Its my last full day in Russia - I catch the train to Mongolia tonight, which means the 10 hour border crossing tomorrow.
Off to see the sites of Lake Baikal this afternoon first though, having finally found a tour guide. My advice for anyone coming to Russia who doesn't speak Russian or read Cyrillic is to book everything before you leave, I'm wishing I had, it would have made it so much easier, and it would probably be cheaper as well.
Showing posts with label Russia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Russia. Show all posts
Sunday, 27 May 2007
Monday, 21 May 2007
Moscow
Yes I have made it to Moscow - I just haven't had a chance until now to post anything. And I still haven't found an easy way to get my photos online.
I must say that Moscow isn't one of my favorite cities - almost nothing here is too little trouble, my Hotel is an anonymous tower block in the outskirts (at least the metro is cheap) and its big & crowded - basically the same as just about every other capital city in fact.
This will also be my last chance to post anything for a while, as I've got the next 4 days on the train to Irkutsk.
Mark
I must say that Moscow isn't one of my favorite cities - almost nothing here is too little trouble, my Hotel is an anonymous tower block in the outskirts (at least the metro is cheap) and its big & crowded - basically the same as just about every other capital city in fact.
This will also be my last chance to post anything for a while, as I've got the next 4 days on the train to Irkutsk.
Mark
Friday, 18 May 2007
St Petersburg Part 2
I thought that the last post was a little brief, and having some time to waste before my train, I decided to get back on the net and post some more, rather than go into some smokey bar.
First impressions of Russia was "Ivan is crazy" especially when he gets behind the wheel. Seeing how quickly you can accelerate between jams, changing lanes as often as possible, and cutting red lights as closely as you can seem normal here. Still the weather is nice, hot & sunny, although it soon cools down when the sun sets, which is late, 9:45 here and its still light outside.
Feeling very footsore, as apart from a couple of boat trips I've walked everywhere. This is definitely a city where knowing Russian would be an advantage, as English speakers are few and far between. The English commentary boat trip I took yesterday had me and two American architectural students, I think we were outnumbered by the boats crew :).
A tip if you like museums but are a cheapskate, come on the 18th of may, since its "International Museam Day" today and entry to all museums, including the Hermitage, is free. So yes I did go round the Hermitage, and also the Russian Naval museum. The park next to the naval museum is interesting, since it seems that every St. Petersburg Wedding has its photos taken there - brides were literally queing up for the best spots.
First impressions of Russia was "Ivan is crazy" especially when he gets behind the wheel. Seeing how quickly you can accelerate between jams, changing lanes as often as possible, and cutting red lights as closely as you can seem normal here. Still the weather is nice, hot & sunny, although it soon cools down when the sun sets, which is late, 9:45 here and its still light outside.
Feeling very footsore, as apart from a couple of boat trips I've walked everywhere. This is definitely a city where knowing Russian would be an advantage, as English speakers are few and far between. The English commentary boat trip I took yesterday had me and two American architectural students, I think we were outnumbered by the boats crew :).
A tip if you like museums but are a cheapskate, come on the 18th of may, since its "International Museam Day" today and entry to all museums, including the Hermitage, is free. So yes I did go round the Hermitage, and also the Russian Naval museum. The park next to the naval museum is interesting, since it seems that every St. Petersburg Wedding has its photos taken there - brides were literally queing up for the best spots.
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