Our two weeks in Russia was unlike any trip we have taken
before. (I am also glad we are home now after the news about Syria). I have been thinking about this blog for some
time trying to figure out the best way to approach it. I think I may just list the things which I thought were interesting,
We visited Moscow, Uglich, Yaroslavl, Goritsy, Kizhi,
Mandrogi, and St. Petersburg. I had never seen so many palaces, learned so much history in a short time, noticed and appreciated architectural styles,
and in general, experienced an “out of the box” visit, different from what we
usually experience.
PEOPLE
1.
Although I had been told this by two former
students who had traveled to Russia, I was still shocked to have seen THREE
people of color. One, sitting on a bus
bench, as I took a picture from a bus, another, taking trash out of a
restaurant, and another young student rushing past us on an escalator to the
subway (which, I might add, was the longest escaIator I had ever seen—in St.
Petersburg.
2.
Upon first impression, Russians may seem rude,
but I understand they are better one on one.
When we ventured out alone, we ran into no problems
whatsoever, and everyone was very engaging and helpful.
3.
I have not been anywhere with such a lack of
diversity.
4.
WEATHER
1.
We were prepared for very cold weather and were
surprised that the weather was extremely pleasant. There was a light rain for a short while one
day, and we used a jacket most days, but we did not need most of the warm
weather clothes we took. Someone told us that Russia has eleven months of
winter and one month waiting for winter. I cannot imagine being there in the
winter.
2.
It is a great place to buy warm weather gear
beginning with the fur hats.
LANGUAGE
1.
I took three classes in Russian while I was
there. I learned key phrases, but most
of all, the language was demystified. I
carried a cheat sheet around with me most of the time.
2.
People in the tourist shops speak English, but
not many people on the street. As usual,
when looking for an English speaker, we always look for someone young—they are
more likely to speak English. We only
needed it when we were out on our own. Russia was isolated for a very long
time.
POLITICS
Everything is referenced by “Soviet Time,” and Present Time.
Joke I liked—addressed to Putin: “Mr.
Putin, your opponent received 70% of the vote, but the good news is you got 80%. Russia went from wooden plow to
nuclear power under communism. Like the
book, Animal Farm, “All of the animals are equal, but some are more equal.
The main problem with communism was the lack of freedom, and Soviets could not travel abroad. Some appear to miss those days, however, because education, was free, and housing was very very cheap. However, there was low work efficiency because there were no incentives—everyone received the same salary no matter how hard they worked.
The main problem with communism was the lack of freedom, and Soviets could not travel abroad. Some appear to miss those days, however, because education, was free, and housing was very very cheap. However, there was low work efficiency because there were no incentives—everyone received the same salary no matter how hard they worked.
The land did not belong to the people, but the buildings
did.
VODKA
“You cannot drink all of the vodka in the world, or kiss all
of the girls in the world, but you have to try.” Putin, however, does not drink. It is said
that Russians rejected Islam because they forbid drinking alcohol(may or may
not be true) Many binge drink—we were told that vodka is a terrible curse of
Russia (Maybe it keeps people warm).
FOOD
SUCKS! I guess it is geared to keeping your body warm—the
blinis were probably the best Russian food we ate. It reminds you of a crepe, or a tortilla. The food on the ship reflected the food of the country, although we were able to have fish and fowl--the fish always had bones.
KREMLIN
This means town encircled by walls. Kremlins are all over
Russia (this was news to me)
MY GENERAL IMPRESSION
Although it was extremely interesting, it is not a place I
would visit without being with a group.
Moscow is huge, and we would not have been able to see the small towns.
I could never live there because of the weather and the lack of diversity.
Everyone looks extremely serious, and very few people
smiled. I imagine during the “Soviet
Time,” paranoia was rampant. We saw the
KGB building in St Petersburg, and it was very dismal and scary looking.
The dollar was strong, because the Russian economy is weak right now, so that was nice for purchasing
things for our children and grandchildren.
A river cruise is really the best way to visit it in order
to maximize what you may see.
You will see enough palaces and churches to last a lifetime—all
magnificent.
The Hermitage is indescribable.
St Petersburg is a wonderful city. Beautiful canals throughout, with a very European flair. It was probably my favorite. (It was also where I saw the three Black people).
We flew from San Diego to New York, to Amsterdam, where we had a five hour lay-over before flying to Moscow. It seems like an extremely interesting place--may be worth a look. Flew home on Aeroflot to Paris, and when we got to the Paris airport, it was obvious that we were no longer in Russia--everyone was smiling!!!. Almost four hours to Paris, and then eleven hours to Los Angeles. Our luggage did not show up in San Diego when we did, but it was delivered the next day.
The closing remark from our guide was that when we get back to our homes, we can say “Russians are bad, but not THAT bad.” :-)
WAS IT WORTH IT? ABSOLUTELY!!!!!
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