Rostov

[SomeGuy]

My pointy dress shoes retired this year. Rounded dress shoes are in

For men as well?  

FR: Good luck on your trip! 

[facetrock]

BACKUP PLAN!!!! BACKUP PLAN!!! Had to engage backup plan after meeting her for 1 minute!!!! Honest I really had too. Strange beginning but overall a great trip.

[GQBlues]

BACKUP PLAN!!!! BACKUP PLAN!!! Had to engage backup plan after meeting her for 1 minute!!!! Honest I really had too. Strange beginning but overall a great trip.

LOL. Why? Was it because she doesn't shave her armpits, or she didn't like your uncut nose hairs?

Give us the scoop. Inquiry minds want to know!!!

[facetrock]

   Ok, so here is what happened. I didnt have any trouble getting from terminal F to terminal D. From the time I landed I made the switch in an hour and I was one of the last to get off the plane which means I was one of the last to get through customs. Took about half an hour to get through customs. One advantage of the Delta flight 30 is that there are no other international arrivals at that time. I looked for the bus to Terminal D and gave up after about 5 minutes. Taxi driver started at 40 bucks and we settled at 20. Hell with the bus. From what I understand, in the future there will be a tunnel or a way to walk to terminal D since it really isnt that far. As of now you cant walk there.
  I arrived in Rostov at 3PM. I met the girl. She took one look at me and said I looked just like my pictures and then said that meant I was not the man for her. Huh? This was the first thing she said to me.  I made sure I heard her right and I did. So I asked her to elaborate a little. She said she only likes certain types of men and I looked to energetic and outgoing. She likes the shy type of man. WTF? So I looked at her for a second and then busted out laughing. I think that pissed her off because she then told me I had bad manners. Whatever.
 Now she asked me what I will do. She thought it would be a good idea for me to go home. I agreed, but told her I needed a phone first because I have to call the airlines and I would have to wait a few days to get the flights changed. She was happy with this and off in a taxi we went. First to the flat where I paid the owner for a week and then to get a phone. I bought a used phone for 30 bucks and was set.
  Note to newbies, get a phone no matter what. You can buy used phones in most places that sell phones.
 Anyway she told me if I had trouble to call her and I assured her I would be fine. Gave her money for a taxi to go home. Another note to newbies: Dont piss off a local woman. Be kind no matter how bad you want to strangle her
  So she left and that was the last time I ever heard from her. What happened? I dont know. Could have been several things. Suddenly found a local boyfriend, different foreign boyfriend, dog died. Who knows. I didnt press her hard for answers and by the end of the day I was glad she was gone.
  This whole experience was surreal, bizarre, comical or whatever you want to call it. The woman was actually doing me a favor instead of acting like she might like me for a whole week, but I dont think she knew it. I still supect another man which is fine, she owes me nothing, we never were a couple. When walking she would always try to be out front and not beside me. At 6 feet 2 inches I can keep up with a 5 feet 4 inch girl and made sure I was beside her as much as possible. Drove her nuts  Looked like we were racing down the sidewalk at times

  But.... being the adaptable critter I am by noon the next day I had 12 other women to meet.
 

[GQBlues]

Good attitude Facet!

Like I've said many times before, I tip my hat for those who travelled on a WOVO mode and succeeded!

I'm glad to hear you appeared to had made the most out of this trip. More!

[BillyB]

BACKUP PLAN!!!! BACKUP PLAN!!! Had to engage backup plan after meeting her for 1 minute!!!!

It's times like this that separate the men from the boys. Did you go and get a date with a RW without missing a beat or did you sit in your apartment and cry?

Unfortunately I don't think you have the speed record for initiating the Backup Plan. If I remember correctly TomT met a woman and she instantly turned around and walked away without saying a word. Based on the agency he used at the time I suspected the RW was obligated to meet but not date the agency customers. Some of those agencies charge roughly $50 a meeting so I'm sure they encourage all their ladies to meet the men.

[ECOCKS]

Sounds like you landed on your feet, a case study for backup planning is born.

Looking forward to hearing the "rest of the story".

[BC]

With 12 women already lined up you're doing just fine.  Over the years Rostov has really grown so plenty of things to do 4 sure.  In nice weather the park is a fine place to just hang out and enjoy a beer..  been there, done that.

