Way to Russia Talk Lounge

Mecci · Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2003 1:11 am Post subject: Tourist Traps

Just came back to London from Moscow. First regarding the website, the information given is terrific. very informative, very elaborate. Iam glad I went to the website prior to my 10 day first time visit to Moscow. The draw back of going through this website is that its so informative and detailed that YOU START TO BELEIVE EVERYTHING IT SAYS AND THATS WRONG!!!! TERRIBLY WRONG!!!

I rented out an apartment from one of the providers listed on the website and I was taken away from the airport in a freezing car in the middle of the night with a man who does not speak a single word of English. He takes me to an entirely different apartment other than that was picked by me and drops me, takes the money and goes away.

Ok, u might think Iam an Idiot to give him the money. but it is a busy season and all the hotels were full and the closest hotel with free rooms was like about 190$ per night and my budget was around 60 - 75$ per night, which I thought was reasonable for a city that has average salaries of 300$ to 700$ per month!!!

I think that I probably can call the agent or the landlady the next day and hoping that they would be polite and descent enough to honour the reservation. but the next day being the weekend I could not reach Agent and the Landlady ofcourse gave a story that the apartment I had booked is suddenly not empty and busy and pipes in others are broken and other million excuses to make the trap sound justifiable. BUT WITH A PROMISE THAT SHE WILL MOVE ME TO DESCENT PLACE IN 2 DAYS. Ofcourse this never happend untill the end of my stay.

The agent ofcourse washed his hand when I contacted him on Monday and advised me to go buy some incense sticks and burn them in the house to mask the smell of *****( your guess is so right)

The apartment was sick, disgusting!! British prisons would accomodate Osama bin laden better. everything was broken. Towels ......ah, Persoanlly I think better hygiene is folowed in countries like Africa.....let me stop going through this ordeal again in my mind.

Message for people reading this and Way to russia.PLEASE PLEASE, when u have such a nice, detailed website, why dont you make sure that the places recommeded by you meet basic expectation of Tourists.