Things to Know Before Traveling to Russia: Part I

While international tourism arrivals in Russia are down this year, the fact is, politics aside, now it a fine time to visit the country. The ruble's value has plummeted, and fresh artistic attractions in St. Petersburg are among the draws.

1. At the end of 2012, $1 U.S. bought 30 rubles. In July 2015, $1 buys 57 rubles. In other words, the ruble has nearly halved in value in two and a half years. The dollar's new buying power is especially noticeable in the Moscow hotel market. Hotel rooms that cost $400 a night in 2012 are going for $150 a night today.

   

   Shopping at GUM, Moscow's
   famous shopping mecca, is much
   less expensive than it was just
   two years ago.

2. The Cyrillic alphabet was imported into Russia during the 9th century by St. Cyril and St. Methodius (poor St. Methodius. All the work and none of the credit). Back then, the alphabet had 42 letters. Now, there are only 33 to confuse you. Try to learn a few key letters before you go. The skill will greatly help you navigate your way.

   

   Learn the language by reading the signs.

3. Good cheese is hard to find. In August, 2014, Vladimir Putin put sanctions on many agricultural imports from the European Union, including cheese. While domestic production has soared this year (the first quarter of 2015 was up nearly 30% from the comparable period in 2014), eating local cheese is making Russians bleu.

   

   Customers at the upscale Eliseevsky Market
   in Moscow are missing their imported cheese.
   
   

Mayokovskaya (Маяковская) Station, built in 1938,
is considered among the most beautiful
in the Moscow Metro system.

4. The Moscow Metro is 80 years old. The first line was launched in 1935, part of Stalin’s vast plan to update the city's transportation system while creating "palaces for the people". Today, the Moscow Metro carries about 2.5 billion passengers a year (versus about 1.5 billion in Paris and 1.7 billion in New York). Many of the system's 200 or so stations are works of art. The earliest stations are filled with scenes depicting the idealized Soviet citizen--the farmer, the factory worker, the athlete, and the soldier.

Soviet solder in bronze at the
Ploschad Revolyutsii ( Площадь Революции)
,Metro Station

Ceiling mosaic at
Маяковская Station

5. Getting a visa for Russia is a giant pain, even if you live in a city with a Russian consulate. If you go through the process, get a three-year visa. It's not that much more expensive, and it will spare you the red tape if you want to travel to Russia again within the time span. Want to go to Russia without seeing red? St. Petersburg has a relatively-new 72-hour visa-free program which I will detail in the next post.      

Tourist poses with Lenin and
Stalin near Red Square

Learning Foreign Languages: Russian 101

Having just returned from my second trip to Russia, I am finding that my ability to read the language has improved vastly since I first posted this. It's a good thing, too, as getting around the country without some knowledge of the Cyrillic alphabet is challenging. And so, for wannabe polyglots, here again is a primer.

To get around Moscow by Metro, it is
essential to know how to read Russian.
In St. Petersburg, however, there is English signage.

  

Now that we have covered the basic Cyrillic alphabet, let's proceed to a reading lesson. I chose to spend my one free day in Moscow last May wandering the Arbat and silently phonetically mouthing out the names of familiar fast food franchises. I highly recommend this strategy for those trying to learn the seemingly impenetrable Iron Curtain that is Cyrillic.

First, we visit McDonalds. This one is easy, right? MAK=MAC. The fourth character looks like the Greek delta Δ--which is D. O becomes an A sound in Russian when the syllable is unstressed, so we've got DO. In our previous lesson, we learned that H =N, so HA is NA. The third to last character is the Cyrillic version of L. Then we are back to delta, and C=S. What does it spell? McDonalds.

Very good. Now, let's get a cup of KOФE. Note the third letter, which looks the same as the Greek version of F (phi). Sound it out. You have coffee. Excellent. But where to get our coffee? Perhaps CTAPБAKC.

Now we need a doughnut to accompany our coffee. We do not get coffee at the pink and orange establishment above, because we cannot read the sign that says "Coffee & More". After all, we are reading in Russian. But ДAHKИH ДOHATC sounds Дelicious. To translate, we need to close the one hole in our doughnut sign literacy.  И =ee. Hence, Dahnkeen Donahtc. Close enough.

