8 THINGS THAT SURPRISED ME ABOUT RUSSIA
There are hundreds of travel books about Russia that give tons of insight, I know because I’ve read a good many of them. The things they don’t tell you are minor! To be honest, my list might not surprise some people at all, but I found these things caught me off guard.
1. Churches all around!
Churches are not the first thing I think of when I think of
Russia. But honestly, they are everywhere in the country. I’m not sure why this
was so surprising to me but I was absolutely blown away by all the beautiful
churches, cathedrals, and monasteries that I saw in Russia.
2. Typical Doors
If you do rent an apartment, don’t be surprised if you have
to go through four bolted doors to get inside.There are usually two closely
spaced doors to get into a building, another to get onto the correct floor, and
of course, the door to the apartment itself. We are used to the wooden style
doors but these typical metal doors brought surprise to me.
3. Crazy traffic
Just as I was blown away by all the churches in Russia, I
was also baffled by the crazy traffic in both Moscow and St. Petersburg. I've
never seen so many cars inching along on 6- or 8-lane highways. And the
surprising thing is the situation is same the whole day in some of the areas.
4. It is safe and
easy
I wasn't sure what to expect as an American in Russian.
Would people be rude to me Would I feel unsafe
Would immigration be difficult Well, the answer is no. I had no trouble
with immigration, encountered no anti-American sentiments, and felt very safe
the entire time in Russia. There definitely was a security presence at major
tourist sites
5. Early sunrise
I understand that in St Petersburg during June there is no
night for a few days. Sunrises at around 3 AM, which was a shock to me.It’s not
quite that dramatic in Moscow, but I wasn’t at all prepared for this. Not
having seen the sun before 7 AM, for me seeing the bright shining sun at 3 AM
was a big surprise.
6. No iced drinks
Living in the United States, we have a lot of cold drinks.
Ice is plentiful and if you order a soft drink it will have more ice than soda.
In Russia, almost all drinks are served at room temperature and this includes
soda. If you ask for ice, they will, of course, bring it to you with a small
set of tongs to drop in one cube at a time.
7. It’s reasonable
One pleasant surprise concerned the cost of spending money.
Getting money from an ATM includes fees from the local Russian bank you are
receiving cash from, and the bank back home that holds your card. Rates range
from extreme to reasonable. If you buy something, for instance, dinner, there
is usually a charge from your issuing bank for using the card out of the
country. Not only the bank charges, the stuff, transportation everything here
is pretty reasonable.
8. The love of sushi
Sushi is everywhere. I found it odd that even though Moscow
is so far from the coast, every block in Moscow, Russia has a sushi restaurant.
I’m not sure why the attraction is so strong but rest assured it is, and the
food is good! I enjoyed the local sushi place and ended up eating there with
friends quite a few times. But this much love for Sushi was little shocking.
My one month trip was one of the best vacations I have ever
been on! Thank you the people at PKT for bringing this amazing fun in our
lives. Every penny spent is just worth it! I’m already in talks with Mr. Tanmay
at PKT Tours for another return trip. This time I hope to be a bit more
prepared for the little things Russia throws at me.