THE SUN Don'T SET TILL MIDNITE!!!!

Okay... that's not exactly true. it sets around now... which is 10:30pm, but it isnt' dark until after midnite here in St. Petersburg.

Yep, we made it. After some interesting adventures in Moscow, we took the overnite train (hogwarts express anyone?) and arrive the next morninig only to have a complete fiasco in trying to find our apartment we had rented. Sure, one might think having an address would get you to where you need to go. Not here, no way. We are staying at 1 Mariskanaya (or something like that). So you think it would be on the corner, before you hit 3 Mariskanaya.... um... well.... it's actually 1/2 way down the block, through a dark, piss smelling tunnel, into a courtyard, turn right, goto the unmarked door on the 4 story building, use your key, go up three flights of stairs with no lights that look a bit run down and walk to the apartement labeled...

you guessed it...

36.

What? WHAT?????

Yep, 36....

inside the apt is fantastic. but it isn't where it said it is. And so we had to try to call the people, goto their office (which is also, not at all where it says it is on the map either....) and the guy couldn't figure out why it took us 3 hours to finally locate them.

Still, worked out and we headed out to see...

NINE INCH NAILS!!!!!

That's right, concert number 2.

Was SUPER AWESOME!!!!! Moscow was good, but this was one of the best. great crowd, great set list, and totally out of control cool. And my camera didn't fall out onto the floor and nearly get destroyed at this one!

Otherwise we've been seeing the sites. The Hermitage (one of the worlds greatest museums... and it is), Peter And Pauls Fortress, St. Isaacs cathedral at sunset. We got to the top of the 275 steps to get to the Collenade as fireworks were shot off right next to it. pretty cool. August 2nd and August 4 are holidays of some sort here in Russia. We haven't found out what. But there was live music everywhere, fireworks, bands playing in Red Square as well as outside the Hermitage, and at 12:30am last night we took a canal cruise, that went out the dancing fountains on the river (which put the Ballagio in Vegas to shame) and saw the draw bridges go up. And there were no less than 100 boats on the river. it was a traffic jam of boats. Awesome!

And for all of you who were worried.... the women in St. Petersburg.... are even MORE GORGEOUS than the ones in Moscow. It's a bit rediculous and seems like a supermodel convention. That being said, the dudes here.... well, they seem more like they got their stuff together. Far fewer Mullets. And though there are lots of smokers, it's nothing like Moscow where 1 in ever 1 person smokes.

That's what I got. 3 more days of Russia, and then off to Estonia (which will be good for the wallet!). Russia rocks though, and I recommend it to anyone.

However, there is this to note.... It is an Advanced Travel country.

I've come up with this rating system (based on English speakers admittedly, but you can apply it to your own language).

0. Traveling in your own country

1. EASY - Traveling in a country with the same language (for USA, such as England, Australia etc) where they have a good tourist services.

2. MODERATE - Traveling in a country with a different language, but good tourist services (see Thailand, or perhaps France)

3. ADVANCED - Traveling in country with a very different laungauge, and not good tourist services (See Russia, or Peru if you didn't know spansih)

4. EXPERT - A country with different language, little to no tourest services, where you have to get local transport, perhaps bribe officals and such. By guess I would say certain African nations like Libya or Nigeria perhaps.

5. INSANE = Going to a war zone like Iraq or Somalia. Enough said.

There you go, all I've got for now. I have to see if Catherines palace is open Monday or we're going to miss it.

Take care,

Hope all is well.

Watch Trespassing On The Lot (www.trespassingonthelot.com) for all sorts of fun shorts.

Buy THE CLOSER SHE GETS (www.theclosershegets.com)

(I have to advertise too, its the new world. How do you think this all works? I couldn't get a Coca=Cola sponsorship!!! :)

Rock on

Craigo

The Mullett is Alive and Well...

... and living in Russia. Yes team, i'ts true, the stylish "Businiess in the front, party in the back" is still rocking the scene in moscow! and Vladamir! and Suzdal... No wonder the USA won the cold war.

Just kidding! Russia is awesome. And while the ladies have men with mullett's and man purses (yep, lots of those) to look at, the fellas have supermodels on every corner. It's true. We have beautiful women back home there is no doubt, but someone decided that everywhere you turn in Russia a supermodel awaits you. It's sort of bizarre!

Still, now that I'm near a week done with the trip, I have found out some fascinating things. Such as

1. Having non-cyrrilic letters and translations of words is completely confusing and non-helpful. there is no reason to have them because no one understands what you say when you say that translation and no one can read it. it's also not how it's written on any sign, as the cyrrilic letters are used. so for instance you might say, i want to goto to Sankaroviskaynaya station... which to someone not versed in russian would be meaningless. however to a russian, Sankaroviskaynaya station would be meaningless, as it would be written in character that are on this keyboard but I don't know how to type with.