Enjoy.

[GregfromGa]

It's times like this that separate the men from the boys. Did you go and get a date with a RW without missing a beat or did you sit in your apartment and cry?

Unfortunately I don't think you have the speed record for initiating the Backup Plan. If I remember correctly TomT met a woman and she instantly turned around and walked away without saying a word. Based on the agency he used at the time I suspected the RW was obligated to meet but not date the agency customers. Some of those agencies charge roughly $50 a meeting so I'm sure they encourage all their ladies to meet the men.

Funny you mention TomT. My lovely wife and I had dinner with him and his date in Globis a few years ago. Nice guy. Damnit Facet. I'm glad you hit the ground running man. I never doubted you for a minute. Lots of guys wouldve went to their flat and sulked for the next 7 days. I hope you have a great prospect in line. I know you have some stories to tell. Another example of why a backup plan is needed.

[facetrock]

  Thanks Greg.
If this would have been my first trip I am not sure how I would have handled it. Getting stuck in a country where fluent English is rare and you dont even know the address of the place you are staying could be stressful. I had phone numbers with me in case the relationship went south. This one went all the way to the south pole in about 30 seconds
  I had Elena the owner of Russian Enigmas phone number with me. Never talked to her in person but used her to deliver flowers. I called her the next morning and she met me at about 11 am. She doesnt have an office so we went to an internet cafe that was close by and picked out some women to meet. By 2 pm I was meeting women. Elena has been doing this since 1996 and oh my God the stories she can tell. Hilarious. She believes writing is a waste of time, really doesnt even like to translate letters. Her advice is just get on the plane and showup and dont worry about the women being pissy because you meet more than one. She is a firm believer in meeting lots of women but gets paid by the day and not by how many women you meet. She just really believes in write none and visit many. The girls on her website are required to meet her in person before signing up and are told the men will meet more than one woman. The question was never brought up by any of the women I met. Kind of nice. She also takes you to meet the women in her car. This is also included in the daily rate she charges.
  I asked her if she has more women now than in the past. She said when she first started she had more but thinks that it was because at the time the whole idea of a foreign man was new and everyone wanted to try it. Now she says she has less women but they are more serious. My impression of the gals that I met and the questions they asked is that they really are serious about finding a man. As far as American men she doesnt get many, mostly from Europe. However she did tell me the American men usually want women that are way to young for them
  All in all she did a great job, fair price and the quality of the women was high. I would use her again in a heartbeat and if anyone wants to know more PM me.

 First gal up to bat was N. Nice looking, 34 no kids, very pleasant, spoke pretty good English and great body. I have been looking at the local chubby girls way to long. Anyway all the girls had great bodies so I wont mention it again Now, the problem I had was that I was there during a holiday. I had no idea it was a holiday. They were celebrating the end of WWII so some of the girls were leaving for the weekend and it was Wednsday. Had a nice chat with N and would have met her again but she was one of the girls leaving for the weekend.
  Next in the lineup was a red haired gal about 38 with a daughter. I am sure she was nice but a little to quiet for me and about zero English. The whole time I was there I would gravitate to the English speaking women. Just natural I guess. She was also the only girl that really wasnt interested in me, just nothing there at all for either of us.
 Here is where Elena does a nice job. She can read a guy very quickly and noticed I liked English speakers or at least some English. Every evening she would make sure I would be with a girl that spoke English. The last date of the day was with G, an English teacher. Elena asked me if I would like have dinner with G then spend the rest of the evening with her. G was 35 with one daughter and very good looking. We hit it off very well and I had a great time with her. I met her again for a few hours right before she left with her family for the Black Sea. Wish she would have been around longer, but I picked the wrong time to take a trip.
 Was in bed by midnight and slept like a baby:)

[CanadaMan]

  She is a firm believer in meeting lots of women...
She just really believes in write none and visit many.

 I don't recall seeing that one before.
Maybe add it to the RWD Glossary?

    WNVM

[Chicagoguy]

Facetrock and CanadaMan - I really think that     MNVM    is worth considering.       And from a source that seems wise.

Other opinions ???

[Maniac999]

Nice you are doing well, Face.
How much do u pay a day for Elena's service?
Waiting for the rest of your adventure!

[Daveman]

Facetrock and CanadaMan - I really think that     MNVM    is worth considering.       And from a source that seems wise.

