I have been running around like a crazy person today, which is fine, and now I need to go pack. I have to get all my toiletries into the middle of my soft-sided backpack and hope that the jostling around on the plane doesn’t burst everything… that and the pressure…

Anyway, just wanted to let y’all know the update. I was seriously contemplating a hard-sided suitcase, for the luggage (and so I could replace Brandon’s bottle of Vodka and get my own), but it just wasn’t worth it… I am putting everything I THINK they could take out of my carryon into my pack… woo!!

And that includes my Nalgene… okay, so I just thought of something – are they going to make the airlines start providing food again? As it stands right now, I am not sure if one can take FOOD onto the plane… and continental planes in the States sell food, not much else… anyway, just a random thought.

This city is gorgeous and I’m sad to be leaving. But, I’m happy to be getting home. Is that an oxymoron? I got to say goodbye to Yaroslav today, and that was nice – except that I had to say goodbye… blech.

More on the flip side… aka LA.

Okay, so today’s entry is NOT about flying… but here’s a brief complaint. I know it won’t do me any good, but…

Due to those dang terrorists from the UK, I’m not going to be able to bring any vodka back… here’s United’s new page for the restrictions. I guess I have to pack all my cremes and deodorant in my luggage. I’m worried, though. B/c I don’t think I have enough clothing to pad the stuff I will have in there. This is in order to NOT have it all explode. Everything is in baggies and such… argh! And here’s something I find somewhat interesting:

For those traveling with an infant: baby food, milk (the contents of each bottle must be tasted by the accompanying passenger)

So, if you had kids, you’d have to taste everything… hmm.

And now on to more reasonable news… very briefly, because I’m exhausted.
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Okay, so I’m at an internet place, that is NOT dial-up. Happy day! Irina is most likely gone, and I’m going to run away from here shortly. Need a blini for the walk home. It’s getting dark earlier, and as it’s 10.15pm here, I want to get home soon.
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Okay, so I’m not staying at the guesthouse I thought I would be at – I’m at someone who works for PIMEN’s house – she offered it to me today, b/c the guesthouse wasn’t answering their phones.

So, I’m staying in an apartment not too far from everything. I can come and go as I please, and I don’t have to pay extra money for it… very exciting, I know…
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I’m not going to be able to update much today, as I’m exhausted and need to pack. I have a place for this weekend, in a Guest House that is run almost on behalf of Anglicans here in St Petersburg. I have the phone number of the host family, and that’s another reason I need to go home and call them… I’m a bit nervous about it – eeks. Yaroslav was going to call them last night, and had a whole speech all thought up… “Hi, my name is Yaroslav, and I’m calling on behalf of a woman named Noelle who stayed with you THIRTEEN years ago…” And then he thought it was a little weird. So, now I get to really practice my Russian and call on the phone. I know what I need to say, and if it is the correct Galya, I’ll be fine… wish me luck!! Continue reading →

Brief update, and then I’ll get back to the meaty stuff. Promise.

Today was a touristy day, that we started later – it was great. We all got to sleep in! We drove to a Museum of the Siege of Leningrad, which looked strangely familiar. And it was – I went there when I was 16. I didn’t remember all of the stuff in it, but I remember the Soviet pride that went along with it. I find it interesting that I’ve been to more WWII museums and memorials here in St Petersburg than I’ve been to any war memorials in the US. No question. But, having a city under siege for 900 days is a pretty big deal. I feel that the Soviets had to pump SOMETHING up, to make people forget that someone was always watching… just my thoughts, though.

We then went to Peterhof, which is one of Peter the Great’s palaces. It’s on the Gulf of Finland, and has amazing fountains around it that Peter himself designed. They are powered with gravity, and then the water runs out to the Gulf. There are also palaces, but that cost more and there were giant lines to go in them. There were TONS of tourists: US people, Europeans, Russians and Asians. We just went among them, and through them… it was great. Great that we had Yaroslav as a guide and could just wander as part of a smaller group, not the giant TOUR GUIDE GROUPS… blech.
Anyway, I promised meaty stuff… here we go again.
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Argh. I had a good portion of this update written – and now it’s disappeared. The whole window ran away…

Know this – I don’t have any pictures, b/c this cheap computer place has no drivers… but, I should be able to update, hopefully soon.
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This dispatch comes at 23.08, in St Petersburg. It’s still light outside. And it’s close to midnight. Strange… but, regardless… we arrived on Friday night, after a long train ride, and went straight to the center where we’ve spent a lot of our time. After brief introductions, we checked into our very cute little hotel. Since I’m “the girl” in my group from the USA, I get my own room – yippee! I walked out of the train station, and so many things came rushing back to me! YEAY!!! I asked Yaroslav if he might be able to help me find my host family, and he thinks he may have found my host mom, but is hopefully going to cross-reference her with what I think is her husband’s name. The database he has has ages, but not street names… how’s that for odd??

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Well, a few days ago, yes, we did arrive. Safely and with all our bags, with one exception: Brandon’s didn’t make it. He got his around midnight after we were all zonked out in our rooms. We checked into our fabulous hotel (it is pretty darn faboo! We have brekkie and everything.) and wandered about shortly thereafter. Apparently you need to stay awake till like 8.30pm or a little later, in order to try to get adjusted ASAP. We wandered the Arbat, new and old, and it was fun – I saw it ages ago, but in so many trips to Russia, Gary had never been there…
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