In Russia, the sights see you!
Had to open my first day in Russia with a Smirnoff-ism. I am actually typing this as I prepare to leave St.Petersburg. Waking up and getting to the train was easy. I even had time to grab copious amounts of bottled water and a bit of breakfast. That American guy is at the train station.
"Uh, have I got the right ticket?" He asks me. "It says we're routing through Vannikila but the signs suggest the train is going through a different city."
"I'm pretty sure we're ok", I say and have a look. Sure enough, the first city name on the board for this train is Pietra. I'm pretty sure I know what's going on. "Pietra's not a stop on the way. Pietra's how the Finns say St.Petersburg."
"Oh".
He's in another car and fast asleep, sparing me further such conversations. Our train leaves on time and is incredibly dull, passing by farms and forests that I could see in Canada. When we're approaching the border, officials are on checking my passport, and I embarass myself by trying to impress them with Russian. Problem is, they're the Finnish authorities! I relax and try to enjoy the ride, surrounded by a Spanish tour group. I tried to ask their guide a question at one point, but she basically shunned me. I guess if I'm not paying you, no need to treat me like a person?
Finally, the Russians come around and take away all our passports! I am a man without a passport for about 45 minutes before they finally bring them back stamped. No questions asked, I am now in Russia! And the views are really interesting. Run down farms, decaying Soviet collective factories, the countryside is strewn with them. We pass through a small city whose name escapes me, and eventually we start approaching St. Petersburg through Slumlike suburbs of blocky, dull apartment buildings. Weeds abound, and long streets stretch north to south as far as the eye can see. So far, nothing particularly impressive as we reach Ladoga station. I had a pow-wow about an hour earlier with some French backpackers so I would know where I was in relation to the city, and I have sketched out a basic route at this point for getting myself to my subway by hostel.
The route takes about 30 minutes from the train by Subway (On the way I marvel at the massive soviet era constructed stations) arriving at the hostel door, which is locked, and has a note on it in Russian! I am completely confused but I can see the note mentions an office on the street next to this one, so I head for it. It's some kind of bank or travel office and I walk out completely confused. A stranger finds me and tries to show me where the hostel is, which I explain that I know (He doesn't really speak any English). He walks me back to the hotel, and this time, someone's holding the door open for me! I have arrived in St. Petersburg, albeit somewhat sweaty! I even have about 1000 rubles, thanks to an exchange service on the train.
With my bag stowed in my room and containing nothing of value, I set off for the Nevsky Monastery (With the intention of stopping at a bank first to exchange 200 Euros in travelers' cheques). I find the bank, but I have to wait 45 minutes for service, and then they're not sure they can do it for me without my passport! (I am carrying a copy, the original is at the hostel!) But after a long time, I get my cash, quite a lot, about 6,000 rubles, and I return to the hostel first, since I know I'll have to pay them at some point in Cash. I give them theire money, and shift my plans by heading West down Nevsky Prospect, in the direction of the hermitage, since the Nevsky facility is now closed to the public, my plan is to visit the busy shopping street of Nevsky Prospect, followed by trips to two mammoth churches there, Church on Spilled Blood (Named as it was built on the site of the Assassination of Alexander II), and Our lady of Kazan. Spilled Blood is beautiful and multicolored from the outside, on the inside it's also beautiful, but Kazan is far more striking with its architectural exterior beauty, with a semicircle of columns hiding the fact that the building is actually a dull East-West layout, and spectacular acoustics (I arrive during a service, and feel guilty for treating the service as a tourist attraction where I am surrounded by baboushka wearing women, and booming Russian Orthodox priests sing with power and dignity. A choir chimes in beautifully from up on high and I stay for just long enough to get a taste. Then I am back out onto Nevsky Prospect, a street covered with neon to erase the bland image of communism with KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonalds and so on and so forth. You would believe capitalism had always existed here. Cars, buses and trams speed by coughing up exhaust, a mix of new luxury cars and old Lada beaters (Some new Ladas, too.)
I stop in at a recommended buffet called Olki Palki, and order the full buffet, eating in a fake plastic Russian Forest. The food is ok, but heavy and I can't eat too much. I think I spend the rest of the night blogging. Tomorrow, I am going to the Hermitage. The city seems perfectly safe and it's unfortunate I have no one to experience it with.
