The trip started out ok. I left Auckland, stopped in Dubai for a few hours and then headed north for Moscow. Good flight over the snow capped mountains of Iran, then across the Caucasus Mts across Russia proper and down into Moscow. 29 hours but I seem to travel well.
We landed on a patch of tarmac but I see most of the planes are parked in the paddock. The Russian guy I was talking to reckoned they graze them like cows, some sort of eco fuel, but I know its BS, I wouldnt believe a Russian.
First thing through immigration, but would you know it, no pen, stolen by that Russian guy. I scribble the form in pencil and with a grunt from the offical (I dont think he could even speak english) I have my bag and stumble out into the street.
Welcome to Russia. The taxi drivers are everywhere, all wanting to help. My hotel only a few minutes walk away (good planning) but they are insisting on courtesy van and want to walk me the 50m to it. I know theyre just after the money but I couldnt shake em till I got near the van and the guy stops to chat to his friends and waves me on. I dont even go back and give him the $5, Fooled him, I dont think hed seen someone from NZ before.
Anyway the girl Im supposed to meet has changed her plans and is coming that night. What ever. Gave me a chance to have a shower and relax with a coffee before heading back (a few minutes away) and pick her up.
Back at the airport Im all dressed up like Kenau Reeves in Matrix, The Russians are all in jeans. I buy flowers (Yea I know).So Im waiting and waiting and all from her flight have left and gone home. Im standing there like a right wolly. A no show. So what to do, Im thinking about all the back up plans that you guys talk about and Im thinking I really dont have any. Im about to leave and this blonde comes through the door, big smile and hug, mumbling something about loosing her bag. We head out the back and there it is. Ive got know idea how she managed to get here.
Everything seemed ok, breakfast was free and we head for St Pete. We catch a train somewhere down town Pete and get out to look for our hotel. Blondie opened and closed a few taxi doors and kept on saying "bleska", It means BS. Anyway after wandering around for a bit, she jumps out in the middle of the road and waves a car down. The next thing the guy jumps out throws my bag in the back of his car, she jumps in so I jump in to. Theyre not getting away with my bag. I dont think theyd figure on that so after driving around for bit he stops and they shake us down for money, I give him a 100r note, I dont know how much that is but I can afford it, the girl seemed to play along but I couldnt figure how she had arranged it. Im thinking she'll keep.
Funny thing we are right outside the hotel. Prestege Centre. Not exactly the the Ritz but it had a jacuzzi that she seemed to like playing in.
That night we head out for a few drinks and to listen to some music. Hometime we catch a taxi from the bar back to the hotel and wouldnt you know it, she trys to shake down the taxi driver. Lot of straight talking going on and the taxi drivers having none of it and drops us back at the bar. She seemed to play this well and we ended up getting free drinks while they call for another cab. They come back later and tell us theyve got the taxi driver sacked. All because she wanted me to spend the money on her. Watch for that one.
Well, we survived Pete and headed done to Volgograd. Surprisingly you can get some good food in Volgagrad, but yea she wanted to cook. She didnt look like she could cook, but it really wasnt so bad. They are full of tricks though. I wake early in the morning and I see shes been up in the middle of the night tidying, doing dishes and ironing clothes. Yep looking for through all the pockets for money while Im asleep. Watch for that one. But I didnt notice any missing. Cunning.
Well I dont want to go on. Just a few things to look out for if you are going to date Russian women.
Now Im back in NZ what do I get from her? Yep suggestive letters.
Russia. Who needs it?!!!!!!!
Adman,
I was waiting for the dumb blonde joke. Quite the experience, I don't understand why you just tell the girl you'll just pay the regular taxi fare, no groping for prices. Makes me wonder about what your blonde and the taxi drivers talking about. Skeeming is what comes to mind. Tell me Adman, when with the blonde everything cordial and in letters she is tearing clothes off. I've seen that before. I remember an excuse a month after a meeting," I was just unsure'. But in letters the sureness comes out. At least you made it back safely...which is most important. I am on 2 week hiatus now....Odessa.
Some things sound a bit strange Adman. “Bleska”– she would be saying “it not far away” not BS. You mention also about going through your pockets etc – but you not loose anything. The survivor ones would definatly find what they wanted if that was the case ????
Don’t be put off by one bad experience. Cant believe you didn’t have a back up plan.
What was your flight cost via Dubai and with whom ????
Beemer
With the taxi ride, I was there strickly as observer. I dont know what she said him but she wasnt using sexy voice, more like gatling gun. It was entertaining to watch her in her world as she demolished the driver. I could see a bit of the lawyer coming out of her. I dont understand the driver, he drives us to our hotel argues over the fare, wouldnt give us the right price and then drives us back to the bar and earns nothing. When he started driving us back to the bar I wasnt sure where we were going, but I thought, I guess we will find out soon enough.
Not knowing the language, it was interesting sometimes to sit back and observe how she would interact with different people. Very different style depending on the situation. She could have a laugh with the militia, very direct with cafe staff, seemed quite aggressive on the phone to someone, I asked who was and she said "client from work". Not sure I would like my lawyer talking to me like that. But she seemed to know her world.
The trip was intriguing, fabulous in every way.
Best of luck in Odessa, Its gotta be a lot warmer than St Pete, it was minus 6 when I was there.
Hi Peter
"Some of the things a bit strange" Yes you have to understand I was suffering from aneurysm when I wrote that. But it was essenially what happened.
Bleska became a bit of a joke for us. We had been trundling down the road with our suitcases and even the taxi drivers kept saying our hotel was "bleska" and we should just walk over there. Well the road was not far but the street was 5 miles long and our hotel at the far end of it. If she hadnt flagged down a car we would still be wandering around looking for our hotel. Dont believe what Russians tell you. Bleska is BS.
