This trip was a little awkward as I was planning it. The flights were awkward, the visas were awkward and I find Russia difficult to navigate around at most times but this time I am on my own and winging it as usual. I found a hotel centrally located in fact if I was staying in New York it would have been in Times Square. I opened up my curtains to the view of the equivalent all lit up and open 24 hours.
Before I arrived in Kaliningrad I had 5 hours in transit in Riga which wasn’t a good start. I finally arrived at my destination at midnight. The airport was small and very quiet. I walked to the arrivals hall and everything was closed but luckily there were taxis outside. I got my taxi and said Hotel Kaliningrad and gave him the address. He told me the fare of 500 roubles was fixed and off we went.
Kaliningrad is the western most region of the Russian Oblast and it is also a few thousand miles away from mother Russia nestled in-between Poland and Lithuania by the coast.
As I checked into the hotel I was accosted by a middle aged man who was also checking in. He was polite I guess but he kept insisting on asking me for a drink and the lady in reception told him not to embarrass me and asked him to leave me alone which I was thankful for. Luckily I never saw him again.
Later that morning I went to the lobby to ask for help with some places I wanted to visit. Luckily the hotel had a tourist office. I met a lovely lady who told me all the tours they were running and how they had all the tours I wanted running each day until I left. I nearly wet my pants when she said I would be able to visit the military town Baltisk as I didn’t think I could get there on my own. So I booked a city, a day trip to the military town and a visit to the amber town and another day trip to the Curonion Spit. The other surprise was the price of these tours which was only £45. I had to check the exchange rate as I thought I was getting it wrong but that was the price. Feeling like I got a bargain I then realised this was a local price and that the tours would be in Russian. I didn’t care as I had read up about the places I wanted to visit and all I wanted to do was see it. I find it more comfortable seeing a place with the locals even if there is a language barrier. It’s better than traipsing around with other foreigners, this way I get to know the language more and feel like I am really conversing and mixing with local people. When I say local they are Russians but from Moscow who are also on holiday like me.
I had a great first day during the city tour looking at the gates of the city, the world of ocean museum and then ending the day at the cathedral when Emmanuel Kant is buried. The next day was also wonderful as I had a long lie in as the tour didn’t start till noon. I woke up lazily at 10 am and sauntered to the mall for some food. I spent most of my evening in the supermarket buying food from the bakery and deli. I tried as many as Russian food as possible but not all was to my taste. M favourite was the cheese and ham puff pastries from the bakery and lovely cheesy dumplings at the food court. The price was reasonable and sometimes very cheap.
One morning I woke up at 8am and it was pitch black. The sun came out after 9 am. As Kaliningrad is Russia, they take their time from mainland Russia. That is why the time difference is 3 hours and not 2. I never got up again at 8am.
The next day trip was to the Curonion Spit which a very long and narrow strip of beach that joins with Lithuania. The sand dunes were a sight but and the beaches lovely and clean but it was bloody cold. And as it was a little damp the dunes didn’t have that swirly affect that they sometimes have in the summer. The national park was also very interesting with their dancing trees as the Russians call them. As the tree grows they make a little move to the left or right which gives them a curve before shooting directly up into the sky.
My last day I visited the amber town which I can’t quite recall the name and the military town close to the border of Poland. Apparently most of the amber in the world comes from Kaliningrad. I found 2 pieces of amber while I walked on the beach. If I looked harder I probably would have found many more. The military town of Baltisk is a lovely little place with their coast being labelled as the most westerly point in Russia. There is an enormous statue of Peter the Great on his horse facing the ocean. Then we walked around the town which looked a little run down but quaint. The sea port where the Russian vessels lay quietly next to an Algerian ship which was visiting was very interesting. The monuments were great and the memorials for the Germans quite sombre.
At one point as I was taking my photos, the guide asked me if I was the daughter of a general in the Indian navy. I was quite taken aback with her statement and I made sure she realised that I was not who she thought I was. She explained that she figured I was here to inspect the ships that they just finished. Kaliningrad has been commissioned to build ships for the Indian navy and they had just finished 3 ships and the guide thought I was there to inspect them. Really strange as to why I would join a tour if I was inspecting their ships but I didn’t try to say that just in case I got arrested for spying. It was quite funny.
This trip was actually one of the easiest trips I have ever done on my own. I thoroughly enjoyed it and the only downside was the cold. I wished it was warmer and it would have been perfect.