"Uh, have I got the right ticket?" He asks me. "It says we're routing through Vannikila but the signs suggest the train is going through a different city."
"I'm pretty sure we're ok", I say and have a look. Sure enough, the first city name on the board for this train is Pietra. I'm pretty sure I know what's going on. "Pietra's not a stop on the way. Pietra's how the Finns say St.Petersburg."
"Oh".
He's in another car and fast asleep, sparing me further such conversations. Our train leaves on time and is incredibly dull, passing by farms and forests that I could see in Canada. When we're approaching the border, officials are on checking my passport, and I embarass myself by trying to impress them with Russian. Problem is, they're the Finnish authorities! I relax and try to enjoy the ride, surrounded by a Spanish tour group. I tried to ask their guide a question at one point, but she basically shunned me. I guess if I'm not paying you, no need to treat me like a person?
Finally, the Russians come around and take away all our passports! I am a man without a passport for about 45 minutes before they finally bring them back stamped. No questions asked, I am now in Russia! And the views are really interesting. Run down farms, decaying Soviet collective factories, the countryside is strewn with them. We pass through a small city whose name escapes me, and eventually we start approaching St. Petersburg through Slumlike suburbs of blocky, dull apartment buildings. Weeds abound, and long streets stretch north to south as far as the eye can see. So far, nothing particularly impressive as we reach Ladoga station. I had a pow-wow about an hour earlier with some French backpackers so I would know where I was in relation to the city, and I have sketched out a basic route at this point for getting myself to my subway by hostel.
The route takes about 30 minutes from the train by Subway (On the way I marvel at the massive soviet era constructed stations) arriving at the hostel door, which is locked, and has a note on it in Russian! I am completely confused but I can see the note mentions an office on the street next to this one, so I head for it. It's some kind of bank or travel office and I walk out completely confused. A stranger finds me and tries to show me where the hostel is, which I explain that I know (He doesn't really speak any English). He walks me back to the hotel, and this time, someone's holding the door open for me! I have arrived in St. Petersburg, albeit somewhat sweaty! I even have about 1000 rubles, thanks to an exchange service on the train.
With my bag stowed in my room and containing nothing of value, I set off for the Nevsky Monastery (With the intention of stopping at a bank first to exchange 200 Euros in travelers' cheques). I find the bank, but I have to wait 45 minutes for service, and then they're not sure they can do it for me without my passport! (I am carrying a copy, the original is at the hostel!) But after a long time, I get my cash, quite a lot, about 6,000 rubles, and I return to the hostel first, since I know I'll have to pay them at some point in Cash. I give them theire money, and shift my plans by heading West down Nevsky Prospect, in the direction of the hermitage, since the Nevsky facility is now closed to the public, my plan is to visit the busy shopping street of Nevsky Prospect, followed by trips to two mammoth churches there, Church on Spilled Blood (Named as it was built on the site of the Assassination of Alexander II), and Our lady of Kazan. Spilled Blood is beautiful and multicolored from the outside, on the inside it's also beautiful, but Kazan is far more striking with its architectural exterior beauty, with a semicircle of columns hiding the fact that the building is actually a dull East-West layout, and spectacular acoustics (I arrive during a service, and feel guilty for treating the service as a tourist attraction where I am surrounded by baboushka wearing women, and booming Russian Orthodox priests sing with power and dignity. A choir chimes in beautifully from up on high and I stay for just long enough to get a taste. Then I am back out onto Nevsky Prospect, a street covered with neon to erase the bland image of communism with KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonalds and so on and so forth. You would believe capitalism had always existed here. Cars, buses and trams speed by coughing up exhaust, a mix of new luxury cars and old Lada beaters (Some new Ladas, too.)
I stop in at a recommended buffet called Olki Palki, and order the full buffet, eating in a fake plastic Russian Forest. The food is ok, but heavy and I can't eat too much. I think I spend the rest of the night blogging. Tomorrow, I am going to the Hermitage. The city seems perfectly safe and it's unfortunate I have no one to experience it with.
posted by Steven at 6:22 AM
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