Back from Russia!

I got back on the 2nd, and really wished I could stay back for a few more days.

Offhand, my trip in pointers:

Ryazan is a very relaxing place, kinda like Pune about 5 years back (before it was destroyed by the malls and flyovers).

Moscow chicks are hot! They all look like cover-girls on their way to a photo-shoot. And they dress the part too (This isn't the observation of a horny male, it's a general consensus, even by the other parents in the group).

St. Petersburg is like an idyllic 18th century European city. Something out of a literary classic. There's a big river flowing through the city, with quaint, but not-so-little draw-bridges at regular intervals.

Moscow has a massive underground Metro network, with nearly 14 different lines. I got me a metro-map t-shirt.

Nowhere do you get water for free! We got free tea, coffee, beer and vodka at various places, but no free water, anywhere.

People there don't talk to anyone. Their buses, metro, and trains are the quietest I've heard anywhere.

St. Petersburg was having it's White Night! Meaning, light for 23 hours of the day!

It is absolutely legal and safe to consume alcohol in public, on the streets, and in public transportation. Infact, you can buy alcohol at supermarkets along with bread and milk.

People respect road-rules. They halt for pedestrians, no one jumps signals, no one cuts lanes. Plus, the fines are ridiculously high, and cop take a lot of money as bribes.

No one speaks English, there's no literature in that language either. Everything's in Russian. Plus, the people are fiercely patriotic.

Did I mention that the Moscow chicks were ridiculously hot?