Russia - Random Tips & Observances

I just got back home and have somehow found some energy to write one last blog entry. Jenny and I made note of quite a few tips and other things that just seemed to stand out but never seemed to make it into another entry so here they are for your reading pleasure.

1. I've often heard the phrase blue-haired old ladies but I've never really seen an old lady with blue hair. Here in Russia, they have purple-haired old ladies and they actually have purple hair. The first time I saw this I figured it was a fluke but quickly learned that this is a respected style.

2. Both the Lonely Planet and Frommer's are out of date. For example, Lonely Planet mentions that there are a plethora of internet cafes, but after going seeking out two in Jenny's book and four in mine, we found all but one has closed. The St. Petersburg in Your Pocket guide that we got at the hotel proved much more useful than either guide.

3. It is in your best interest to not only look both ways before crossing the street, but to run while doing so. Cars tend to speed up when they see you.

4. Near the Kremlin in Moscow it costs 15 rbls. to use the porta-potty. I recommend walking a block and using the bathroom at the Ritz Carlton for free. It much more pleasant and had running water.

5. In search of a quick, tasty bite to eat? Jenny's favorite (and I liked it too) is Tepemok. They serve up a tasty bliny (pancake) filled with your choice of savory or sweet fillings. Best yet, they are cheap and reliable. Yum yum good.

6. Women really like their nylon s here in Russia. I'm not sure I've seen a single girl over the age 12 go bare-legged. Whether they are wearing a skirt, shorts or capri pants one thing is certain, they will have on nylons.

7. Before going to Russia I highly recommend learning the Cyrillic alphabet. This will be pretty easy for those of you that were in a Sorority or Fraternity or studied math or engineering as it seems to be a hybrid between the Roman and Greek alphabets. Not only is it fun to try and read signs while wandering the streets, it becomes extremely important in trying to find the restaurants listed in guidebooks or read the maps they provide since they always translate everything phonetically into English. Unfortunately, restaurants and street signs don't always do this. You will also find quite a lot of English words are used by translating into Russian... for example finding and internet cafe requires you to look for "ИНТЕΡΗΕΤ ΚΑФЕ".

8. Watch your step while walking in Russia. Men spit quite a lot here. Perhaps it is all the dust in the air from all the construction.

9. Book your trains before heading to Russia. Not all holidays are posted in the Lonely Planet and trying to get a last minute ticket on a holiday weekend can prove difficult and costly.

10. For women in Russia, it is definitely fashion before function. Almost every woman you see is wearing extremely high heals everywhere. I'm not just referring to going to work, we saw them in museums, parks, shopping centers, etc.

11. The sidewalks are extremely uneven (making the women wearing high heals even more impressive). I think Jenny and I each tripped a dozen times a day due to this. Hopefully when they finish reconstructing all the buildings, they will start working on the roads and sidewalks.

12. Man-purses never really took off in the US but nearly every guy here (ok, maybe only 10 %) carries one with pride. I'm not talking about briefcases or camera cases either, these are truly man-purses.

13. I look Russian... and so does Jenny. At least all the people that attempted to ask us questions on the street seemed to think so. We would just stare blanking at them and smile and they usually got the hint. When that wouldn't work, we'd add in a shrug.

14. Vodka might be the drink most associated with Russia, but beer is the people's drink. No matter what time of day, you will see men (and sometime women) walking down the street, beer in hand. Sometimes a beer in each hand.

15. If you don't like beer, you can buy a can of Gin & Tonic. I never actually saw anyone drinking this (although we did see an empty can next to a guy passed out on the metro) but billboards were everywhere.

16. I highly recommend showering in the evenings. Some of you may prefer morning showers, but by the end of your first day walking around Russia, you will most likely convert. By the end of the day we were always covered in dust (did I mention there is a lot of construction here?) and smelling of smoke (everyone smokes in Russia) and I can't recommend lying down in clean sheets like that.

17. Bring a big memory stick for you camera because they allow you take pictures everywhere. For an extra couple of rubles, you can take pics inside museums and palaces, even at the ballet during the performance. They only seem to forbid tripods.

18. They sell the oddest things on the trains to the suburbs. If you are looking for band-aids, needles, passport covers or socks, look no further than the suburbs train.

19. "Meat" is good. I recommend the "meat" bliny (pancakes), "meat" pelmini (dumplings), and "meat" pies. This mysterious "meat" can be found in just about anything and tastes delicious.

20. These are a few of my favorite road signs for your enjoyment.