Trippin in St Pete

[2tallbill]

 I have made a relatively unplanned trip to St Pete. I got a quick visa from go to Russia which has offices in San Francisco, so I dropped off my
passport and picked it up with a visa in it a few days earlier.

My house keeper usually stays with my son during these trips but she is 9 months pregnant and due any moment. I drove 12 hours to my Grandfathers house on the 23rd with my 16 year old son and spent New Years Eve and a couple of hours Christmas day with them.

My Son will stay with my sister. I then drove the short 12 hour drive back to California and slept the rest of Christmas night. I had to arrive at the airport at 4:00am on the 27th so I just stayed up all night and left my house at 3:00am. Parked in long term and began my journey.

Some back ground on me. I am a 45 year old single Dad business owner in the San Francisco bay area. I have been to Odessa once (Stirlitz as my guide) to Kiev twice (Stirlitz and Pavel once each) then I went on my own to Lugansk. I have only finished 9 lessons on Pimsleur so my Russian is very basic.

I got onto my United airlines flight to New York with out a hitch. I tried unsuccessfully to get a bulkhead or exit row seat I am 6' 7" and they reserve these seats for people under 6 foot.

On the Aeroflot part of the journey I was told that I couldnt get an exit row seat unless I was fluent in Russian. So I was seated with a woman very beautiful Ruskia but with a two year old raised by the devil himself. I was bit not once, not twice but three times. I was the oldest of 6 kids and raised a few myself but have never dealt with a kid so wild.

The Aeroflot flight was two hours late and so I missed my connecting flight. I dont sleep on planes and of course I stayed up all the night before to get to the flight at Oh dark thirty. I arrived in Moscow and my bags were not there. No problem buying clothes for a 6' 7" man since every clothing store has clothes my size......... NOT!!!

I went to the baggage clerk and he assured me that my bags went on to St Petersburg without me. I didnt believe this. I knew that I had to take my bags through customs. I had a change of clothes on my carry on and then went into the airport looking for the free shuttle

Of course finding the free shuttle in a barrage of lying taxi drivers is close to impossible for a man who cant read a single word of Russian. I went and got something to eat before negociating a $20 fare between airports.

Of course the price changes as we were leaving but I stuck to my guns.
the driver was not going to let me leave the car but I gave him my I havent slept in DAYs look and I have three bites on my leg look and my I would like to kill you look if you try to stop me. One of those looks made the driver suddenly think that the 20 fare was a fair price since we agreed on it before I got into the cab.

to be continued

[jinx13]

 Hey Bill,

  I am also a tall (6'4) business owner from the San Francisco Bay Area  I'm in the East Bay, Brentwood (near Walnut Creek)

  Sounds like your trip is off to a rough start so far, but hopefully it will get better. I'm sure St. Pete is beautiful during the holidays, but probably bitter cold, you're much braver than this California boy!

 What is the reason for the trip? To spend New Years with  a special woman, or are you planning to meet some new ladies?  - Dave

[Rags II]

Happy Holidays 2Tall!

Being 6'3" and having endured way too many Aeroflot flights with unruly kids (usually the parents being passed out drunk leaving them to terrorize the rest of the passengers) I feel your pain. I'm wondering why you didn't fly Aeroflot through SEA to SVO. Maybe that route has been cut since I did it in 2000.

In any case I hope that your trip goes well and that your bags are indeed in SPB waiting for you.

[Stirlitz]

Sorry to hear about that. For some reason, they so often lose baggage! Outrageous.

Have fun in Peter!

[TwoBitBandit]

I'm wondering why you guys even take Aeroflot at all.  I took Aeroflot my first time to Russia and my experience was so horrible that I'll never do it again.  Now, I only use them on intra-Russia flights where nobody else flies.

[Turboguy]

I can agree with that.  I flew it once too (not counting in Russia)  The only good thing I can say about it was the food was ok.   Trying to get it past my knees which were up around my face in the tiny space I had between seats was difficult.   The other thing I could not complain about was the movie.  There wasn't one.  It only took about two weeks to be able to walk again after that flight.