Other opinions ???

WNVM has been Kievstar's mantra for ages now...  I think for a VM trip, that would absolutely be the best way to go.  Especially in a situation such as Elena provides - every woman already knows  a man will meet more than one so none of the problems (wishful thinking?) of the VM attitude.


Damn Facetrock, that has to be the strangest first meeting I've heard about yet.. " you DO look just like your photos so I don't like you."  Wow.  I think you summed it up well with 'WTF'?  You shouldda done the Billy Bob Sling Blade imitation ".. mmm, you got any breasts in 'nair mmm hmmmm"

Glad you had the plan to hit the ground running in another direction.  I understand they celebrate Victory Day on May 9, but had no idea it was a week long celebration with time for travels, etc.  Something to keep in mind.

Looking forward to more of the story...

[XMan]

Facetrock,

Damn Facetrock, that has to be the strangest first meeting I've heard about yet.. " you DO look just like your photos so I don't like you."  Wow.  I think you summed it up well with 'WTF'? 

I have to agree.  That tops my list. 

I admire the near instantaneous recovery.  I think it would've been next morning before I was ready to go in search of alternatives.   I tried the shotgun approach for a 12 day trip once.  It was a crash and burn to be proud of.  Over and over. 
Hoo Rah.
 

[facetrock]

Note to newbies: Turn off your coffee machine before leaving home.

So now its the second day. My first meeting was with a lady from another city. About a forty five minute bus ride from Rostov. 36 no rugrats and damn fine looking. Very little English. The three of us stopped at a resturant and got to know each other then after eating Elena took off to get my immigration paper taken care of. So me and T went to a park. It was kind of an amusment park and we just walked around. Weather was great that day and for the rest of the trip. I would have seen this girl again but the no English was bothering me. I did pay for her bus fare round trip and then some.
  Next up was G for the second time and we basically just had a chance to say goodbye since she was leaving with her family for the weekend.
  That evening was a really tall girl, cant remember her name but no English and no sparks.
 
Prices. Very similar to the USA for almost everything. The times that I did take a cab it was anywhere from 5 to 10 dollars. My flat was 100 per night but close to the center and in a new high rise. Very roomy and clean with a babushka swat team for security at the front door.
The meetings were for at least an hour or longer. Depends if it was time to eat or not. I had no problem buying lunch or dinner for a girl even if I wasnt interested in her. She was nice enough to take the time to meet me so no problem. People were friendly. I remember the first time I went to Russia back in early 2004. Alot different now than then. I think its because people now have a better outlook on life, more hope in their future. And believe it or not that attitude will help foreign men looking for women. Far less are trying to escape by hooking up with a foreign mule.

 Third day. My 30 dollar phone is now a 55 dollar phone. The battery would only hold a charge for about 3 hours.
First date was with a thirty year old girl with one daughter. Beautiful lady, jet black hair, spoke a little English. I would be 19 years older than her. I wasnt really looking for someone 19 years younger but she already had a child and wanted more. To me that makes a huge difference on the maturity scale. In fact I think the women that I met that had kids were more mature overall than the ones without on this trip. At the time I really wanted to see this girl again and was kind of planning on it.
  Next girl was nice looking but nothing that got me interested. The last girl of the day was V. Fluent English. She was going to be my date for the night. We got together about 4PM and as soon as Elena could see we would be alright together she was gone. Elena does know when its time to leave two people alone. This girl was blonde(not real blonde) and looked great. She was 36 with a 9 year old daughter and would like to have at least one more. Its amazing when you get to know these mid 30 year old gals and tell them you would not mind having another child how fast their eyes light up. I will be 50 in a month and having another child does not bother me at all. I really believe it would strengthen any relationship providing you were right for each other. I would actually look forward to it.
  Anyway, we spent the evening walking  and ended up in a park. The entertainment in the park was little kids singing in groups and solos. Really was good.
  At about 8PM we stopped for a drink. During the day she had kept hold of my hand and was not afraid to touch me. I know what all that means.
   Note to newbies: If you think the girl wants to be kissed for God sakes do it. Dont worry about it being the first date. These women are not prudes and are not afraid to kiss you if they like you. If you cant tell when a girl wants to be kissed date more locally til you figure it out.
  While we were sitting in the bar next to each other she started holding my hand again. I leaned over and kissed her. She smiled and said she was hoping I would do that.
  Note to newbies: Dont be afraid to invite her back to your flat even if it is the first date. If she trusts you and likes you she will come. The old saying that when you ask a woman to your flat means you want to have sex pretty much died years ago.
  So we went back to the flat and discussed our favorite sexual positions then tried them out on each other for the next 3 hours. OK,Ok, just kidding. We actually looked at a picture album I brought along. I just couldnt resist that line
  V left about 2 hours later and I would spend the next 2 days with her.
 
