Getting in on the hype

So, I have decided to start a blog. Much like everyone else these days it seems. In 40 days I am going to Russia and I thought it was about time to start documenting my travels (among other things). I wanted to start a blog for my last major trip at the end of 2011 after finishing honours, but procrastination got the better of me.

It all started when I saw an ad in the newspaper for some cheap flights to Moscow and decided to look up some hypothetical travel dates to test the “from $x” claim. Just out of interest. Of course. When the computer spat out a figure well below that (and also below $2000, which seems to be my “I must go! I don’t care if I shouldn't be spending money!” price for flights to Europe), my fate was sealed.

The hunk* had only been back in the country (and in a job) for a few months so his participation in my spontaneity was out of the question. But Charlotte. Charlotte is the person to go to when no one else has the time or money. She didn’t need much convincing, because apparently, the buildings remind her of candy. I’m not going to lie, she’s got me on that point.

I have wanted to visit Russia since about the age of eight, so it’s not like it was that much of an impulse buy. I blame Anastasia, which by the way, is not actually Disney movie. Oh, the Romanovs. How intriguing they are, even to an eight year old. I always sort of hoped that Anastasia escaped and lived happily ever after, just like in the movie. Part of me still refuses to believe that DNA testing of the remains found in mass graves confirmed that Nicholas II and his family were executed. Their remains are now at the Peter and Paul Fortress in St Petersburg, which of course is on my to-do list.

Our time in Russia will be divided between Moscow and St Petersburg, which is about as touristy as one can get in a country that is still relatively closed off to foreigners.

For those who have been asking, no, I am not doing the Trans-Siberian Railway. It is on my bucket list but my love-hate relationship with the duo of annual leave and spare cash means that will have to wait until another time, when the hunk is able to go with me.

I’ll be the first to admit that geography isn’t exactly my forte. It was Google maps that showed me exactly how close St Petersburg is to Estonia and Finland. And so it was an exclamation of “look! It’s just across the water” that led us to extend our trip to Helsinki and Tallinn. As further evidence of my ineptitude in geography, it was at that moment that I learned that Tallinn is the capital of Estonia. Thankfully I don’t need visas for Estonia and Finland.

As much as I love Lonely Planet and TripAdvisor, I found blogs really helpful in planning this particular trip especially when it came to organising a visa for Russia and deciphering the cryptic instructions on the Russian Embassy website. I want to be able to pay it forward and share my experiences with everyone. So, join me on my adventures and everything in between.

* name chosen at his request, and so shall he forever be known