I am a price shopper when it comes to flying.  I find the cheapest fare I can unless it is Aeroflot.  I couldn't care how much less they are.  I would not fly them again for free. 

[2tallbill]

Why aeroflop??  It was a last minute decision to go to I have over a quarter million miles on Delta, but any ticket I tried to get cost about 3k last minute. So I used the travel feature on this site and got a ticket for about 1300. But like turbo, I will not repeat this again (except for my flight home) I would have happily paid another 1700 clams in hind site but like everyone else I have to learn these things on my own.

I am in the right airport now but my flight left hours before. So, I march up to an Aeroflot window and get cut in front of by several Russian women. I have played power forward in college and although they were all much better than me I also played against a few NBA players.

I did a screen move with a pick off with my fore arm followed with multiple suite case bumps that put me very close to the front and I regained some of my manhood, although one scrappy babooshka who used an umbrella like a harpoon got ahead of me and I am not messin with her again. I am convinced that the Babooska has lead bayonette charges against the Germans after her unit ran out of amunition.
I bow to superior talent.

Once I got to the front I was informed I missed my flight (gee I knew that) I needed to get a new ticket by going upstairs to room $!!@#%.
I went to several rooms but I am not sure that there really is a $!!@#%.
So after a while I ended up talking to Helen a supervisor. She got Anna to give me a new ticket for the next flight.

I rushed back to get my carryon Xrayed and missed my flight while waiting in another line.

This whole story could be about the rude and obnoxious people at aeroflot. I did eventually get to St Pete (three missed flights and 5 hours late) there is more than I told you but I did actually find my bags in St Pete which I was sure would not be there. So I will spare you the rest of the mess.
Back to the adventure.........

I had an agency eventually find me at the airport in St Pete, and then I was driven to my flat. It was run down and not up to the Standards I was used to. After days without sleep I would have agreed to stay on a park bench. I wanted some time to scope things out so I agreed to stay five days (out of ten) and payed.

The Next day I met M a very cute gal I had been writing and my absolutely primary reason for the trip. (basically I was going wovo but I had a couple of back up plans) She has a masters degree, knows four Languages fluently.

She was a little shy at first and to be honest about half of the women I meet are a little surprised at my height when I first meet them even when I was a teenager. Things flow along nicely M is cute and funny and off we go.

I can usually walk at a pace that leaves most mortals several kilometers behind me in minutes but not with M. She is only 5' 5" but at one time she smiled to me and said "Keep up or you may get lost." We went shopping dont worry she paid for her stuff, I paid for mine.

My flat needed supplies, she needed some last minute gifts for New Years. I got the full Russian experience riding super steep long escalators a fall would be death and the smelly subways, and incredibly cramped busses. But I survived it all and carried many many bags along the way. M did her part and carried a load that would leave many pack mules scurrying, and she did this at buried in the mass of bodies in the subways and busses.

At least I could see over everyones head and I would have had a screaming fit if I had to do this at arm pit level. M seems generally concerned to make sure that I am not hungry or thirsty at any time and will stop everything to make sure that my tank is topped off.

To be continued more to come..........

[2tallbill]

Stirlitz, you and Pavel have spoiled me on what to expect from an apartment in the FSU

ZhelAyu tebe schaslIvovo NOvovo gOda!

by the way if anyone is in St Pete give me a call on my local cell 89213895476 I will buy the first Piva


Happy New Year to all!

Bill

[wiz]

I'm wondering why you guys even take Aeroflot at all.  I took Aeroflot my first time to Russia and my experience was so horrible that I'll never do it again.  Now, I only use them on intra-Russia flights where nobody else flies.

I am afraid I have to disagree with all of your comments about Aeroflot and I am not a shareholder of the airline.

I flew several times with them from London and internally in Russia and found their service very good. Of course after hearing various comments, before, my expectations were very low when I decided to try them due to the very cheap price and I was surprised flying in a brand new Airbus airliner. My transfer from Terminal 2 to 1 was very smooth and have never lost my luggage in any of my trips.

