Good bye, Lenin!

Lonely Planet writes: "Flying in Russia is like the country itself, a unique experience".
I write now from St. Petersburg, I flew here yesterday from Vladivostok. Flying with Russian Tupolev was the first time during my travel here when I was a bit horrified... And I actually had to fly twice, since there was a connecting flight from Krasnoyask.
But rewind a bit: Last night in Vladivostok I slept at the airport (note to the airport sleepers; it is possible there, the officials actually show you the place where you can sleep). I took a taxi from the city center, since it is quite complicated to get there by public transport. First taxi driver suggested that he will not take me there with less than 1000 roubles. Second taxi driver wanted 800 roubles. I took the third driver, who was willing to drive the 45 minutes for 700 roubles.
In the morning, when the check-in starts (or registrating as the Russians call it), I noted that my carrier is called KrasAir. Maybe like an omen?! I don't know but sure got a bit more horrified at that point ;) The flight itself was smooth, nothing to complain really, friendly staff and the best aeroplane single-serving food-kit I've had so far.
After 13 hours of traveling and like no real sleep the previous night at the airport, I felt a strong jetlag. I didn't know if I'm hungry or not, kind of insomniac feeling with no real sense of what time it is. But I made it to my friend's flat and after shower and eating I came back alive and stayed up until 9PM before finally sleeping a good night sleep.

When I now look at the map, I can't believe how far I really was. I sure was as far as where peppers should grow, but I didn't see any. So I must keep looking! Soon I'm returning to Finland, at least for a little while, but the journey is to be continued... for sure. To find those darn PEPPERS!

Of Russian places still to visit, they are plenty. But I now share Teemu's crazy idea of visiting Yakutsk in the middle of winter, in January or so, when it is as cold as possible. Yakutsk is the coldest city in the world, AVERAGE temperature in DEC-JAN being -40 celcius.
Also, Murmansk in on the list to visit, preferrably also during the winter. And Russian Karelia: Sortavala, Petroskoi, Valamo island in Ladoga, Novgorod... and again and again I will return to St. Petersburg, the greatest city of all, no doubt.
There were times during my trip through Russia when I felt a bit pissed, towards Russia, how complicated things can get sometimes and so on... but that feeling comes during any longer trip always, at some point. When returning to St. Peters I somehow partly felt like coming back home again, and already now when I look back to my trip, I feel that part of my heart is staying in Russia. This is just so extra-ordinary country. So weird but also fascinating and in many places attractive too. And so much to experience. Not forgetting the most generous people what comes to food and drink. You will never starve here, for sure!

But good bye for now, Lenin(s)! You really seem to watch over the Russians still today, as anywhere I went, I found Lenin: A gulliver of Lenin, a litso of Lenin, Ulica Lenin, Ulica Lenina, Lenin or Lenina Square, Leningradzky Vokzal, Lenin Mausoleum, Lening pointing, Lenin govoreeting. And so on.

Keep checking the blog: the trip is about to continue any day.