Everything has been ticked off.Houston, we have lift off.Inch of Snow Brings London to a StandstillRiga For A DayWe made it to RussiaRussiaAndy V, we thought you might like this!University: Learning Amidst HistoryWedding AnniversarySunday stroll in the sunZa Zdorovie! (Cheers!)Today's explorationsCathedral CentralThe week continued...by JodiBIG Weekend!Russian experiencesLast week in St Pete's(Mis)AdventuresMoscow - Some fun answers to prayerOrphanage visitKremlin+15C!Warning: Rambling AheadSpecial Birthday CelebrationsEaster partyAn afternoon in town.VNDKhOur last visit at the babies home10 girls and snow come to stayAuschwitzWieliczka, PolandZakopane, PolandLwowek Slaski, PolandPrague in SpringFour countries in one day.4 countries cont.Ancient Sea-side CityThe View From the Ferry Split - DubrovnikNothing to do by the seasideRainRome was seen in a dayThe 300km homestretch!Leon, SpainDay OneBloody Hard Work!Up the MountainSnow!Cacabelos Albergue is the best one we have seen yetBrazilian AlberguePerserverence has its rewardsFantastic Lonely ForestsLoooong DayWalking With WalterWet DayPerserverence pays againThe Final Stage
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Location
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Friday the 16th of February 2007
St Petersburg Russia
Great Day
Yesterday Jodi and I had a great day. Only the day before Jodi had been saying that she was feeling a bit disappointed and homesick. I think God heard her and turned on corker of a day to charge us back up again.
It all began on Wednesday actually, as these things do. Jodi and I met a Polish woman, and she and Jodi made plans to go to a restaurant called the idiot on Wednesday night. Meanwhile I made plans to go to a Banya (I'll get to what a Banya is a bit later...) with one of classmates, a Frenchman called Ullrich, and an American named Alex.
After classes yesterday Ullrich, Alex and took the metro to where we going to go to the Banya. When we got there though it was closed, and I learnt some more french. I was thinking that this was going to turn into a saga. "Because everything does in Russia," I was saying in my head. The man at the Banya told us where there was another Banya only one metro stop away, so we began to make our way there. Outside the metro where we arrived, we asked an old babushka where to go and she gave us directions. We foundn the place and tentatively went in.
I heard that a Banya might be roughly translated as a bath house, the main element of which is 'the Parilka, which gets so hot it makes the Finnish sauna look like a warm room,' according the Lonely Planet guide. The guide goes on to say 'after a burstof scaldign steam is released from the burning rocks, everyone stands up, grabs a tied bundle of Birch branches (veniki, and beats themselves or each other with it.
When our trio of the UN arrived at the banya, we tentativley made our way in. There were two to choose from: the common banya or the luxury banya, which was private. I voted for the common banya (I wanted the authentic experience) and the gaurd showed us the way because we obviously had no idea where to go. On the way up the three flights of stairs he said to one of his friends,"they want to go to the common banya!"
"The common banya" he replied. "Why?!"
We got to the 'front' desk and made quite a modest spectacle. There were no change spaces left at that moment, so we were asked to wait. We sat down and drank beer (which is permitted and common) while people asked us where we where from. When we answered that we were from France, Australia and America we received an amused response.
The cashier is in the change room and is an old man with a newspaper for his cash register. When you pay he lifts open the top page, puts your money in and rummages around for some change. We stood there and rented our sandals, towels and Veniki while naked Russian came and went, looking at the curiosity before them.
We stripped down and in the first room, which obviosly was the changeroom, and leads into the washing room. Here I decided that the banya really is a bath house. For those of you who know it, the washing room was not to disimilar to the bathrooms at Burrabudine and about twice the size. There were benches upon which men sat and washedthemselves from basins, and then they went to one of the four showers against one of the walls and rinsed off. Then the Parilka...
Well it was not nearly as bad as it sounds. Sometimes the room did get EXTREMELY hot, so hot it hurt any bare skin (which there was no shortage of). The Veniki beating was not painful (there are to many leaves left on the branches to allow it to become painful. You couldn't hurt someone if you wanted to), and one friend had told me that some old man would probably want to beat me and show me how to do it. I did have the privelige of one old guy starting a converstaion and showing the ropes a bit. I got the most attention out of our little UN because of my hair. It was a great experience and I will leave it there because I am running out of time.
After the banya I went to The Idiot to meet Jodi, who was there with two friends: Sofi a Polish woman, and Danyella a German. The Idiot is famous for being a favourite restaurant of Tolstoy's. It was in the basement of a building in a very beautiful part of town. The walk there was great, and included going past St Isaac's cathedral. The Idiot has great ambience, and feels a little like Bilbo's house from Lord of the Rings because the ceiling is low and rounded. Everone who orders something gets a complimentary shot fo vodka, including me who ordered a water!
After a little while we were joined by two German friends (whose friends are whose originally is never quite clear), two men named Florian and Oliver. We had a great time, all of us, talking about where we come from and what we study etc. All we needed was some more Russian company. As an aside, Jodi and I haven't made any Russian friends yet, maybe not even any acqaintances!
Florian suggested, I don't know why, to go to a club called MOD. We all went along and found a slightly grungy but friendly place with an avant garde band playing. I went to the bar to buy a drink but couldn't get the bar tenders attention. So I asked the next to me if I was doing it right, or if there was something else I was supposed to do. He got the bartenders attention and I ordered. After that he started a conversation with me and introduced his friend. His name is Chris and he is German, and his friend was Arturo from Latvia. I think a few of us thought it was pretty funny that no matter where we go, we have so far only met foreigners!
Last thing for the night was the trip home. Oliver asked if we would like to split a 'car' with him. We walked out to the street and waved down the second car that came along. It was not a taxi, probably just some guy on his home who is happy to make some money on the side. This a pretty normal mode of 'public' transport in Russia. He was happy to go far enough out of his way to drop us off for an agreed price. Everyone was happy! We hummed through the nearly empty streets of St Petersburg in his little Lada and got home before curfew. All done. Great day hey!
We have put a picture, among others, of an American family that we have been hanging out with. They are Dave, Brady and Hazel Rainbow. Pretty cool last name hey! We met Dave at uni (he and Jodi are in the same class) and he invited us to church. He is responsible for my banya misinformation. We spent a great afternoon with them drinking beer and coffee while there daughter opened a package that she had been sent for her birthday. As usual with kids, Hazel was much more enamoured with the packing styrofoam than with anything else.
Plenty more stories to tell and photos to show and not enough time. I am looking foreward to being able to tell you more in person some time!
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