When I decided to change my flights, as I explained in my Dilemma post, I had no problem whatsoever. Terminal 2 is very easy to follow around and the transfers between the airports very easy if you follow their instructions.

Sorry boys but for their prices I will continue using them and I don't care if they do not provide service with a smile.

I like to add that I do not speak Russian and of course I had no problem because most of them speak a few words of English.

I think is a matter of attitude and how you deal with them, so you get back what you give out.

Actually in UFA Aeroflot Office the girls there are superb with their helping attitude and poor English. Of course I will not say the same for the girls stationed in London Heathrow Airport which are not that helpful and despite speaking very good English they insist talking Russian to me......but who cares.

Lufthansa was charging nearly 800 dollars for a return ticket to UFA and Aeroflot charged me 380 Dollars.

Beat that!

[CaptB]

2 RT flights Chicago/Moscow and 6 RT flights NY/Moscow using only Areoflot. Good food......always had a movie.......but the same two TV monitors were broken (never repaired) over a three year period. Love those Russian pilots (most are ex-military)......they really like going vertical on take-off I am lucky........I ask the flight attendent......."dva vino.......pazhowsta"......dinner......and sleep like a baby for 5-6 hours. At the time (2001 - 2004) they were always the cheapest (from GLAVS Travel, NY)......now it seems Czech Air is
the lowest being offered through consolidators. Russia is a little "rough" around the edges...........just suits my style. Flying Areoflot eases me into......the "Russian way".......before arrival.

Capt B

[Turboguy]

I will say this about Aeroflot.  Their domestic service has improved considerably since I first flew them a decade ago.   Even on a long domestic flight back then the only service was a beverage service and the only beverage was water.   The exit door area that we grill people about being fit enough to sit in were piled to the top of the exit door with luggage.   There were lots of stories about pigs running up and down the aisles on flights, of course dogs and cats too.   Of course in those days you didn't have to worry about fighting your way through the lines of pushy Ruskies.  You had to find your way to the door with the little sign that said Intourist and they kept you segregated from the natives.  Finding that little door was often like finding a needle in a haystack.   Sometimes you had to load your own bags on the plane just like a greyhound bus. 

On international flights now, I could probably take it if they added a few more inches between the seats.  I am only 5'11" I don't know how a really tall person could squeeze in there at all.

[Rvrwind]

Funny that! I flew with Aeroflop all the time & never had a problem. All my problems were with Air Canada. They lost my luggage between Edmonton & Calgary, a 45 minute flight!!  Aeroflop was late a couple of times but never missed a connection, if I had one. But Air Canada for what they charge sucks Bigtime!!
Have fun in SPB Bill!!

[I/O]

Entertainment plus...!!! No doubt.  As regards to Aerosh!t as mine and I have come to refer to them.  I have had mixed experience with them and on balance they would have to be considerably cheaper than others to extract 1 rouble from me now.  However, I never say never. 

I've used Moldova air (Which you probably almost need to take you own beach chairs if you want a seat that is possible to sit in), Kras Air and a host of others, but without doubt the standout for me has been S-7 (Formerly Siberian Airlines)  They cover much of Russia and a good number of international routes also. Although the planes are often older, they are clean and the service is first rate. 

The challenges of the FSU, but it is good fun and I wouldn't swap some of those experiences for anything.

I/O who has weaved in and out of a few tight spots whilst visiting the FSU.

[2tallbill]

The adventure continues...........

before Meeting M I walked around looking for a local cell phone. I wanted to have something in which to communicate where ever I was and also to call back to the US and check on various things and of course my Son who is with my Sister and his cousins.

I went into a phone store speaking exactly zero in technical Russian about cell phones and my needs. I find a guy who spoke a little more than zero technical English about cell phones. He got me a nokia and signed me up for MegaFon. He asked for my passport. I showed it to him and then he pulled out his own passport and signed me up with a plan where I buy a Sim card for the minutes I need.

Note This was a mistake, you have to have a Russian passport for MegaFon in order to buy additional Sim cards. I didn't know this or understand this at the time. So now I got to go back to the same store each time to buy Sim cards. And for the life of me I cant figure out how to call the US.

