1 post tagged “st petersburg”

Work welcomed me back last night with a quiet night and I used my down time to work on some personal projects.  My primary goal was to do some serious research and planning on a trip to Russia.  At this time I know that I want to see both Moscow and St. Petersburg and will probably due so with some kind of tour package, but any other details have yet to be determined.

From my casual reading, I have learned a few things that should make my journey a success.  Foremost is that Russia is not nearly as dangerous as it is portrayed in the media.  Yes, they have organized crime, but the Russian mafia will not be something that I have to fear when I am there.  Most guides that I have read say that the average tourist will have no contact with said people and overall Russia is just as safe as most European countries.

Another detail that jumped out at me is the fact that I should not drink the water in Russia and once again I am comfortable with that statement.  Purchasing and drinking bottled water is something that I do quite often when I am abroad.  This is nothing out of the ordinary for me.  As an ancillary, I have mentally prepared myself that the hotel accommodations might not be up to Western standards.  This is something that I expected.

Finally, I am hoping to bring back some unique souvenirs from Russia.  I want something that is distinctly Russian, be it an article of clothing or something written in Russian.  For example, I am proud to own as many volumes of manga that I do that were purchased while I was there.

Speaking of things Japanese, I was able to watch the final two episodes of the anime series Full Metal Panic and I have to say that I liked it.  I probably won't start watching the sequel, because I want to devote all of my viewing time to Bleach.  With eight seasons, there is plenty of story for me to enjoy and I would rather not cloud the waters, but watching something else at the same time.  To further my cause, I purchased about ten episode on eBay for my viewing pleasure.  Even though all of the episodes can be streamed online, there are time when I prefer to see something in a larger format and at my leisure.  I also enjoy the special features that come with the packaged discs.