When you grow up watching Rocky IV and Red Dawn, you get a preconceived notion of Russia and her people. But, even after a week, it is hard to describe this place. Russia is definitely unique--Churchill was right with the riddle, mystery, enigma quote. Russia is very white in many ways. This is the true heart of Caucasians. Without the white girlfriend, Paul got stopped 2x by the police just checking his passport. Russia is also hot...white hot (guess a relief from their "white days" --that is there logo to attract tourists to Russia during the winter--though I don't think most Russians want to be bothered with tourists--especially in Moscow). It is a relief to be inside at a post office writing this...our next stop is an air conditioned pizzeria (Paul is "sweating his nads off right now".) "White nights" is not just a movie with Gregory Hines and Mikhael Baryshnikov (you are really good if you know that one)...It actually is a time in Saint Petersburg where there is only 4 hours of "darkness" and dark is a stretch--the sun sets at 1am. It was cool to be able to walk around late at night with the sun up.
In sum, like the most of the trip so far, we spend a lot of time walking until we find a shady patch in a park and squat for a while. That sums up A-dam (where our most cultured excursion was to the Heineken factory). In Spain, we did the same in Madrid and Toledo (throw in a couple of cervecerias and tapas bars for good measure). In San Sebastian, our daily walking and squatting ritual was spiced up with beaches and world cup action (got drunk with french and brazilians after their victorious night) [viva italia--it was good to see Zidane get red carded like a big baby!] And, San Sebastian has the best tapas in the world! In Russia we got a little more cultured--went to the Hermitage for 4 hours (a major accomplishment for ADHD people like Lisa) and saw Peter I Anthropology museum...We missed Matt Lauer and the Today Show at the Winter Palace (no riots before the G8)
3 more weeks before we hit mongolia. We are in transit between Kazan (UNESCO world heritage Kremlin is there--pretty cool) and Ekaterinburg (Boris Yeltsin's hometown and for history buffs--where the Romanovs were massacred)
Here is a story that you might get a kick out of: On the train ride from st petersburg to moscow (12 h long--a small leap for Russians), we met a russian named Alexis in our cabin (who was quite inebriated when he got on the train--like most Russian men). We made a mistake of sharing a paltry little vodka. Alexei repays the favor by buying 2 more bottles of vodka which Paul drinks with him (Lisa was happily watching them get housed while nursing sinusitis). The Russians hit the vodka straight up (no screwdrivers or black russians). Paul thought he could hang with him and learn some Russian (shots of vodka = educational culture exchange?!). Suffice to say he got loopey and the next day he was hung over all day. But, we had to wait 12 hours for the next train--NO hotel room. So we squatted in Red Square, ate some MickeyDees and nursed his hangover. On the next 12 h train ride, we end up in a sleeping compartment with 3 more Russian alcoholics who call Paul a "boyscout" (one of the few english words they now) because he can't drink with them. Since he didn't measure up to the strong Russian alcoholics, he went and shaved his head. Learning lesson: when they call it the vodka train, they mean it. Prepare your liver prior to boarding! A note for the men out there, there are hot Russian women (feeding the russian bride market).
Peace
