Russia and NE Europa

After 6 weeks in Asia it was good to be back in old Europe. It´s sunny, people's smiles are on and the last few days have been pleasant in Belgium and Holland. Amsterdam is still one of my favourite cities.

After visiting (Jorg) a friend in central Holland. I had to work in Rotterdam where also I got robbed!





Details- an african (dutch immigrant) followed me out of a bar and tried to push me into a dark alley, I resisted (luckily I was able to turn into a slightly larger street that was a not as dark and as desserted). After suffering a heavy blow to the head and hearing a car pass behind me,I yelled out for help and this time I punched him several times in the head(to his suprise) in a voilent stuggle to get free. I then ran ! As I looked back, I saw him closing in on me! He lifted his shirt and pulled out a knife. My heart stopped!, as I tried to zig zag I slipped and skid on the cement- hands and knees face forward.

I thought I was done for, but quickly jumped back up and kept running, and running and running. A car stoped but would not help after seeing my ripped shirt and bleading palms, so I kept running. But I lost him some how? I was lucky. If he would have got me into that smaller alley I would not be writing to you now.

Rubbish like that belongs in cage. People who act like animals do not need to be understood or sympathised with but treated like animals.

Anyways am happy to be alive, still angry but will return to Holland but probably not Rotterdam. Poland was a lot more relaxed and Russia is an experience in itself.



Russia is very different to most of Europe, which makes it an intriguing place to visit.

Whether it be stopping random cars instead of using taxi´s, getting lost on the tube because only russian writing can be found on the walls, or eating Borst (beet soup), to the repettitive clashes of vodka glasses and tunes of violin´s playing.

There are some interesting places - Fidel and Datcha bar in St Petersburg were fun as was the famous Margarita bar in moscow ..... The Che bar was ok for Salsa ....



St Petersburg from the surface looks like a little stolkhom, and Moscow is not as ugly as I had been told. Perhaps not as picturesque as St petes, but there is more to it than just the red square. Although I did only take a few photos of the red square :).

Russia is hard to describe without experencing it but in a few words its- incomprehensible, cold, hard, depressing, freindly, generous, diverse, unhelpful, frustrating and beauraucratic. Hard looks and rare smiles later warming up with vodlka and music leading to many suprises.



The women are absolutly stunning! Well dressed, sexy, feminine, very attractive and usually looking to get married as quickly as possible. The food is nothing too exceptional, but not too bad. Service is rather hard to find- but it goes with the Russian experience .



English speakers are few and far between. You can never find them when you need them? Moscow is the most expensive city in the world! I had a good time there and was lucky to have a few mates in Moscow to show me around. I will visit Russia again. Shasliva



More photos on links above ---->