Vladimir
Trip Start
Oct 20, 2008
1
38
93
Trip End
Jan 31, 2009
Vladimir,
Central Russia,
Russian Federation
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Vladimir is an average Russian city of about a twentieth the population size of Moscow.
I bought a 3rd class ticket from Moscow to Vladimir for about $2. Initially, I thought that there would be no space for my 30-kilo backpack. When I got on the train, I noticed that there were both seats and beds in the same compartment. I placed my backpack on one of the upper beds and took my seat by the window. After watching a scenery of trees, wooden village houses and frozen lakes for 3 hours, I arrived in Vladimir.
As I was sitting at the Moscow train station cafe reading my LP, a middle aged man with a mustache came up to me and tried to make conversation in Russian. When he realized that I hadn't gotten anything that he just said, he told me in English that he was from Ukraine. I told him that I was from Turkey. Later, he put his 2 large suitcases right next to my chair and asked me to keep an eye on them. He was going outside for a smoke. As usual, I got paranoid, thinking that there was a bomb in one of the suitcases. I decided to call the police if the Ukrainian didn't show up in 15. At that moment, the Ukrainian returned. He turned out to be a really nice guy who showed me the way to my wagon. During this journey, I have met many guys who tried to rip me off. However, I should get used to the fact that the clear majority of the people that I will encounter will mean no harm.
As expected, the Vladimir train station was much smaller than any of the 3 Moscow ones. Inside, I bumped into a drunk who asked for money. You have to act relaxed with these guys. If they notice you are scared, you become an even easier prey for them. I smiled; held his right arm, and told him that I didn't have any. He walked away.
My my friend Marisa at the station. Being in the company of a friend felt great, after being alone for a week.
Marisa: 22, teaches English at the American Home in Vladimir; she has been here for 4 months; takes Russian language classes; staying with an old lady; meditates and ballroom dances in her free time; comments that her low-stress life in Russia has given her the opportunity to think her life through.
The American Home was founded in 1991 by an American political science professor with the purpose of warming up the post-Soviet Russian youth to the United States. The building has been modeled on a standard American house. It has a kitchen, living room, bedroom, offices and classrooms. About 10 Russian staff members and 10 American students work here.
I had skipped 3 meals. To put an end to this habit, Marisa took me to an Azerbaijani restaurant called Sheshbesh. Both the food and the ambiance were ok. However, the prices were the same for what you would get for the same type of food in Moscow. $10 for lamb and wheat soup, chicken kebab, cheese bread and coke.
Marisa's colleague, Sarah, was kind enough to offer me a couch. I threw my sleeping bag over it and went to sleep straight away.
