Thumper
02-27-2022, 12:05 PM
I've spent some "quality" time in Russia. I've NEVER liked "touristy" areas and HATE acting like (or hanging out with) what would be considered "typical" tourists. Sometimes it's unavoidable, as an example, we love cruises, but seldom take the shore excursions, preferring to hook up with a local taxi driver and leaving the port area, all the while, avoiding the typical tourist destinations. Back when I was able to travel alone, I'd go to some pretty sketchy areas. There used to be some cool trip reports here, but they were lost when we changed the site location. I wish I'd have saved them. Many of those trips were with my ex-SEAL buddy and wingman. I'm a bit more reserved now as Lynn generally travels with me nowadays. On our last cruise to Mexico, we hit the port and everyone headed out to Carlos 'n Charlies (as an example). We found an English speaking cab driver and asked him to take us to HIS favorite place to eat lunch. We ended up at a small place in (what many would consider) a "scary" part of town and found the people delightful. We actually made friends with the owners of the place (hard working husband and wife) and they took Lynn into the kitchen to teach her how to make some of their dishes as they were being prepared for customers. After we ate, the owner of the place walked us across the street to a tortilla factory and we took an "unofficial" tour of the place and actually packaged some tortillas we'd (kind'a sort'a made ourselves) and took them to the boat with us. The owner refused the money we'd offered for them. We had a blast and when we returned to the ship (we were in port for 2 days), we made arrangements for the same driver to pick us up for dinner at HIS favorite place. We went, and even invited him to stay and eat with us, but he declined as he needed to work, but promised to pick us up at a predetermined time to return to the ship. Most would have considered it a "sketchy" part of town, but we never felt unsafe and had probably some of the best AUTHENTIC Mexican food we've ever had! You know it had to be good as I was the ONLY white person there (and of course, Lynn was the only Japanese! ;) ) Anyway, that's the way we roll, no matter what country we’re in and is the impetus of the signature found at the bottom of all my posts.
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness" - Mark Twain
Back in 1998, I was still in my "adventure travel" mode and went to Russia (alone). I'd met a Russian dude here in the States and we started talking about bear hunting. He was actually here on some sort of work program and was working for a company doing janitorial work at various businesses at night. He went back to Russia and we stayed in touch via eMail. We worked out a plan for me to go to Russia for a bit of bear hunting and fishing. I flew to France and screwed around Paris for a couple of days, then went on to Moscow. He met me there in his old Lada (the two most popular Russian cars were the Lada and Volga back in the day). We left the car in Moscow and took the night train to St. Petersburg where we spent the next day exploring the touristy areas, then took the night train back to Moscow. (Note: The train trips themselves could make a LONG Thump post, but I'll spare you). The next few days were spent running around to see the sites in Moscow. Our hotel was right on Red Square, so I spent a lot of time on the square as well as a full day or more in the Kremlin. (almost got in trouble with the KGB, but managed to "escape" by running into Red Square and hiding behind Lenin's tomb, but again, that's another Thump story ... and I have pics! ;) )
Then, the REAL adventure began. First, we got word that his buddy, who was to take us into bear country in his old, military surplus helicopter, had crashed the chopper and was in the hospital with a few broken bones. Scratch the bear hunt! We decided to take the mother of all road trips and DRIVE across Russia from Moscow and up into Siberia. No hotels, no sleeping arrangements, we just "winged it"! We slept in that little Lada in a couple of small town back alleys along the way, but believe it or not, we usually met people along the way who welcomed us with open arms and took us in to their homes for the night. Truly some of the nicest, warmest people you'd ever want to meet. As just a couple of examples, we once stayed two days at a little shack on the Volga River, way out in the middle of nowhere. The old man there took me duck hunting with the sketchiest shotgun I'd ever seen (almost looked handmade!) and I had a blast (no pun intended). We also spent a couple days fishing (with handmade ice fishing gear in August!) and again, had a blast. The old man, his wife and their young grandson who was visiting, insisted on sleeping on the floor and giving my buddy and myself their only bed (it was basically just a 2-room shack, kitchen and bedroom). They lived off the land basically and we had fish, game bird or moose meat for most meals, as well as fresh vegetables from their garden. I couldn't help but admire the old man's collection of handmade knives that saw daily use in the kitchen. The last night there, I presented the grandson with the "cheap" rod and reel set-up I'd travelled there with. I don't even remember what it was, but I think it was one of those inexpensive telescopic rods (fit in my suitcase) with an open-faced spinning reel (both bought at Wallyworld). I've never seen a happier kid in my life and he actually slept with it our last night there! As we were leaving the next morning, the old man handed me the handmade knife I'd most admired from his collection of kitchen knives (and yes, I still have it). Later down the road, we met a retired Russian military officer who invited us to his dacha. My being an American ex-mil. intel guy, it was an interesting mix. We ended up staying for something like 3 days! I fished, swam in the Volga River drinking Czech beer and flirting with their housekeeper (she wanted to come home with me) ;) Anyway, the dude had money, drove a Range Rover and we ate like kings. Caviar every day and most of the (meat) cooking was done by him on an outside grill to keep the heat out of the dacha. But, this could turn into a book. Suffice it to say, I spent just short of a month in country and experienced the REAL Russia and it's REAL people.