About the Next installment. I have a disagreement with M. I am sure that some of you will disagree how I handled it. In hindsite I would have went about it a little differently but who knows. I don't want to spend hours discussing every detail and have decided to just say this.

I had a disagreement with her. It might be irreconcilable differences or maybe not.

I gave myself a quick pep talk about how I am not going to waste a trip wovo and that I can turn this into a productive trip if I get with the program. So I am now looking at my plan B, C and so forth.

I contact Ksenia at VIP international and tell her that I want to meet some ladies. She said come in and talk to one of her managers. This is December 30th at 4 pm and the biggest Russian holiday of all time is going to happen the next day. But one of her cute young managers got out several picture books for me and I quickly made a list of those who had contacted me previously and a list of others that caught my eye and had some knowledge of English.

The cute little manager asked me about ten questions and started burning the phone lines like a woman possessed, speaking rapid machinegun Russian, she was definitely on her game even though she was leaving in an hour to begin her own holiday with her best friend waiting for her to leave. From time to time she I saw the wind slip out of her sails but she just lit back up with new determination.

The problem she kept running into was that all the girls she managed to reach had already gone into full New Years celebration mode with family and friends and the agency itself was going to be closed until January third.

The cute little manager has a name I just couldn't remember it until just now. Yana managed to get me a date in a couple hours with V. She wasn't someone that I had any previous contact with. I went to the internet cafe and worked my own game as well. I am a platinum member with Elena's Models and after a quick search wrote several of them telling them I was here in St Pete and would like to meet them.

I also went onto http://free-dating-agency.com where I have a profile and also
http://freepersonals.ru .

To be continued...................

[2tallbill]

the saga continues..............

Date with V, the last minute thing. I put on my leather jacket (it has been relatively warm in St Pete the entire time I have been here) I get a rose on the way to the agency and arrive a few minutes early.

There is another American there Fred (not his real name) and we exchange contact information in case we want to do something later since the agency is going to be closed until the 3rd. I meet V, she seems nice, speaks decent English but not exactly my type but I think I might as well get a bite and see what she is like. So I grab the leather jacket hanging from the coat rack and off we go.

It seems dark going down the stairs to the exit and I reach for my flashlight and realize its not in my pocket which is strange because I remember putting it there earlier. Well I am chatting up V while we head to a little sushi place. and I look at my arms and realize that my jacket is about 4 inches short on each arm hmmmm..........

When I take off my jacket I notice that it has the exact same label as my jacket should except the size is extra large. I wear and XXLT and this is not my jacket. I finish eating with V and we walk back to the agency I took Fred's Jacket. He was staying in a hotel just around the corner so I drop it off.

There are definitely no sparks with me for V and although she likes me I can't see asking her out again. I walk V home which is less than a block away. I go to kiss her on the cheek and she turns her head and I get the lips and a big smile. mmmm..........not so bad.

I walk back to the internet cafe and start working options D, E, F and so forth.........

To be continued

[Kuna]

There are definitely no sparks with me for V and although she likes me I can't see asking her out again.

Bill,

I'm enjoying the TR but am curious about the lack of sparks with V???  I'm not overly familiar with your previous posts and was surprised (envious) that you took such a quick trip so I'm interested in what qualities your looking for in a girl.

By the way...  If you have time we'd love to see some photos etc.  Also,  I know we might be asking for a bit much but some abbreviated "Restaurant Reviews" would be great too...  hahaha... Am I asking too much???  OK, OK, I'll email my pic and a short email so when you meet girls "without sparks" maybe you can pass my info on.  KIDDING... I'M KIDDING!

Enjoying the trip report though!

Kuna

[2tallbill]

Hey, I got a bite on Elena's feelers that I put out earlier and she speaks good English.
Still working on various backup plans, I know a cute Ruskia in Pskov which is not that far away considering I am 11 time zones from home.