Let's moo-ve/MYB (merely a transliteration) on. 

MY MY, or Moo Moo, is a popular fast food chain in Moscow. If you can't read the Cyrillic, just look for the black and white корова.

Finally, let's wash this all done with a bottle of BOДA. B=V. The O sounds like A, due to the stress. Voila, Vahdah. Let's take a sip and call it a day/ДEHb. 

Holiday Travel Road Trip Tips for July 4th and Beyond

It's July 4th weekend, when everyone needs travel tips.  WTOP Radio in Washington, DC turned to its favorite travel expert  for top tips for road trips.

Navigate Fourth of July traffic with helpful apps and alternative destinations

By Rachel Nania @nania

Nearly 42 million Americans will trek 50 miles or more from their homes to celebrate the Fourth of July this year. Avoid traffic with the hottest apps and some alternative destinations. (Thinkstock)

WASHINGTON — The grill is ready, the sunscreen is stocked, and for many Americans, the luggage is packed.

This Fourth of July weekend, nearly 42 million people will trek 50 miles or more from their homes to celebrate the holiday, AAA predicts — the highest number since 2007.

“A large reason for the bump up in travel is the fact that the economy is stronger this year, the jobs report has had a slight uptick, and also gas is cheaper than it’s been in at least five years,” says Laura Powell, travel expert and blogger at The Daily Suitcase.

But the good news for the American economy isn’t the best news for those planning a weekend getaway.  Of the 42 million people expected to travel for the Fourth, an estimated 85 percent will drive to their destinations.

If you’re hitting the road, it’s best to pack your patience. Of course there are also a number of free apps that can help you along your journey. Here are Powell’s top picks:

• The driving app Waze has become a popular tool for many drivers, thanks to its crowdsourced map and navigation system, which alerts users to real-time traffic situations, such as jammed roads, police traps and road hazards.

• Members of AAA can download the association’s app for free. The tool has maps, provides navigation and allows users to submit requests for roadside assistance. It also offers recommendations for rated hotels and restaurants.

• Sit or Squat is perhaps one of the most unique apps in the travel market. In search of a clean restroom? The app, which is sponsored by Charmin, allows users to search for nearby restrooms, and even filter by cleanliness, handicap access and more. “Especially if you have kids and you’re in search of clean restrooms, it’s nice to have that one,” Powell says.

• If you need to fill up but don’t want to get ripped off, Gas Buddy comes in handy. The app searches for the cheapest gas in the area. Users can also search by city, state and ZIP code to find the best deal on fuel.

• Hotel Tonight is the perfect tool for planning a spontaneous trip or for finding a last-minute deal when driving through the night isn’t an option. The app posts deals that users can book for that night. Powell warns that the app doesn’t list hotels everywhere in the country, but it covers most of the major markets.

Another way to escape the traffic on I-95 and other highly traveled beach-access roads is to avoid those roads completely. Instead, opt for an alternative Fourth of July vacation.

“A lot of people are going to be going east to the ocean, so I recommend going west, instead,” Powell says. “Head toward the mountains; the weather is going to be cooler and the traffic is going to be a lot lighter.”

Harpers Ferry in West Virginia is a great town for outdoor adventure; there’s plenty of hiking, zip lining and white water rafting. Visitors can also take guided tours through the historic town, and visit museums and exhibits.

If being on the water is still your idea of a perfect Fourth, consider driving to a nearby lake, rather than a beach. Smith Mountain Lake is located in Bedford County, Virginia, just outside of Roanoke, and is about a five-hour drive down Route 29 from the D.C. area. Many lake visitors rent houses, but there are also nearby hotels and camping options for last-minute travelers.

For a day-trip option, drive out Route 66 and branch off to a number of Virginia vineyards. Many, such as The Winery at Bull Run, Trump Winery, Keswick Vineyards and Boxwood Winery, have live music, food and other festive events planned for July 4. If you’re out that way, Swing by Great Meadow for the area’s largest fireworks display.

Follow @WTOP on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.

© 2015 WTOP. All Rights Reserved.