But, all that is to lead up to the purpose of this post. Travel across Russia was an eyeopener. It's rough! It’s a been there, done that, wouldn’t do it again type deal. We crossed Russia, crossed the Ural Mountains (I have a pic of me sitting with one butt cheek in Europe and the other butt cheek in Asia). One thing that really floored me was the fact, whenever we came to a crossroads, we'd pull over on the side of the highway and flag down any car that happened to come along .... looking for a local who could give us directions! There were no road signs. I asked my buddy (Yuri) why he didn't just look at a map (before the days of GPS) and he informed me it had always been illegal for anyone other than the military to have a map. They’d just recently become legal, but he didn't have one because he said the civilian maps were purposely inaccurate. I then asked why there were no road signs and he told me it was so that if Russia were ever invaded, it would confuse the "attackers" and they'd get lost. I about laughed my ass off and assured him that I could guarandamntee him, if WE ever invaded Russia, WE'D KNOW HOW TO FIND MOSCOW!!! True story and I thought it was the silliest thing I'd ever heard of. All I kept thinking was, “this is the world super power that we've always been so afraid of?”
Now, today I read that the roadbuilders in Ukraine are removing all the road signs in the country to confuse the invading Russians! It must be a “Russian thing” and I guess things haven't changed much since 1998! Surely Russia's mighty military has GPS, ya' think?
MOSCOW, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Editor's note: contains language that some readers may find offensive, paragraph 3
A Ukrainian company in charge of building and maintaining roads said it was removing all road signs that could be used by invading Russian forces to find their way around the country.
"The enemy has poor communications, they cannot navigate the terrain," the company Ukravtodor said in a Facebook update late on Friday. "Let us help them get straight to hell."
It posted an edited photo of a standard road sign in which directions to nearby cities have been replaced with profanities that could be translated as "Go fuck yourself", "Go fuck yourself again" and "Go fuck yourself back in Russia".