2. Russian drink... A LOT. like all the time. like 24 / 7. Vodka, beer. it doesn't matter. midday on the street... drinking. at night on the street... drinking. for lunch, for breakfast. doesn't matter. drinking.

3. Smoking will NEVER DIE here! the "non smoking indoors"thing that started in California of all places and has spread even to England will have to battle the great cold russian winter before they give up the nicotine. No shit, I think 80% of russians smoke... all the time. Midday... smoking. At night... smoking. Breakfast... grab a cigarette, why not?

Now one might thing that all this isn't cool... but you'd be wrong. Russia is AWESOME! It's not easy to travel, there is very little tourist infastructure and almost nothing is in English (or any other language besides russian) even in Moscow. but it's great. it's a beautiful city and country. Moscow is crazy cosmopolitan, fashionable and filled with more people riding the subway than New York and London combined. (of course you better keep your handy metro-map with you, because it is confusing as crap).

The food... well... I'm not sure what Russian food is exactly, but I've had some tasty dishes with Pork, potatoes and lots of cheese... and apples... and little berry things. I think that one was russian. There is also a buffet called "my-my" which for you non russian speakers translates to "moo-moo". it's a buffet that really good and cheap...

which brings me to the fact that russia'ins't cheap. it's a bit pricey ,as in close to US prices, with the exception of the transit... train, bus, and metro are cheap. it cost less to take a buss and train 225 km than it did to eat breakfast... or buy a drink. go figure.

I've seen the mighty RED SQUARE, which is AWESOME! So pretty day or night. filled with life. and even in the rain there are litearally Dozens of wedding parties getting pictures taken. Not a dour face in the house there as they live it up, sing songs and take photos. very cool. The Kremlin, heart of the ëvil empire", as I grew up with, is pretty cool. along with the speeding caravans of mercedes, followed by dozens of armed guards. My guess is President Putin raced by while we were there. but you'll never know. after all, the former KGB headquarters is right down the street from the Hostel I'm staying at.

And yes movie fans, Hostel 2 is playing in theaters. As well as Harry Potter 5!

I went to two smaller towns the last few days: Vladamir, and Suzdal. Vlad is an awesome soviet industrial town, complete with nuclear reactor (they are all over here) and row, upon row, upon row, upon row of identical 5-7 story apt. buildings. I'm not kidding... there were maybe say, a thousand of the SAME BUILDING!!!! And I stayed at Hotel ZARYA, which was this 12 story cement monolithe that was 50 years old and never updated. it was awesomely run down (and the cheapest place i've stayed at 18 usd a nite!) Then I went to Suzdal which, if you had to ask, looks just like... IOWA. No shit! I mean, if there weren't the random russian billboard (and oh, those many many churches on the horizon) the fields of grain, the trees, the farms, it'is so similar to iowa it's uncanny.

Made some friends here at the hostel... Mandeep, Tony, Olga, Richard (who owns the place). Seen the circus and gone dancing with them. It's been fun. Good people. Glad to have been here instead of solo-hotels. Makes it much more friendly.

ANd so it is... tomorrow is NINE INCH NAILS in concert (there are billboards around!) and I have to shoot a short for trespassing on the lot.com... (check it out!)

take care all,

hope you are well

Rock on

CraigO

PS: My bag showed up Saturday morning!!!!

NO BAG but RED SQUARE ROCKS!!!!

And... my new trespassing movie is up on youtube. called ""HOME INVASION"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-tLH4v3gyU

or goto www.trespassingonthelot.com to enjoy it and other shorts!

And...

yes, redsqure rocks. the kremlin is awesome (though I didn't go inside today) and St. Basil's cathedral is as weird as it looks in the movies.

and my bag isn't here yet...

but mostly good times so far. except it is HARD to read/speak/understand anything in Russian. crazy cyrrilic letters!

rock on

craigo

I'm in Frickin Moscow...

But my backpack is somewhere else.

yep team, I made it safely though a bit delayed and without my main backpack. woopie! hopefully it will show up and be delivered tomorrow, but we shall see. i might be traveling REALLY light this trip.

I'm staying at a place called NAPOLEON HOSTEL in Moscow. nice spot. people are freindly and when i heard folks at the airport speaking english i said ""hi"and they were staying at the same spot, so that made getting into town at 1am a little easier.

tomorrow.... let's go see some russian stuff!

Rock on all

If you don't want to get travel emails, let me know. otherwise I'll send them out every few days.

take care

craigo