Laura Hits the New York Times

Well, well, well. I opened my New York Times on June 18 and discovered that my January CNN article on the prospects for tourism to Russia in 2015 served as the inspiration for this update. In fact, the NYT story starts off by quoting little ol' me.

If you can't read the fine print below, here's a link to the  New York Times supplement containing the story. It's on page 4.

Curio about Moxy, Vib and Other New Hotel Brands?

Here's my most recent story about the wacky monikers hotel companies are giving their new brands these days. Lodging Magazine even featured me on its June author bio page!

If you want to read the magazine on-line, visit www.lodgingmagazine.com. My article is on pages 20 and 21.

The collection of international Monopoly games has grown to 36 (32 different countries) since I last wrote about it. So, I thought I'd roll the dice and update the list, with a few explanatory notes in parentheses. Hope you don't get 'board'.
----------------------------------------------------

Those marked (Gift) were bought for me by lovely friends. I welcome other such (Gifts) anytime. But please note,  I only
collect national versions of Monopoly. No Star Wars-opoly or Sports-opoly or Metropolis-opoly, please. 

Most of my games are called Monopoly, or the translated version thereof. For example, the Italian game is Monopoli, while the Russian version is монополия. Unlicensed versions usually sport different names, such as Cambopoly or Property. But several knock-offs, particularly those purchased from Eastern European countries between 1989 and1999, have the official name, but not the official imprimatur of Hasbro.

1.     Argentina (Gift)
2.     Australia.     
3.     Austria
4.     Belgium
5a.   Brazil (Gift)
5b.   Brazil (Monopoly Junior)

Instead of Go to Jail, Cambopoly has a 
Go to Medical Clinic space. 
Coincidentally,  I bought this game immediately after 
being released from the
International SOSMedical Clinic in Phnom Penh,

6a.   Cambodia    (Cambopoly)
6b.   Cambodia    (Siem Reap/Property)
7.     Canada
8.     Denmark

9.     England

The game that started it all.
I bought the English version of
Monopoly while in graduate school there.

10.   Estonia
11.   France
12.   Germany
13.   Hungary
14.   Iceland (Island-opoly)
15.   Ireland
16.   Israel
17.   Italy

Italy's Monopoli, purchased
in the 1980s, used to have painted
wooden tokens including a candlestick and
a bottle of chianti.
Come romantico!

18.   Japan (Gift)
19a. Jordan (Mickey Mouse in Arabic version)  
19b. Jordan (Wild/National Park version)
20.   Lithuania
21.   The Netherlands
22.   New Zealand
23.   Poland (purchased for $1 in September, 1989)
24a. Romania (US caricature version)
24b. Romania (Bucharest version)

Note the caricatures of
U.S. presidents on the money of
this Romanian game.

25a. Russia
25b. Russia (travel size)

I couldn't find a Georgian game
in Tbilisi, so I had to settle
for purchasing a second
 Russian  монополия,  this one travel size.

26.   Singapore
27.   South Africa (purchased in Namibia)
28.   Sweden
29.   Switzerland
30.   Tunisia (bought in a Moroccan souk; realized it was from 
        Tunisia after getting home) 
31.   Turkey
32.   Yugoslavia (purchased in Dubrovnik, September, 1989)

Italic type indicates countries to which I have not traveled.

Nine Images...and a Radio Segment....Vietnam and Cambodia

Here's my recent Around the World Radio coverage of an AMAzing adventure on an AMAWaterways river cruise through Cambodia and Vietnam. Go to the May 28 show in the archives and play Track 4 for the entire segment.

Angkor Wat at dawn

The peaceful shot belies Cambodia's bloody past.

A Cambodian floating village



Everyday life on a Cambodian river

 

I was in Saigon, aka Ho Chi Minh City,
on the day of the 40th anniversary of
the reunification of Vietnam.

 

The next generation waves the red
flag, albeit without a lot of gusto.

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam is a UNESCO
World  Heritage Site.

Sunset Ha Long Bay

More pictures are on display in an archive of the live stream of the May 28 show. It's available at http://www.atw.tv/ivideos.jsp. Go about 37 minutes into the show to catch the ten-minute segment. The images don't always match up with what I am saying, but you'll get the picture.