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-roads-company-removing-road-signs-confuse-russians-2022-02-27/
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness" - Mark Twain
Back in 1998, I was still in my "adventure travel" mode and went to Russia (alone). I'd met a Russian dude here in the States and we started talking about bear hunting. He was actually here on some sort of work program and was working for a company doing janitorial work at various businesses at night. He went back to Russia and we stayed in touch via eMail. We worked out a plan for me to go to Russia for a bit of bear hunting and fishing. I flew to France and screwed around Paris for a couple of days, then went on to Moscow. He met me there in his old Lada (the two most popular Russian cars were the Lada and Volga back in the day). We left the car in Moscow and took the night train to St. Petersburg where we spent the next day exploring the touristy areas, then took the night train back to Moscow. (Note: The train trips themselves could make a LONG Thump post, but I'll spare you). The next few days were spent running around to see the sites in Moscow. Our hotel was right on Red Square, so I spent a lot of time on the square as well as a full day or more in the Kremlin. (almost got in trouble with the KGB, but managed to "escape" by running into Red Square and hiding behind Lenin's tomb, but again, that's another Thump story ... and I have pics! ;) )
Then, the REAL adventure began. First, we got word that his buddy, who was to take us into bear country in his old, military surplus helicopter, had crashed the chopper and was in the hospital with a few broken bones. Scratch the bear hunt! We decided to take the mother of all road trips and DRIVE across Russia from Moscow and up into Siberia. No hotels, no sleeping arrangements, we just "winged it"! We slept in that little Lada in a couple of small town back alleys along the way, but believe it or not, we usually met people along the way who welcomed us with open arms and took us in to their homes for the night. Truly some of the nicest, warmest people you'd ever want to meet. As just a couple of examples, we once stayed two days at a little shack on the Volga River, way out in the middle of nowhere. The old man there took me duck hunting with the sketchiest shotgun I'd ever seen (almost looked handmade!) and I had a blast (no pun intended). We also spent a couple days fishing (with handmade ice fishing gear in August!) and again, had a blast. The old man, his wife and their young grandson who was visiting, insisted on sleeping on the floor and giving my buddy and myself their only bed (it was basically just a 2-room shack, kitchen and bedroom). They lived off the land basically and we had fish, game bird or moose meat for most meals, as well as fresh vegetables from their garden. I couldn't help but admire the old man's collection of handmade knives that saw daily use in the kitchen. The last night there, I presented the grandson with the "cheap" rod and reel set-up I'd travelled there with. I don't even remember what it was, but I think it was one of those inexpensive telescopic rods (fit in my suitcase) with an open-faced spinning reel (both bought at Wallyworld). I've never seen a happier kid in my life and he actually slept with it our last night there! As we were leaving the next morning, the old man handed me the handmade knife I'd most admired from his collection of kitchen knives (and yes, I still have it). Later down the road, we met a retired Russian military officer who invited us to his dacha. My being an American ex-mil. intel guy, it was an interesting mix. We ended up staying for something like 3 days! I fished, swam in the Volga River drinking Czech beer and flirting with their housekeeper (she wanted to come home with me) ;) Anyway, the dude had money, drove a Range Rover and we ate like kings. Caviar every day and most of the (meat) cooking was done by him on an outside grill to keep the heat out of the dacha. But, this could turn into a book. Suffice it to say, I spent just short of a month in country and experienced the REAL Russia and it's REAL people.
But, all that is to lead up to the purpose of this post. Travel across Russia was an eyeopener. It's rough! It’s a been there, done that, wouldn’t do it again type deal. We crossed Russia, crossed the Ural Mountains (I have a pic of me sitting with one butt cheek in Europe and the other butt cheek in Asia). One thing that really floored me was the fact, whenever we came to a crossroads, we'd pull over on the side of the highway and flag down any car that happened to come along .... looking for a local who could give us directions! There were no road signs. I asked my buddy (Yuri) why he didn't just look at a map (before the days of GPS) and he informed me it had always been illegal for anyone other than the military to have a map. They’d just recently become legal, but he didn't have one because he said the civilian maps were purposely inaccurate. I then asked why there were no road signs and he told me it was so that if Russia were ever invaded, it would confuse the "attackers" and they'd get lost. I about laughed my ass off and assured him that I could guarandamntee him, if WE ever invaded Russia, WE'D KNOW HOW TO FIND MOSCOW!!! True story and I thought it was the silliest thing I'd ever heard of. All I kept thinking was, “this is the world super power that we've always been so afraid of?”
Now, today I read that the roadbuilders in Ukraine are removing all the road signs in the country to confuse the invading Russians! It must be a “Russian thing” and I guess things haven't changed much since 1998! Surely Russia's mighty military has GPS, ya' think?
MOSCOW, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Editor's note: contains language that some readers may find offensive, paragraph 3
A Ukrainian company in charge of building and maintaining roads said it was removing all road signs that could be used by invading Russian forces to find their way around the country.
"The enemy has poor communications, they cannot navigate the terrain," the company Ukravtodor said in a Facebook update late on Friday. "Let us help them get straight to hell."
It posted an edited photo of a standard road sign in which directions to nearby cities have been replaced with profanities that could be translated as "Go fuck yourself", "Go fuck yourself again" and "Go fuck yourself back in Russia".
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-roads-company-removing-road-signs-confuse-russians-2022-02-27/