Friday, June 03, 2005
St. Petersburg, day one
Of all the aspects of this trip, the most frightening was the prospect of taking the Moscow-St. Petersburg. Many sources informed me that this train was dangerous. Thieves ran wild, nothing was secure. One coworker told me that she had to buy an entire four-person compartment for herself and her sister just to feel safe.
On this journey I bunked in one of these four-person compartments (called kupe). Already equipped with one experience of Russian train travel that I gained from the Riga-Moscow trip, I felt pretty safe. I slept on a bottom bunk, which lifts up to reveal a secure storage bin, and stowed my belongings there. It turned out there was nothing to be afraid of. The only unpleasant experience about this trip was the now-familiar body odor of my companions.
Palace Square through the arches of the General Staff building
The train, which left Moscow at 11 P.M., arrived in St. Petersburg at 6:30 A.M. The scene outside the train station was oddly calm. I took the metro one stop to the Nevskiy Prospekt station and walked the remaining five minutes to my hostel. Nevskiy Prospekt is St. Petersburg's main thoroughfare, and one that is supposed to be teeming with people. But at this hour, there were only a few elderly people walking along. What a difference from Moscow, I thought.
Palace Square and the Winter Palace
I arrived at my hostel, named Nord, at 7 A.M. You couldn't beat the location, only one block from the Hermitage. I was greeted by the owner, a quirky but friendly young woman named Masha. The facilities in this place are amazing. There are four private bathrooms, all spick-and-span. A hearty breakfast, free internet and free laundry are included in the price, 24 euros per night. There is a lot of small things that add a touch of class: bottled water and a plate of dried fruit in the kitchen, lamps and electrical outlets at each bunk. Moreover, the common area is cozy and conducive to socializing.
One of St. Petersburg's many waterways
I showered and ate breakfast and was out the door before 10 A.M. By this time, Nevskiy Prospekt had transformed from a sleepy lane to the congested street that I had expected. There were hundreds of young people out now. I took note of their fashions, which were more or less the same as in Moscow: short skirts and open-toed shoes with stockings for women, pointy shoes for men.
Alexander Pushkin, Russia's most beloved poet
I spent a few hours on a walking tour of the city. This tour was arranged by Peter's Walking Tours. My group and I went to some places not ordinarily seen by tourists, including the palace where Rasputin was murdered and a shop selling pirated DVDs. My favorite is a large indoor market that houses a stand operated by Koreans. (They were impressed that I spoke some Russian.)
Kim chi, anyone?
When the tour ended I walked some more around the city. Numerous rivers and canals makes the city nice for taking a stroll. The weather was nice today, and many people took boat rides on these waterways.
St. Petersburg has a European flavor. Obviously the architecture contributes to this. You see many more outdoor cafes here than in Moscow. The pace of life here is much slower, too. For instance, no one runs up or down the Metro escalators (then again, St. Petersburg's stations are much deeper than Moscow's). I didn't see as many people from the Caucasus or Central Asia as I did in Moscow. I did, however, notice a lot of East Asians.
Afternoon in St. Petersburg
That evening I met a CouchSurfer named Lena. She could not host me, but she did agree to show me the city. We walked along the Neva, the city's main river. We got along right away. I enjoyed talking with her as we walked next to the water, sparkling from the evening sun.
Church on Spilled Blood
We walked through some gardens, and then went to a cafe for dinner. This place, is called Zoom Cafe and is close to Nevskiy Prospekt. It is like the FAQ Cafe in Moscow, with a funky interior and good food at low prices. (One interesting touch was the menu—it was a library card catalog with each card describing a dish or drink.) I enjoyed conversing with Lena—she is a cheerful, genuine person who is different from the typical people I encounter in St. Petersburg, who seem to put on a front. (Of course, anyone who laughs at my jokes is all right in my book.) I learned that she is a college student studying film. It turns out that we have much in common—she is an ardent lover of Asian cinema, so we discussed our favorite movies and directors. She also told me about her past CouchSurfing experiences. She hasn't yet stayed with other CouchSurfers or hosted anyone, but she has met a few people passing through St. Petersburg. The most recent were from Northern England—she had quite a hard time making sense of their accent, so she was happy that she could understand me! (I also practiced some Russian with her and was flattered to hear that I sounded like a native speaker.)
We were having such a good time talking that, before we knew it, it was midnight and Lena reluctantly had to leave to catch the Metro. We agreed to meet again.
Moyka River. In the distance are Yusupov Palace (site of Rasputin's murder) and St. Isaac's Cathedral
