for breakfast, and instant Nescafe coffee, yeah, definitely not in Seattle anymore. The translations on the dining car menu are quite amusing: caesar salad is mayonnaise, peas, corn and cucumbers, not the worst meal I had although. That would have to be the bloated sausage and Eastern fairy tail steak. Lovely. I say all this and yet it was all a part of the experience, and one we did not share with the other Russians as they would never consider eating on the dining car according to the guide book. That explains the emptiness in the dining car and the reliance of the food cart and meals eaten in the compartments. I would go nuts spending as much time in the compartments as the locals do, each stop I wanted to get out and MOVE! I had train fever, got testily antsy only once and this was quickly solved with some fresh air, a walk outside at one of the many stops. And here I will only make one mention of the bathrooms: GROSS.
As a thank you to Natasha, we tried to give her a bottle of wine which then turned into a chocolate and wine fest for all with our bunkmates and Viktor, who spoke some English. Topics discussed included petrol costs, education, what we thought of Putin, why we were traveling, how we met, and where we've lived and traveled.
So far from St. Petersburg to Irkutsk we have traveled 3,742 km or 2,296 miles!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Moscow: cold and conformist
Cold and conformist Moscow, at least that was my first impression. 4 1/2 hours by train from St Petersburg and it feels like a different universe entirely. Gone are the brides everywhere, here men in uniforms reign. And they really are everywhere. Have I traded in kitschy beauty and hope for the future for post-Soviet blah? Thankfully, this was not to be the case, Moscow grew on me, a mere 48 hours allowed just enough time to get a feel for the city. And I'd go back. But only in summer.
Arriving into the city, architecture is stunning but wow, what a big city, the largest in Europe. Having a bit of a cold and it being so cold, the first night was just a foray into the subway system, where I quickly learned it was acceptable for two people to use one ticket or jump over the turnstile entirely to avoid paying, all this within plain sight of scarily clad men in uniform. I participated in this as well, except for the time the turnstile caught me in the leg as I went through the wrong stile, oops. In my defense, those men in uniform freaked me out. The subway stops themselves are worth visiting for their art. Oh and this is where it's apparent we are no longer in Kansas, Dorothy, there is no English anywhere. Had to match letters of the alphabet to where we were going. Also much less smiles going on. On one occasion, we boarded an extremely packed train, you know the kind reminiscent of sardines, where an otherwise crabby old lady was complaining of getting pushed. Well, our friendly little pinata pressed into her and what do you think happened? Yes, Pin E brought a smile to her face; and many strange looks from others.
First tourist destination: the Red Square. Mother Nature decided to make our visit extra special with a hailstorm. St Basil's was colorful as expected and the one place we visited inside. Lenin's mausoleum was closed but the blingy shopping center, the GUM, was a warm respite and likely where the Oligarchs shop if nothing else. McDonald's by the Kremlin in the Cyrillic alphabet was hyper capitalism at it's finest along with the usual tacky souvenirs. Who wouldn't love a girly pink ushanka with the soviet symbol anyway?
We searched for an Azerbeijini and Armenian restaurant without luck. What we did find was a Ukrainian restaurant with Texas sized portions complete with a Ukranian babushka tending animals in the middle of the restaurant. I kind of wish I were kidding. Basically, everything was either meat or came with a side of meat. The usual borsch, or beet root soup, even had meat in it. I think the beer might have too. Another restaurant experience worth mentioning did not have an English menu so our waitress asked us if we wanted pork, beef or fish and brought out the corresponding meat meal, now that's service.
Other observations: there seem to be a lot of young, pretty women with older, larger men, money talks in this city. And this is where I'm being American, smoking is everywhere, I miss the clean air of Seattle. And contrary to what we were told about Moscow nightlife always going off, we did not go out as only Friday nights are happening. Too bad as the clubs are in factories, we saw one especially with massive bling on the outside.