I gave her a call on my local cell phone which was very very far from my brightest move since now I had to explain why I wasn't on the way to see her. I am not a man who will try to BS a woman, they are waaay too crafty and Russian women have a BS meter that can pick up the slightest whiff of BS at a thousand paces on a windy day. I fumble around with the visit to M that fell apart and although I was not completely out of hot water my stumbling bumbling confession was the truth and she knew it.

more to follow..........

[2tallbill]

Kuna, don't worry I didn't take any offense.

The question that you asked about what am I looking for is a good one and a complicated one. I know the answer but it sounds a little corny and I didn't really want my trip report to turn into what I should be looking for instead, but I will tell you anyway.
This is what I have printed in my profile as for what I am looking for

I am not looking for a woman that I can live with, I am looking for a woman that I can't live without. What am I looking for? I want it all. I want love, beauty, passion, honesty, a confidant, a real companion, a lover, a wife. I want a woman who wants to be a woman and who wants her man to be a man. (I told you I want it all :-) I am a Catholic and I am looking for a Christian woman, I don't fall on my knees and pray every five minutes but I am a believer and NOT looking for an atheist.

Now what did V do or not do to get excluded? I guess it would be difficult to put my finger on but she didnt have it. These are what I am looking for and others may look for something else.

Take care

Bill

[Kuna]

Bill,

Thanks for the response... I don't think what you're looking for is corny at all.  If that's what you're looking for then "good on you!"... If there's one thing people can't criticize it's when we've thought about we want and we decide to take that path!

Regarding your previous post about calling your other lady on your local cell phone...  Hmmm... this is the one big concern for my trip.  Meeting multiple girls without explicitly telling most of them that I'm meeting others.

I've told one girl and I know she feels "difficult" about it.  I haven't explicitly told the other three though at no point have I told them I am just meeting one.  Not sure what will happen but like you I'll have to confront it when it does come up.

I hope you sort out your current predicament, and wish you good luck on your trip!

Cheers,

Kuna

[Rags II]

Sorry that your plan A & B have fallen through but enjoy your trip anyway. You just never know when lightning will strike (but more than likely it will be on the last days of your trip).

I'm glad your weather is "mild" for St Pete. It got up into the mid 60's in Sac today but I'd trade it all to be trippin' in SPB...for the sights not the ladies. Some day the family and I will get up there.

[2tallbill]

Kuna, I would be the worst to ask advice about juggling women. I have been on two trips wmvo )write many visit one) but I have created a few disasters (and some fun as well) on my wmvm (write many visit many). I think that this is a great topic for its own thread. I will post a new thread on it now. I would be very interested in what some of the veterans have to say about navigating these waters.

I called and made a date with O the from Elena's we were to meet at The Europa Hotel. She gave me directions as only some women without the concept of the time space continuum and linear thought can give.

But to make things easier she sprinkled in several incredibly long Russian landmarks like go to Prospect asdlkfjasodifjaosdjf, then when you come to the big building turn right then go behind asdpzscbvjmqwlnmgb and it will be between two other buildings you can't miss it.

There are many men who wont ask strangers for directions but I am not one of those men. I asked directions every couple of hundred meters with mixed success. Gde gastinistsi Europa? followed by either shrugs finger pointing or detailed instructions in Russian (the finger pointing worked the best)

I did make the decision to only ask cute Ruskias for directions. I figured it would increase my chances to meet a cute Ruskia (boy I am cooking with gas now LOL) I talked to at least a dozen Ruskias this way.

While standing directly outside of the Hotel I asked another cute Ruskia where the Hotel Europa was and she pointed me to the lobby. I meet O and we have a dinner. She wanted to make plans to ring in the new year with me. I didn't really feel attracted to her and so I told her that I liked her but only as a friend and not romantically.

O took this in stride and said she thought that it would be incredibly unlucky to spend the New Year alone and not in the company with friends. She would take me with her to a New Years celebration at a friends house as a friend and even introduce me to her single friends.

Wow, nice response I thought and a minute later she sees another friend who was recently married to a foreign man from Finland. The couple invite us to join them for Tea and invite us to a celebration at their flat.

