Hey, would you look at all the good advice!
THis is great.
Lucky for us, my American travel mate has been studying
Russian for a few years and has been there before.  The
Russian woman that we're staying with is someone that
she met then and has kept in touch with, so we'll have a
friend and guide there.
I have read several of your points in this book I've
been reading, "An Explorer's Guide to Russia."  It's
about 6 years old, but I figure some things like these
are sure to remain consistent.
The passport rule sounds like a good one.  I was
wondering about that.
I just received my Visa on Monday, so the plans are
pretty well set.

When exactly will you be in Moscow?  I'm not sure what
days I'll be there, but I'll be in Russia from July 20-
28.

As far as leaving the original passport at the embassy,
I'm not sure about that.  I read somewhere that we
should check in there, but not that we should leave any
documents there.

I was in NYC this weekend, thankfully missing the
Central Park ridiculousness in the trek to the Cooper-
Hewitt.  "If I can make it there, I'll make it
anywhere..."

- Johnette
> schfh:
>
> I will probably be in Moscow the end of July, hoping to fly to St.
> Petersburg for a couple days on my own.
> Having been there a few times, my advise:
>
> 1. Dress for the heat.  Air conditioning is not big there.  Neither
> are some of the operable windows which you don't want to open anyway
> because of the noise and exhaust.  (Cars still burn leaded gas.)
> 2. Walk around a lot, but don't count on crossing streets where you
> want to.  There are spaced out underpasses for that.  And the
> pedestrian does NOT have the right of way.
> 3. Take the Metro and get off at lots of stations just to see the
> architecture.  The next train will be along by the time you take one
> picture.  They are clean and well traveled.  Learn a little of the
> cyrillic alphabet first and sound things out.  A lot of it "sounds
> like" English or French!  Learn some friendly phrases.  The Tretyakov
> Museum of Russian Art was an eye opener...to the quality of the last
> two centuries of art.
> 4. Don't count on Red Square or your destination to be open when you
> walk up to the gate, and learn where to get tickets.  The Armory, for
> example, a treasure house of the Tsars sells tickets over by the
> bridge to the Kremlin where you'll be hounded by "guides", some of
> whom really know their stuff, like for the churches in the Kremlin.
> 5. Negotiate prices and tip well, but not too well.
> 6. Have a Russian negotiate and/or travel with you when you go by
> taxi.  Expect any old car and driver to stop.  Refuse if you're not
> comfortable.
> 7. Most of the Russians I met have good curiosity and a sense of
> humor.  But Moscow is as different from the countryside as Washington
> is to Appalachia.
> 8. Don't take up smoking (It's everywhere!), and buy your vodka on
> the street, not in the hotel.  (You get 10x for your money there.)
> 9. Walk the back streets, archways and alleys to discover some real
> architectural delights...arcades, churches and a lot of good stuff
> from the late 19th early 20th centuries.
> 10 A boat ride from the bridge at the Radison gives you a good perspective.
> 12. Only carry a xerox of your passport and just enough money for the
> day in Rubles or crisp new dollars.  Traveler's checks should be
> American Express, the only company with offices in Moscow.  You can
> easily get the next day's money at the hotel or banks.  Look for
> bargains where things may be marked in older ruble prices...like
> books.
> 11. Be street smart like in New York and you'll do OK.