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My dear readers,<br /><br />Today, I am going to my trip from Tunisia to Russia. These who read my story from previous trip: Silk Road may remember that I was motivated on it by a childhood dream about Takla-Makan Desert. On trip before that to Himalayas I was motivated by my mountaineering youth. This coming trip is also not without motivation. I want to go through the most luxurious places in Europe, such as French and Italian Riviera, the backpacker way (bosiatskim sposobom). Why the backpacker way? Because these places are very expensive and also because I do not like to travel the civilized way. I am motivated to this trip by two great Russian Travelers Romanych http://romanycz.travel.ru/ and Yuri Mossokovsky http://mosspower.w-city.net.ua Last one took a bold task to prove that the ordinary Russian citizen can afford to travel to Western Europe on a bike. He proved it, but lost 20 lb. on the way. I am going to prove that the ordinary American Social Seniority recipient can travel through Rivieras too. And I do not mind to lose weight ever.

From Tunisia to Russia (part II)

Alex Mumzhiu
2006-03-22 13:32:47

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fatty minarets and predominantly brown color did not impress me. However,when I went in dusk, from the far end of the city to my B&B, I got sense of living in this medieval city with tall, windowless walls under the emirs, enjoying the good old way of life. Until Russian conquest brought some civility here at the end of the 19 century, they speareared people, threw them from the top of minarets and quartered them.

1. Afghanistan behind this border tower.

2. Permission to buy the railroad ticket

3. Khiva with famous unfinished minaret on background

MY TRIP IS FINISHED
Thank you for your attention
GOODBYE

Alex Mumzhiu
St Petersburg, Russia
June 22 2002
8pm

While my trip is finished and I am just waiting here, in St Petersburg, for my return flight to Washington, I have some observations which may have some common interest.

Theatrical life in St. Petersburg is flourishing. Forget about London's Theatrical District, come here to St Petersburg. The number of theaters increased three fold from the Soviet time. In spite of generally tough times, theaters are full. There are a wide range of theaters from absurd to realistic and all are very professional. Prices are a fraction of London's and negligible compared to American ones. In my typical evening I go to the theater on bike and leave my bike in the bag at the coat check room. After the theater, I ride bike through the white nights till about 3 am, then go to the Internet cafe and come home about 5-6AM.

More about theaters: in addition to the perfect play, observing the public is also fun. Unlike the Kennedy Center in Washington, where the average age of visitors is about 70, here, it is mostly young people. Goods, including clothes are pretty expensive here, so young ladies prefer to save on clothes (i.e., skimpy clothes), which takes Westerners by surprise. They do not know where to look, to the ...