After a free walking tour of St. Petersburg.
Bonus: I also tell the story of my attempt to visit Vladimir Lenin's mausoleum in Moscow.
Note: Since recording this podcast, I've been paying more attention to the way strangers in Russia interact with me. In fact, many of them do smile, but not in a bright “Hi, how are you!” way like you would see in the United States. This subdued, slightly cautious attitude is growing on me. It seems much more authentic than the over-the-top greetings I'm used to getting from people I've never met.
Maybe I'll talk more about this subject more as I travel through the world's largest country. But for now, please enjoy this week's podcast:
Download this Episode (right-click and choose “save as”)
Show notes:
- Once again, Natalya's website is UnitedTours.org.
- You can take a cruise to Russia for up to 72 hours without obtaining a visa. Here's some more info.
- Companies like Aeroflot and McDonald's have been training their employees in Russia to smile.
- Here are some Russian Superstitions. How many do you recognize from your home country?
- I have now seen Mao, both Kims and Lenin. However there are several more preserved world leaders that I was unaware of, such as Hugo Chavez and Ho Chi Minh. My life is not complete, after all.
The world's largest matryoshka doll.
Manzhouli, China is home to the world's largest matryoshka doll. You can read more about my time visiting this unique part of the world here.
