What's on your FSU bucket list to visit?

[2tallbill]

Lol! That cracked me up.

 I'm willing to bet though the women in the small Russian village would be hotter. I remember reading somewhere that North Dakota has an obesity rate of over 45%. Screw that!

I live in Western North Dakota and I don't know what the obesity rate is. For native
North Dakotan's I would believe the 45%. Some of the oil field workers wives are hot
but there are zero single women in Western North Dakota. 

[Anotherkiwi]

Hi! I will have a rest on a beach of the Black Sea in two weeks. I will fly 8 hours by plane to Sochi. I am afraid to fly. But I will do it.

That's the spirit!    Have a safe journey.  Is it safe for us to assume that you have not been to Sochi before?  If you have not, make sure that you visit the 33 waterfalls (you can take a tour - the sightseeing company I used take a whole day, and include dinner and a wonderful display of Russian dancing), the Dendrarium, the waterfront around the Yacht Club, Riviera Park and maybe the hot baths at Matsesta.

There is Lake Baikal near me (12 hours to go by train). I saw Lake Baikal only from a train window. (I know that is very beautiful there) I had no rest on Lake Baikal.

Yes, I want to visit Lake Baikal too.

Tell me, why people aren't interested in places which are near. Why people are interested in places which are very far?
Maybe only I am doing so?

You are not alone!  Most people like seeing things which are a long way away, even if they only get one chance to visit.  There is a saying in English: "familiarity breeds contempt," which basically means that, if you're used to something, you don't always treat it with the respect that it deserves.  In travel terms, for a lot of people, that means that they don't think their own city or local area is worth looking at - somewhere else is always more inviting or exciting, so they ignore the local attractions.

[ML]

Actually USA has probably the greatest and most diverse set of places to visit on entire globe.

I had been telling Ochka that for several years until she finally said . . . well let's see some more of it.

Hence our RV trip last Spring all across and around the western states.

[southernX]

Actually USA has probably the greatest and most diverse set of places to visit on entire globe.

thats a subjective view

australia would rank up there in the diversity stakes
SX

[ML]

But most people can't spend time in Australia because they get dizzy when toilets circle in the wrong direction.

[2tallbill]

What defines a bucket list place? Maybe you want something remote that none of your
friends will ever go to? how's this?

Trinity Church on King George Island near Russian Bellingshausen Station in
Antarctica. It is the southernmost Eastern Orthodox church in the world



How can any of your buddies talk about walking past the Penguins on the way
to church, while the bells ring?

[2tallbill]

Many cities in Russia are so hard to pronounce, so how about Ufa?
Can't be that hard to say



Ufa at night



Ufa is the capital city of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia.
The city started as a post built under orders from Ivan the Terrible in 1574




In the 18th century, Ufa became one of the centers of the Muslim culture in Russia. In 1998, they completed one of the most beautiful mosques called Lyalya



Orthodox Church in UFA

[cc3]

See Ufa on YouTube videos "Real Russia":

[cc3]

I like spicy food, downed with good red wine, and mountains...so, Georgia is at the top of my list. Also, since I had been married to a Finn, I would like to see another piece of land stolen by the muscovites (under the guise of CCCP): Karelia.

As an aside, Romania and Croatia are not FSU.

[BdHvA]

australia would rank up there in the diversity stakes

As well as critters that can kill you.

Sorry could not resist ~ the moderators can ban me.

[Boethius]

Not really certain why that would even be moderated.

Assertions to the contrary, it takes a lot to get banned here.

[JayH]

Not really certain why that would even be moderated.

Assertions to the contrary, it takes a lot to get banned here.

 

[BdHvA]

As well as critters that can kill you.

Sorry could not resist ~ the moderators can ban me.

The land Down Under ended the longest winning streak in sports history.

Only because they had help from some Cloggies.

[southernX]

As well as critters that can kill you.

  jeez our killer critters are puppies when compared to lions, tigers or bears

The land Down Under ended the longest winning streak in sports history.

Only because they had help from some Cloggies.

yes used their facilitys to test an australian designed winged keel on the yacht that came back to win from 4-0 behind 
132 years of winning history when we won the americas cup of the USA back in 1983
the main player in that winning challenge died recently here in australia ,

SX

[STaty]

That's the spirit!    Have a safe journey.  Is it safe for us to assume that you have not been to Sochi before?  If you have not, make sure that you visit the 33 waterfalls (you can take a tour - the sightseeing company I used take a whole day, and include dinner and a wonderful display of Russian dancing), the Dendrarium, the waterfront around the Yacht Club, Riviera Park and maybe the hot baths at Matsesta.

Yes, I want to visit Lake Baikal too.