Our last day in Moscow was spent visiting the site of the 1980 Olympics, the ones banned by Western countries due to the Afghan war. Spoon man lured me there under false pretenses to hit some golf balls at the range, I was under the impression we were going to the Novodevichy Cemetery. Boys and their balls. Eventually, we got there after a round of spoon tossing as witnessed by the most famous Olympic symbol, Misha, the mouse looking thing. The cemetery itself was beautiful, actually. The tombstones were mostly of military men who died serving their country (most of which looked angry) although there were some surprisingly abstract tombstones as well as Boris Yeltsin, Mikhail Gorbachev's wife, and I'm kicking myself I didn't know this at the time, Nikolai Gogol. Just neighboring the cemetery, is the beautiful convent grounds, again, home to some pretty amazing church architecture.
On a random side note, the problem I have with locking myself in bathrooms reared its' ugly head. I did it not once, not twice, but three times in 48 hours in Moscow. The first was in the hostel but here's a tip, it's a rather amusing way to make friends. From there on out, I didn't want to lock the door and once I finally did, yes, I locked myself in yet again. And the last was in a crepe cafe, by this time I can't stop laughing at myself. My most favorite bathroom I've ever locked myself in all time is a Paris port-a-potty. Just a random side note about bathrooms.
Onwards to the first leg of the Trans-Siberain railroad journey. First up: a 20 hour overnighter to Perm, a city that would not exist had it not been for the railroad, which Dr. Zhivago also calls home.
Arriving into the city, architecture is stunning but wow, what a big city, the largest in Europe. Having a bit of a cold and it being so cold, the first night was just a foray into the subway system, where I quickly learned it was acceptable for two people to use one ticket or jump over the turnstile entirely to avoid paying, all this within plain sight of scarily clad men in uniform. I participated in this as well, except for the time the turnstile caught me in the leg as I went through the wrong stile, oops. In my defense, those men in uniform freaked me out. The subway stops themselves are worth visiting for their art. Oh and this is where it's apparent we are no longer in Kansas, Dorothy, there is no English anywhere. Had to match letters of the alphabet to where we were going. Also much less smiles going on. On one occasion, we boarded an extremely packed train, you know the kind reminiscent of sardines, where an otherwise crabby old lady was complaining of getting pushed. Well, our friendly little pinata pressed into her and what do you think happened? Yes, Pin E brought a smile to her face; and many strange looks from others.
First tourist destination: the Red Square. Mother Nature decided to make our visit extra special with a hailstorm. St Basil's was colorful as expected and the one place we visited inside. Lenin's mausoleum was closed but the blingy shopping center, the GUM, was a warm respite and likely where the Oligarchs shop if nothing else. McDonald's by the Kremlin in the Cyrillic alphabet was hyper capitalism at it's finest along with the usual tacky souvenirs. Who wouldn't love a girly pink ushanka with the soviet symbol anyway?
We searched for an Azerbeijini and Armenian restaurant without luck. What we did find was a Ukrainian restaurant with Texas sized portions complete with a Ukranian babushka tending animals in the middle of the restaurant. I kind of wish I were kidding. Basically, everything was either meat or came with a side of meat. The usual borsch, or beet root soup, even had meat in it. I think the beer might have too. Another restaurant experience worth mentioning did not have an English menu so our waitress asked us if we wanted pork, beef or fish and brought out the corresponding meat meal, now that's service.
Other observations: there seem to be a lot of young, pretty women with older, larger men, money talks in this city. And this is where I'm being American, smoking is everywhere, I miss the clean air of Seattle. And contrary to what we were told about Moscow nightlife always going off, we did not go out as only Friday nights are happening. Too bad as the clubs are in factories, we saw one especially with massive bling on the outside.
Our last day in Moscow was spent visiting the site of the 1980 Olympics, the ones banned by Western countries due to the Afghan war. Spoon man lured me there under false pretenses to hit some golf balls at the range, I was under the impression we were going to the Novodevichy Cemetery. Boys and their balls. Eventually, we got there after a round of spoon tossing as witnessed by the most famous Olympic symbol, Misha, the mouse looking thing. The cemetery itself was beautiful, actually. The tombstones were mostly of military men who died serving their country (most of which looked angry) although there were some surprisingly abstract tombstones as well as Boris Yeltsin, Mikhail Gorbachev's wife, and I'm kicking myself I didn't know this at the time, Nikolai Gogol. Just neighboring the cemetery, is the beautiful convent grounds, again, home to some pretty amazing church architecture.
