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MrSpice
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 14 Jul 2003
Posts: 3431
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 Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 3:44 am Post subject: |
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| jo jo 7 wrote: | Darthvader, I hope not all taxis are like this. I am surprised that you made it out of the taxi in one piece.
Glad you had a great time though... |
No. Most taxis are not that crazy. The craziest taxi drivers I have ever experienced (and I have visited a lot of places) are certainly right here in New York City. Some of those people are from Pakistan and they have probably only rode a camel there. Many of them are completely nuts.
In Russian, the taxi drivers may charge you more when they see that you don't speak Russian, though. You have to be careful about that and bargain in advance (that is, if they can understand any English). |
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jo-jo-7
Just Starting
Joined: 16 Mar 2010
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 3:57 am Post subject: |
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| MrSpice wrote: | | jo jo 7 wrote: | Darthvader, I hope not all taxis are like this. I am surprised that you made it out of the taxi in one piece.
Glad you had a great time though... |
No. Most taxis are not that crazy. The craziest taxi drivers I have ever experienced (and I have visited a lot of places) are certainly right here in New York City. Some of those people are from Pakistan and they have probably only rode a camel there. Many of them are completely nuts.
In Russian, the taxi drivers may charge you more when they see that you don't speak Russian, though. You have to be careful about that and bargain in advance (that is, if they can understand any English). |
Hehehehe, you are right. I have rode in those taxi's in NY several times and I have had a few close calls. Only one taxi driver out of several could understand English. |
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darthvader
WayToRussified
Joined: 09 Dec 2005
Posts: 427
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| Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 4:44 pm Post subject: |
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| nikir wrote: | Well by now Darth the full significance of being back in the thriving metropolis has probably taken hold and your visit to St P seems like a bad nightmare.  Are you going to relive it?
I bet you nearly got bowled lots of times crossing the street.
It's really hard to get used to the cars (and buses and trucks) coming at you from the opposite direction. And even harder to break what was drummed into you from childhood, look to the right etc.
But nice to see you back. |
Thanks!
Mate, Sydney, London, Paris traffic seems now rather sedate. 
Yes, learned childhood conditioning doesn't wear off fast. Crossing the street was an interesting experience. Note: green pedestrian walk light = cars drive even faster!
Another problem was continually walking to wrong side of taxis to get in. Australian, unlike Russian and US cars are right-hand-drive.
Great place. Would like to revisit. Now, what can one do (or should do) in St Petes as a tourist in winter?
By the way, my favourite sites were Peterhof and The Hermitage. But, many, many great things to do and see. |
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Rick
Moderator
Joined: 04 May 2005
Posts: 854
Location: Касабланка
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| Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 8:21 pm Post subject: |
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I've heard so many mentions of Peterhof now that I'll have to interfere. After all this fascination with Baroque / French landscape architecture style, it's time to get you back to some later 19th century English influence... Take a train (from the Baltic Railway station (tickets available on the upstairs section)) to Pavlovsk park... If you've read Dostoyevski's 'Idiot' you may even try to find some places from the book back.
Like the fashion was in England in these years, all of Pavlovsk park looks 'natural', the ruins seem genuine.. Don't be fooled: all of this is grounds designed and manipulated to look like a romantic forest area.
And a small thing, out of the normal tourist way, if you like Soviet nostalghia.. There's quite a nice park in Moskovskiy Rayon, about right in the centre of this area, flanked by an impressive sports stadium. If you act like my friend and sit down on a bench, you might actually have an old woman starting a long and slow conversation with you in russian... |
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darthvader
WayToRussified
Joined: 09 Dec 2005
Posts: 427
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| Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 6:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Rick wrote: | I've heard so many mentions of Peterhof now that I'll have to interfere. After all this fascination with Baroque / French landscape architecture style, it's time to get you back to some later 19th century English influence... Take a train (from the Baltic Railway station (tickets available on the upstairs section)) to Pavlovsk park... If you've read Dostoyevski's 'Idiot' you may even try to find some places from the book back.
Like the fashion was in England in these years, all of Pavlovsk park looks 'natural', the ruins seem genuine.. Don't be fooled: all of this is grounds designed and manipulated to look like a romantic forest area....... |
Fair enough. However, 19th-century English influences are not so unusual for me, holidaying and living in Britain over the years. So, Peterhof was indeed a very special, more unusual place for me to see. Even so, Pavlovsk was not visited by me - unfortunately. I ran out of time. So, really can't say Peterhof is better than this important St Petersburg attraction. Maybe next time...... Liked your description of Pavlovsk by the way. |
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