She was strange for a women. Shopping trip envolved looking around the mall for a few things for me. I was soon bored with this and asked if she wanted to look at some of the womens shops. No she didnt like shopping. Unfortunately nothing interesting to write about there.
I flew Auckland to Moscow with Emirates. Cost about $1650US. Its ok and Domodedovo was a good airport for me to land at. Easy transfer to domestic. Maybe I will go through China next time. They tell me for the next few months most of the roots are already heavily booked.
Dubai must be the worst airport in the world to get though immigration, took about an hour and a half. Young woman in front of me fainted and I caught her as she fell. It took about an other hour for the hotel courtesy bus to get out of the airport driveway. Almost time by then to return and catch my plane.
Addy..... Your blondie girl would have drove me nuts. I'm not into aggressive women unless we are horizontal.:)) Sounds like her Mom was a Russian athelete
that was on steroids and this was the offspring!! When I was in St pete's in Feb it was only -16 C, what are your complaining about. It was so cold every few blocks I had to slip into a shop to thaw out. Funny, it was blue skies and sun was out every day.
News and Notes:
Did anyone ever notice most Germans have a nose thing going.
Girls in Odessa mostly have flat shoes, not too many heels and fancy boots.
All girls in St Pete's wear fancy boots, tight pants and are beautiful.
Most girls in Kiev wear fancy boots, tight pants but all are beautiful.
Beemer: When I was last in Odessa - a few years ago - EVERY woman had boots with stilletto heels on.
One of the funniest things I've ever seen though was in the Donestk airport a few days ago. Two women completely dressed up as fashion models - complet with the boots and stilleto heels - were baggage handlers. That's right - like piano movers, they lugged my suitcases (which weighed as much as they did) after tagging them - they then threw them on a belt for dispatch to go on the airplane. All of this in long silver stilletto heels.
Beemer
It was ok with blondie she only weighs 50kg so I never felt really threatened.
A tip: If you do get hit by your woman, dont go down, hold on to the kitchen bench or whatever if you need to, but dont go down. If you do hit the deck theyre going to lord it over you for ever and its going to be pretty much all over.
PS. Do the girls in Odessa wear the low cut tight jeans? This information seems to be missing. I dont care so much about the boots but if they dont look good in the low cut jeans Im not interested.
well i have just been to Kiev recently there are some nice ladies there but they are not in great numbers.i guess they must frequent some of the more expensive bars or resttaurants hidden away.
After holidays like this, who would ever want to go to the med. again. I can see why you guys go back time and again, even if no relationship develops. What adventure. We are only here once.
Guy$, not really impre$$ed with the women here in Ode$$a in regard to revealing what they got to offer. Friday was nice and warm but the number$ were not out. Do not get me wrong..there ARE plenty of great bode$ out there but without tho$e heel$ the toning i$ down a tad bit, unle$$ we are $peaking of my girl which had every guy AND girl checking her out...hell I even joined them to have a good look. $he took a page out of those babeS in St Pete'$......ohhh those long legs.:))) What'$ that....hey guy$ gotta go. Cheer$. No blOOdy detail$ thou!!
Saint-Petersburg-the best. Russia FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Russian girls are the most beatifull, kind & clever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For the interpetation of my original post, it was written as a joke for all those complaining about about their Ukraine girls.
I took a series of good things about Russia and my girl and wrote them as bad things, because one could complain about anything.
I was surprised to find that Russian people have a lot more sense of humour than they have been given credit. They seemed a lot more approachable as well. Keen to talk to strangers on the plane or elsewhere. The taxi drivers at that airport were not nearly as bad as made out by some. Some were even helpful without looking for money. Of course not all were like that, as we found out later. There is always going to be a few that will try and rip off tourists.
When my girl would ask people in the street for direction they always seemed friendly and chatted away, even if their directions were not always good.
I was surprised when she stepped out in the street and flagged down a car. Wondered what on earth she was up to. For a very small amount of money this guy goes way out of his way to drop us off at our hotel. Step out in front of a car in my country and they run you over.
The girl I was with did eveything possible to make my stay good. She also looked out for my interests, wasnt going to let me be ripped off by a roguish taxi driver. The other side of her was angel, couldnt do enough. She didnt want to be eating out all the time, saying she can can cook all these things at home and was very keen on showing me she could cook. Couldnt believe it when she got up in the middle of the night, to tidy the house while I slept. I wake up in the morning and the place is all looking nice. Dont think there are many women in my country that would do that.
There still seems to be good women in Russia. If they have a fault, its they do too much.
Update from Ukraine. $eem$ my girl,that had all the head$ turning, wa$ more fun than I figured. $he brought the world of $hopping to an art form! $he not only did what most of you guy$ have experienced but took it to a higher level. The usual is $tart with $omething $mall like an acce$$ory and move to clothe$. After the $hort $hopping $pree, $he wa$ happy a$ can be. Next day it was another mall...new mall. $tarted with getting me $omething, yea right, buying my$elf $omething, this was ju$t to warm me up. Back to the clothe$, only this time, it wa$ pleading for only a couple thing$. Then it was the, let me try it on and you will $ee it is me. If all el$e fail$, let'$ try 'the come in the changing room and $ee me in very $exy top on and only half dre$$ed'. Which brought to my mind, how BAD do you want that top honey.( no detail$ thou) If all el$e fail$ let'$ try the 'I don't have any money and you buy it for me and I will pay you back' theory of getting what you want. La$t but not lea$t in the end ....pout all day. $eem$ it is rag on Nikolaev week $o naturally...where do you think thi$ girl i$ from??