 

[GregfromGa]

Speaking of the babushka swat teams. I've encountered a few of those in my day. The first time I went to see my wife see had a lady that watched over the place that was relentless even after Katy told her about me. So I put my  Southern charm into effect by bringing her a cheeseburger and cherry pie from McDonalds when I would come and go.It was fun and it was nothing. Of course my wife didnt understand at the time why I would spend money on a stranger. To this day that old lady still loves me wherever she is. There's no doubt I'm in her will. The same thing worked on my last trip with the lady in my sister in laws gatekeeper. I've never been a strip club guy but I would recommend bringing in a bag of those things just to see what happens the next time one of you frequents such an establishment.

[SMS60]

Gawd

I cant believe what I just read.

Note to newbies. Always use very recent photos in your profiles. Never use 10 year old pictures. Unless you are showing her pictures of your childhood. Stay away from glamour shots.

Sometimes when English is not your first language you forget one word in a sentence and make it sound the direct opposite of what you wanted to say. Pretty common.

[GregfromGa]

Gawd

I cant believe what I just read.

Note to newbies. Always use very recent photos in your profiles. Never use 10 year old pictures. Unless you are showing her pictures of your childhood. Stay away from glamour shots.

Sometimes when English is not your first language you forget one word in a sentence and make it sound the direct opposite of what you wanted to say. Pretty common.

Listen to this guy newbies because he has lots of experience traveling to The FSU. Oh wait, I'm thinking about someone else. My bad.

[GQBlues]

OK...I've been waiting a while but no one bothered to ask, so I will because I'm dying to know  

So, Facet....who got the Victoria Secret's grab bag? Please don't tell us the original Mumski with 2 kids that you went there for....but if not and someone else did, did it fit? whatever it was...VS's perfume line sux to high heaven and that won't leave you with too many things that are not 'person' specific...

Did you go back home with that bag?  

[BillyB]

   Note to newbies: If you think the girl wants to be kissed for God sakes do it. Dont worry about it being the first date. These women are not prudes and are not afraid to kiss you if they like you. If you cant tell when a girl wants to be kissed date more locally til you figure it out.

  

It's customary to kiss a RW on the cheek at the beginning and end of the date. The natives do it when greeting each other and saying goodbye so it's normal behavior. If a guy isn't getting at least 2 kisses in by the end of the date with a RW, he's doing something wrong.

[facetrock]

Note to newbies: Listen to STD. The guy has vast experience in the FSU, he is the final authority. Pointless to even argue with him.

STD, how do you know I sent her the pic that I use as an avatar here? Do you know how old the picture is? Do you know how many other pictures I sent her? Do you know how old they were? Do you know how well the girl spoke English? Do you know where Russia even is? Do you know when you will be done with your trip report so we can all enjoy it and learn from your vast knowledge?

Dude, I have nothing to prove to a wanna be.

[facetrock]

 GQ. The grab bag is a great idea to take with you. I think it is anyway but I should check with SMS first to see what he thinks.

Actually I took a set of body wash  and a few pajama tops. I gave them to a different girl. They fit great!

[SteveOR]

Facet-

I've looked at the Russian Enigma site before but it's difficult to determine what services are offered and how much.  "Curious", "Cautious" and "Determined" memberships are available but I don't see anything that says that Elena offers personal guide and meeting services.  It actually sounds like a good idea and might make a WNVM trip a manageable possibility.  If you don't mind, can you share what the costs were and any additional details?  Thanks.

BTW, excellent trip report. . .

-Steve

[JR]

That has got to be the craziest thing ever!!!!!!!!!

Glad you landed on your feet and never missed a beat. Funny, that first lady probably has NO idea how big a favor she did for you. Are you going to let her know?