O and I grab a taxi go to my flat, where I pick up some of my coffee table books about California and the bay area and a bottle of Champaign and a cake and back into a taxi her friends house named N1.

It is beginning to snow fairly good and Mario Andreddi (did I spell his name wrong?) would have been terrified at the speeds at which we weaved in and out of traffic missing other cars and pedestrians by mere inches and making driving lanes where none are apparent, and aggressively cutting off cars while using the horn as often as possible.

To increase the safety margin the taxi driver had piled many little nick knacks on his dash effectively blocking the defroster creating tiny little portholes in which to view things like cross traffic. I am sure this helped keep his focus and I think the little nip of cheer he occasionally took from a flask secreted inside his jacket was to relieve holiday stress.

O and I arrive alive (shaken not stirred) at the flat of N1 who is making a spread of food made for an army but still working on it. I know my way around a kitchen and cut many vegetables, potatoes, peeled eggs and generally won the heart of the women present with my culinary skills. I could have slayed several dragons and swam an alligator infested moat scaled the castle walls and defeated the evil black night and I would not have been as popular. (honestly I just chopped stuff)

They all acted like my beginning Russian was nearly fluent and through praises at me that would have swelled the head of most men, but I knew I was butchering the language and that they were just trying to make me feel welcome.

Several toasts were made saying good bye to 2006 and several more were made to welcome 2007 and the bright possibilities ahead. Wisely I learned before not to try to drink vodka with Russians and took tiny sips of champaign with each toast. When they asked why I wasn't drinking much of my vodka, I explained that O would break her back trying to carry me home.

N1 was a gracious host, she gave me a small figurine of a pig since this was to be the Chinese year of the pig and it would give me much financial success. I didn't have the heart to tell her that the Chinese New Year was on a different day and I had a marvelous time. One of the guests Z gave us a relatively unexciting ride home, I sent O home in a taxi from my flat with a kiss on the cheek.

to be continued..............

[2tallbill]

I am currently trying several methods to meet Ruskias including just walking up to a woman and talking to her, this has worked for me about a thousand times in the USA but my Russian is very basic at best. I will let you know its a little more intimidating than it sounds here but now that I have told all you that I will do it, then I would appear to be a big chicken if I didn't follow through. I will let you know how well this is working.

There are still no agencies open yet they seem to be closed for the holidays.

I found an English Newspaper with an advertisement for learning Russian for 3.99 euros per hour, I would like to definitely work something like that into my schedule

to be continued..........

[Bruce]

2tallbill - nice honest trip report.  It looks like you are learning a lot.  One of the only advantages smaller guys like I have is on the airplane, so hopefully you learned your lesson to get the bulkhead seat in advance next time.  I hope you learned your lesson not to WOVO or even to extensively write a few and visit in the future.  It seems this mistake is made again and again and again by even board readers.  I liked your answer to Kuna about what was wrong with V.  There is no reason why you should not be able to fulfill your wishes.  Next time go to a target rich environment, meet many and you very well may fulfill your wish.

[2tallbill]

OK, I did it. 7 failures to one success. I approached eight women and the eighth agreed to have tea with me (and cake I had to sweeten the deal pun intended)

Her name is M2 and she is only 20 years old.....I know I am going to burn in hell for this, but actually I needed to have a little success. We talked about California weather etc. She was sooooooo............cute but I am not seeking a 20 year old but it was a nice confidence booster at the right time.

Actually, when I was on a different date with M1 there was a cutie ( who was working) checking me out at one of the shops by the cell phone store, so I will go back and see if I can find her and the store.

I have been talking from time to time with Fred about getting together sometime and maybe working a double date or something. We haven't worked out anything yet.

I am far from giving up (I am either stubborn stupid or both) and I really appreciate the nice Pm's and sms and even a call from one member. Tomorrow the agencies open and I expect to have some success there once Yana starts working her groove.

to be continued..........

[2tallbill]

Bruce, I am not convinced that this is not a target rich environment. There are lots and lots of beautiful women everywhere I look. I think I will have more success when the agencies open tomorrow.

Bill