International Updates

As Brian previously mentioned, giving your clothes to a bartender is risky and as I've learned from the "sweet mayonaise" on some of the street meat stands, my risks haven't been paying off. This is no exception. Nearly a day after we were told our laundry would be finished and dry in a few hours, I'm still waiting. The ballet is just around the corner and I'm working on a three-day pair of boxers. I'm writing this blog while they dry and I'm hoping to be able to get back in time to buy all you people some Russian crap that I'll lug around for another week in my pack, probably break and get no gratitude. Oh don't mind me folks, I'm raw from walking and having some issues with staying warm/cold depending on whether inside or out so I'm as moody as a Russian Babushka with a pebble in her drawers and no ride home.

I have had the pleasure of having my beliefs confirmed that the most ignorant Americans are the loudest abroad. Some guy innocently started a conversation with us in Teremok, a fast food joint serving blinys (ooo I love the minced meat, mushroom and cheese!). He and is wife are from Warner-Robbins, GA and instead of sharing with us the beauty of St. Petersburg sites or the majesty of its architecture or the culture they were soaking up, they just said that they were glad they hadn't noticed any black people in Russia. That ended the conversation and was proven correct that our borders are porous when it comes to letting out our own idiots. Oh, and as it turns out, I ran into him while brushing my teeth at the hostel... he too is a guest. Glad tonight is our last night there.

The summer palace is gorgeous and I really wish we could have spent more time there. In fact, I wish I had more time in St. Petersburg in general, it is phenomenal here. The house and grounds were pretty unreal, even in the fog and near-rain. We didn't even get to see anything beyond the main house and that was unfortunate.

Lastly, I know that I snore. Brian has been kind enough not to mention it as often as other friends that may or may not be named Geoff or Tommy (then again, Geoff had 4 years of it in college so he may have the right). But the guy across the room last night was sawing logs and not with a saw but a big ol' Poulan chainsaw with dual fuel sources and a busted muffler. And then Brian joined in with some breathing I think, or it may have been another guy, and there was a symphony of nose-noise. Payback I suppose. When I asked how I compared, Brian nicely noted that I was worse. My apologies.

Little advice to the Russian tourism authority... don't hang a teal banner on the back of one of your most beautiful homes. I don't know what it said but its in my shots of the house and fountain. Thats like the White House putting billboards in the rose garden.

Dave

(aka CoCo as I have been told but don't appreciate fully)