You are not alone!  Most people like seeing things which are a long way away, even if they only get one chance to visit.  There is a saying in English: "familiarity breeds contempt," which basically means that, if you're used to something, you don't always treat it with the respect that it deserves.  In travel terms, for a lot of people, that means that they don't think their own city or local area is worth looking at - somewhere else is always more inviting or exciting, so they ignore the local attractions.

Hi Anotherkiwi!! Thanks for your reply! I was in Sochi 8 years ago. I will visit the places you mentioned.

A lot of truth in your statement. People do not always appreciate what they have. In every country there are many places that are interesting to see. I have already planned a trip to Lake Baikal in the next year. I hope the trip will be wonderful!
I wish you to have a good rest on  lake Baikal !! 

[msmobyone]

Hi! I will have a rest on a beach of the Black Sea in two weeks. I will fly 8 hours by plane to Sochi. I am afraid to fly. But I will do it.

))

May be we will see each other on the beach !  I  will be there visiting svietik.coral.

Watch out for the bronzed lady and the red man sat under the parasil with the dog !))

[STaty]

))

May be we will see each other on the beach !  I  will be there visiting svietik.coral.

Watch out for the bronzed lady and the red man sat under the parasil with the dog !))

Ok! I will look at  bronzed ladys and the red men on the beach!  I wish you have a good rest!

[2tallbill]

I like spicy food, downed with good red wine, and mountains...so, Georgia is at the top of my list. Also, since I had been married to a Finn, I would like to see another piece of land stolen by the muscovites (under the guise of CCCP): Karelia.

As an aside, Romania and Croatia are not FSU.

I can't say enough about excellent Georgian food or the beauty there. They have amazing
beaches, churches and mountains and they claim to have invented wine, the wheel and
many other things. They also have original music, language, dance and culture.

[2tallbill]

Some interesting places to see in Russia

Urup is an uninhabited volcanic island in the Kuril Islands chain in the south of the
Sea of Okhotsk, northwest Pacific Ocean.



Kronotsky Nature Reserve, a unique place where one could admire untouched
nature of Kamchatka



Lena Pillars — rocks located on the right bank of the Lena River, two hundred kilometers from Yakutsk.

[Jumper]

So many places to see, so little time!
I've traveled pretty extensively, and enjoy pretty much everywhere.

As far as FSU, I'd like to visit,in no particular order:

Various regions of the Kamchatka peninsula-Would like to see some tigers 
Lake Baikal
Kazakhstan- For a desert race I've been invited to compete in several times.
Saint Petersburg


Places I'd gladly visit again there-
Crimea
Kiev
Nikolaev

[2tallbill]

How about Volgograd?

The city became famous for its resistance during the Battle of Stalingrad against the German Army in World War II. It is often regarded as the largest and bloodiest battle
in the history of warfare.

The modern Skyline




Mother Motherland monument is the largest statue in Mamayev Kurgan in
Volgograd. Based on the history this statue has been nominated as the
largest and the tallest statue in the world in 1967. Motherland monument
has height about 85 metres (279 feet).






The train station
img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Volgograd_Station_1.jpg[/img]

Volograd at night

[Anotherkiwi]

How about Volgograd?

The train station

Now you can see it! 

[2tallbill]

Now you can see it! 

Yes, I gotta spend a little more time double checking my posts. The girls Angel Eyes
and Smiley Girl were shopping and called me to pick them up. So I dropped everything
and off I ran.

[mendeleyev]

Great lists!

I am working on an article about Медное (Mednoe), a small town north of Tver which at one time was closed to foreigners.

This was the site of a Stalinist death camp from 1930 to 1937. So far, an estimated 100,000 Russians were thought to be executed here although official records are reputed to list only 5,000 Russians, and some 6,000 Polish Army officers who were brought here after Hitler and Stalin divided up Poland in the Axis alliance.



According to the Russian officials who approved my visit, and the Russian Army Colonel who was my guide, I was the first American journalist allowed to enter the memorial park.

The Poles have detailed all 6,000 and every name and dates of birth and death are on special markers. The Russian government however has classified the details of Russians who died and refuse to allow their release. Russian citizens who can independently prove that their relatives died here are allowed to post a photo on a tree. The park service provides protective covers for the photos, and to date less than 50 names/photos have been approved for posting.



The Mednoe Memorial complex is a somber place, sad really, but for me was worth the time to visit and document, thanks to the government. It is now open and anyone can visit. I encourage anyone interested in Soviet history to consider a visit.

“Death is the solution to all problems. No man: no problem.” - Joseph Stalin

[2tallbill]

Great lists!

I am working on an article about Медное (Mednoe), a small town north of Tver which at one time was closed to foreigners.

Mendy you are back! I am glad to hear you finally got your ankle locator bracelet removed. 

Seriously, after getting an informal drive around with Russian Officials try not to
disappear immediately after 

Udachi!


Bill