Final thoughts on Russia
Monday, July 9th, 2007
Crossing the Russia-Mongolia border
I’ll admit that I was a bit intimidated by the thought of traveling in Russia. Landing in the Moscow airport by myself in the middle of the night was more than a little unnerving. I think my current events class in school (while we were still in a cold war with the USSR) brain washed me into believing it was a cold, dark, mean place. This trip has completely changed the images that come to my mind when I hear the word “Russia.”
Russia is now a land of fairy-tale beauty. Stilettos. Jolly old men on local train rides. Beautiful women. Passionate couples. Too much mayonaise. Men with striking blue eyes. Laughing children. Stunning cities. Peaceful countryside. Long lines. Adidas. Salami and cheese. People with stories to tell. Bad hairdos. Amused but appreciative smiles for your attempts to speak Russian.
These images I now associate with Russia are invaluable to me. They are worth more than every dollar, ruple, tugrug, yuan, and baht that I’ll spend on this trip. They are but one more reason I travel.
Amanda