On a random side note, the problem I have with locking myself in bathrooms reared its' ugly head. I did it not once, not twice, but three times in 48 hours in Moscow. The first was in the hostel but here's a tip, it's a rather amusing way to make friends. From there on out, I didn't want to lock the door and once I finally did, yes, I locked myself in yet again. And the last was in a crepe cafe, by this time I can't stop laughing at myself. My most favorite bathroom I've ever locked myself in all time is a Paris port-a-potty. Just a random side note about bathrooms.
Onwards to the first leg of the Trans-Siberain railroad journey. First up: a 20 hour overnighter to Perm, a city that would not exist had it not been for the railroad, which Dr. Zhivago also calls home.
Monday, October 11, 2010
St. Petersburg -- land of canals, palaces, and vodka!
Peter Pan and Tinkerbell's 6 month journey has begun in style, first stop: St. Petersburg, Russia! The most northern stop on our journey. And it was cold, could've used an ushanka, even in October. The travel bug is alive and well, loving to be in a foreign land where the only words I know are yes, no, and thank you. Somehow we've managed to get by with charades, pointing, and smiles....so far. However, a crash course in the alphabet may be in order for the Trans-Sib portion.
If it weren't for the russian language and cyrillic alphabet, St Petersburg could be confused with a European city. Between the ornate palaces, churches, and canals, Peter the Great built a stunning city from swampland. Our only encounter with the Russian mafia so far had to be the taxi fleecing, cars just pull up to you, unknown if they are taxis or not where negotiation is king. We thought we could avoid this with an official looking taxi, you know the kind with a taxi sign on top and a meter, but no, he was the biggest fleece of all, a mere double the price from the airport to our hotel which took 45 minutes, this trip was just 10 minutes and consisted of driving around the block. Dinner was just over half of the cost of this taxi ride. Karma did return its favor, one Tjikstani driver walked us to our Georgian restaurant. And many others probably only fleeced us a little.
St Pete had surprisingly friendly people offering up smiles. Well aside from the security ladies manning the Hermitage Museum, that is. Or maybe that was the result of the company I was keeping, hence forward he will be called spoon man. (Apparently, it is frowned upon to carry orange spoons and make noise with it.) Very impressive art collection, impressive state rooms and wow, the chandeliers. This museum claims to house the world's most impressive and finest art collection. Yes, indeed, although I will likely remember the views and the rooms itself as well as the history during the siege of WWII, where 2,000 staff members and families were provided shelter below the museum.
History aside, our first night was very aptly begun with a trip to the vodka tasting room. Beluga!!!! Also tried fish preserved in aspic, interesting, just a weird gelatinous texture seemingly preserving the fish. And of course, the usual suspects of chicken Kiev, beef stroganoff, and borsch soup. Now is probably the most relevant time to mention my obsession with food while traveling: I talk about it, take pictures of it, write about it and can't wait to try the next food of the region. It is what I do best when traveling. Must. Try. New. Food. Every. Day. And meet new people, of course! Made our first friends at the tasting room courtesy of some lipstick lesbians kissing out front, an immediate connection was made between fellow Aussies. We joined this group of international university recruiters, some of which were Russian, clubbing. Ypa!! Nightlife is great here, multiple clubs, a cabaret and out all night on 2 of the nights, would've been more if jet lag were not an issue. If I could now make a recommendation, avoid Club Deny at all costs. The first night we tried to get in with the group of international peeps with only half of us successful, the next night my imaginary boyfriend and I tried, they took one look at his shoes and DENY. Ok, starting to get a complex here and then the last night of course, tried it. So did it with style: wearing my beanie and tennis shoes. Oh yeah. DENIED.
And a word about the girls here. It must be said. They could use some help in the beauty and fashion department. Their killer looks and hot outfits on skinny bodies are wasted on the typical Russian man, these are lucky men, my friends.
