On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 23:36:35 +0200, Deeply Filled Mortician
<deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:

>That is one reason the glorious 200 year old history is celebrated,
>coz the last 100 weren't pretty.

Yep, that's clear. But my mom wanted to get an idea of modern Russia.
What with all the palaces and fountains and cathedrals--and restricted
to stay with the group with a group visa--that aspect of Russia (ie,
the entire thing) got left out of the itinerary. She hates disneyland,
and she didn't like the show put on for this trip--would rather have
met and circulated with real people.

On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 18:20:47 -0400, Viking <[email protected]>
wrote:

>On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 23:36:35 +0200, Deeply Filled Mortician
><deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:
>
>>That is one reason the glorious 200 year old history is celebrated,
>>coz the last 100 weren't pretty.
>
>Yep, that's clear. But my mom wanted to get an idea of modern Russia.
>What with all the palaces and fountains and cathedrals--and restricted
>to stay with the group with a group visa--that aspect of Russia (ie,
>the entire thing) got left out of the itinerary. She hates disneyland,
>and she didn't like the show put on for this trip--would rather have
>met and circulated with real people.

Clearly, do the individual travel thing next time or choose your
tour-operator more carefully and read the small print.

My parents did an Intourist tour to Moscow, Leningrad (as it then was)
and the Baltic States soon after the introduction of glasnost and
perestroika.

There was plenty of free time to disappear and do your own thing
which, of course, they did.





Keith, Bristol, UK

On Fri, 13 Apr 2007 00:05:01 +0100, Keith Anderson <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Clearly, do the individual travel thing next time or choose your
>tour-operator more carefully and read the small print.

My mother is not planning to go back to Russia.

Make credence recognised that on Thu, 12 Apr 2007 22:48:41 -0400,
Viking <[email protected]> has scripted:

>On Fri, 13 Apr 2007 00:05:01 +0100, Keith Anderson <[email protected]>
>wrote:
>
>>Clearly, do the individual travel thing next time or choose your
>>tour-operator more carefully and read the small print.
>
>My mother is not planning to go back to Russia.

It's the last country in Europe I would return to. Albania rates
higher.
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
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--

On Fri, 13 Apr 2007 00:05:01 +0100, Keith Anderson <[email protected]> wrote:


>My parents did an Intourist tour to Moscow, Leningrad (as it then was)
>and the Baltic States soon after the introduction of glasnost and
>perestroika.
>
>There was plenty of free time to disappear and do your own thing
>which, of course, they did.

In the Gulags?
--

Martin

On Fri, 13 Apr 2007 09:36:24 +0200, Deeply Filled Mortician
<deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:

>Make credence recognised that on Thu, 12 Apr 2007 22:48:41 -0400,
>Viking <[email protected]> has scripted:
>
>>On Fri, 13 Apr 2007 00:05:01 +0100, Keith Anderson <[email protected]>
>>wrote:
>>
>>>Clearly, do the individual travel thing next time or choose your
>>>tour-operator more carefully and read the small print.
>>
>>My mother is not planning to go back to Russia.
>
>It's the last country in Europe I would return to. Albania rates
>higher.

*smile* I'll let her know.
>---

Make credence recognised that on Fri, 13 Apr 2007 12:05:14 -0400,
Viking <[email protected]> has scripted:

>On Fri, 13 Apr 2007 09:36:24 +0200, Deeply Filled Mortician
><deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:
>
>>Make credence recognised that on Thu, 12 Apr 2007 22:48:41 -0400,
>>Viking <[email protected]> has scripted:
>>
>>>On Fri, 13 Apr 2007 00:05:01 +0100, Keith Anderson <[email protected]>
>>>wrote:
>>>
>>>>Clearly, do the individual travel thing next time or choose your
>>>>tour-operator more carefully and read the small print.
>>>
>>>My mother is not planning to go back to Russia.
>>
>>It's the last country in Europe I would return to. Albania rates
>>higher.
>
> *smile* I'll let her know.

Yeah, well I have touted Tirana a number of times as a fascinating
capital, but the mere name Albania seems to remind everyone of a
Simpsons episode.
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--

On 12 Apr, 15:42, Deeply Filled Mortician
<deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:
> Make credence recognised that on Thu, 12 Apr 2007 18:20:14 +0530,
> "grusl" <[email protected]> has scripted:
>
>
>
> >"Deeply Filled Mortician" <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote
> >in messagenews:0v9s13d3flkfbntcd49r0ecee175tkb1vj@4ax .com...
> >>Russiais a topsy-turvy place. They discourage tourism, and you are
> >> expected to be happy someone let you buy something. Amongst other
> >> peculiarities there's the absense of station signs on the metro and
> >> the weighing of food in restaurants!
>
> >Isn't this one of the reasons for Ukraine disposing of many of its complex
> >entry rules ... trying to pull the frayed tourism rug from underRussia?
>
> It wont work any time soon with other places being closer and more
> accessible.
> --
> ---
> DFM -http://www.deepfriedmars.com
> ---
> --

and one of the reasons is that the travel agent would like to keep our
passports for 7 weeks to get a visa.
But as we explained to them, no ****ing way.
It seems we can now do it ourselves after getting an invite letter
from said travel agent.
And where as they were charging Euro 90, I can do it myself for Euro
45 (including travel)
Which is probably why it took them so long to tell us........

Make credence recognised that on 11 May 2007 08:24:59 -0700, Chiken
Koma <[email protected]> has scripted:

>On 12 Apr, 15:42, Deeply Filled Mortician
><deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:
>> Make credence recognised that on Thu, 12 Apr 2007 18:20:14 +0530,
>> "grusl" <[email protected]> has scripted:
>>
>>
>>
>> >"Deeply Filled Mortician" <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote
>> >in messagenews:0v9s13d3flkfbntcd49r0ecee175tkb1vj@4ax .com...
>> >>Russiais a topsy-turvy place. They discourage tourism, and you are
>> >> expected to be happy someone let you buy something. Amongst other
>> >> peculiarities there's the absense of station signs on the metro and
>> >> the weighing of food in restaurants!
>>
>> >Isn't this one of the reasons for Ukraine disposing of many of its complex
>> >entry rules ... trying to pull the frayed tourism rug from underRussia?
>>
>> It wont work any time soon with other places being closer and more
>> accessible.
>> --
>> ---
>> DFM -http://www.deepfriedmars.com
>> ---
>> --
>
>and one of the reasons is that the travel agent would like to keep our
>passports for 7 weeks to get a visa.
>But as we explained to them, no ****ing way.
>It seems we can now do it ourselves after getting an invite letter
>from said travel agent.
>And where as they were charging Euro 90, I can do it myself for Euro
>45 (including travel)
>Which is probably why it took them so long to tell us........

Oddly, you're sounding a lot like I did when I was going through the
process. You haven't even gotten to the best bit yet, when upon trying
to register your visa in Russia, there might just be a surprise 'fee'
you weren't told about. And it will take X number of days there too,
unless you pay another 'fee'.

And people here have accused me of being unfair about the efforts
involved!

****ing Russians. I'm not going back to that place in a hurry.
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--