Other activities included a canal cruise which we both promptly fell asleep on; walking up to the Mariinsky theatre, famous for Tchaikovsky's works, and asking for 2 tickets to Mozart's The Wedding of Figaro, in tennis shoes; the Peter and Paul fortress with a picnic dinner of gourmet hamburgers and pizza. The most memorable parts were just wandering around and checking out the hoods, the random monastery we found after taking the water taxi purposely going the wrong direction, taking pictures of all the shoes and FMBs surreptitiously and buying cans of pre-mixed gin and tonic from a corner market, cute coffee shops, riding the Metro and last but not least, liquor lane, where any type of beer or alcohol is sold and then promptly consumed on the street.
And now on our first of many train rides across Russia. Next stop: Moscow!
If it weren't for the russian language and cyrillic alphabet, St Petersburg could be confused with a European city. Between the ornate palaces, churches, and canals, Peter the Great built a stunning city from swampland. Our only encounter with the Russian mafia so far had to be the taxi fleecing, cars just pull up to you, unknown if they are taxis or not where negotiation is king. We thought we could avoid this with an official looking taxi, you know the kind with a taxi sign on top and a meter, but no, he was the biggest fleece of all, a mere double the price from the airport to our hotel which took 45 minutes, this trip was just 10 minutes and consisted of driving around the block. Dinner was just over half of the cost of this taxi ride. Karma did return its favor, one Tjikstani driver walked us to our Georgian restaurant. And many others probably only fleeced us a little.
St Pete had surprisingly friendly people offering up smiles. Well aside from the security ladies manning the Hermitage Museum, that is. Or maybe that was the result of the company I was keeping, hence forward he will be called spoon man. (Apparently, it is frowned upon to carry orange spoons and make noise with it.) Very impressive art collection, impressive state rooms and wow, the chandeliers. This museum claims to house the world's most impressive and finest art collection. Yes, indeed, although I will likely remember the views and the rooms itself as well as the history during the siege of WWII, where 2,000 staff members and families were provided shelter below the museum.
History aside, our first night was very aptly begun with a trip to the vodka tasting room. Beluga!!!! Also tried fish preserved in aspic, interesting, just a weird gelatinous texture seemingly preserving the fish. And of course, the usual suspects of chicken Kiev, beef stroganoff, and borsch soup. Now is probably the most relevant time to mention my obsession with food while traveling: I talk about it, take pictures of it, write about it and can't wait to try the next food of the region. It is what I do best when traveling. Must. Try. New. Food. Every. Day. And meet new people, of course! Made our first friends at the tasting room courtesy of some lipstick lesbians kissing out front, an immediate connection was made between fellow Aussies. We joined this group of international university recruiters, some of which were Russian, clubbing. Ypa!! Nightlife is great here, multiple clubs, a cabaret and out all night on 2 of the nights, would've been more if jet lag were not an issue. If I could now make a recommendation, avoid Club Deny at all costs. The first night we tried to get in with the group of international peeps with only half of us successful, the next night my imaginary boyfriend and I tried, they took one look at his shoes and DENY. Ok, starting to get a complex here and then the last night of course, tried it. So did it with style: wearing my beanie and tennis shoes. Oh yeah. DENIED.
And a word about the girls here. It must be said. They could use some help in the beauty and fashion department. Their killer looks and hot outfits on skinny bodies are wasted on the typical Russian man, these are lucky men, my friends.
Other activities included a canal cruise which we both promptly fell asleep on; walking up to the Mariinsky theatre, famous for Tchaikovsky's works, and asking for 2 tickets to Mozart's The Wedding of Figaro, in tennis shoes; the Peter and Paul fortress with a picnic dinner of gourmet hamburgers and pizza. The most memorable parts were just wandering around and checking out the hoods, the random monastery we found after taking the water taxi purposely going the wrong direction, taking pictures of all the shoes and FMBs surreptitiously and buying cans of pre-mixed gin and tonic from a corner market, cute coffee shops, riding the Metro and last but not least, liquor lane, where any type of beer or alcohol is sold and then promptly consumed on the street.
And now on our first of many train rides across Russia. Next stop: Moscow!
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