Just go! First trip recommendations?

[viking]

TB

As an fyi, take a look at my new post in this section.

It was not easy coming out and admitting this, but.. this is what can happen.

[Bruce]

WNVS - Boar, its the easiest way to go.  It stands for write none visit some.  After St. Petersburg as a tourist you might want to look into Nizny Novgorod.  I believe Jet knows alot about that particular city.  Sounds like you have plenty of time since you are targeting next summer.  June 21, 22 in St. Petersburg will be peak white nights activity.  Flight prices will be high.  Viking gave you excellent advice on flights for sure as well as giving you alot of leads with personnel on the ground.  Finn Air is usually the cheapest to St. Petersburg and is a fairly well run airline.  My first trip to St. Petersburg in 99 was on Finn Air.  You have plenty of time to learn about what you want to do.  BC gave some good advice.  If you are an educator perhaps you can get involved with some summer educational program in Russia where you can live in one place off the beaten path for a period of time.  That way you can meet women more naturally etc.  You could visit St. Petersburg and perhaps Red Square some sites in Moscow on the way into country or out of country as well. 

[KenC]

TB,
If you're targeting next summer (didn't this summer just end?), you need to be cognisant of your timing before contacting any women.  I think you will be pissing into the wind if you were to start a correspondence this far ahead of your travel time.  Most women will get bored with your penpal position over a long period of time.  For now, check out the agencies and itinerary and do your homework on them.  I know that the summer is your key time for travel, but keep in mind that the air fare goes way up during that time.  My opinion is that using a good agency for the first trip helps smooth out all the unknowns.  You can always freelance later after you're more experienced with the lay of the land.  Best of luck to you.
KenC

[ConnerVT]

Regards "just get on a plane and go" advice.  Everyone needs a reason to go anywhere, if it's just girl watching you want to do, I recommend Rio, Copa Cabana and Ipanina Beachs are amazing.

Oh, NOW you tell me, after you went and started it!  

No, it's not to late to change direction.  Dan has just the web site for you!   

http://www.goodwife.com/latin/
 

[TexasBoar]

TB,
If you're targeting next summer (didn't this summer just end?), you need to be cognisant of your timing before contacting any women.  I think you will be pissing into the wind if you were to start a correspondence this far ahead of your travel time.  Most women will get bored with your penpal position over a long period of time.  For now, check out the agencies and itinerary and do your homework on them.  I know that the summer is your key time for travel, but keep in mind that the air fare goes way up during that time.  My opinion is that using a good agency for the first trip helps smooth out all the unknowns.  You can always freelance later after you're more experienced with the lay of the land.  Best of luck to you.
KenC

Thanks, I had gotten that impression from the archived advice here, as well.  I am making some initial contacts via freepersonals.ru since it's, well, free, but I'm being upfront about my travel plans and NOT making any serious overtures at this point.  Basically, I thought to hone my cross-cultural communication skills, knowledge of the "terrain," and approach as much as possible, without leading anyone on or giving any of these wonderful ladies false expectations.

As I get closer to the date, eastwestmatch.com seems well-organized, extensive, and very economical.  I think T/G has mentioned using them before.  I'll do that around March, most likely.

My ideal outcome, at this point, would be to have local agency ground support at both stops (and I'm leaving the second stop wide open at this point) but to also have a WSVO (write several, visit one, lol) at the second stop for sure, and preferably both.  That way, the "maybes" and the agency can be a collaborative "Plan B."

On the fares . . . yeah.  Bummer, too.  A June ticket's nearly double a September one.    But it is what it is, and that's when I'm free to travel---I'm budgeting for 10 days at this point but will be looking between now and June for ways to extend that time.

This thread has been amazingly helpful!

Oh, and Conner . . . if I wanted a Hispanic wife . . . I could do that HERE.  Just ask JB!  But for the most part, even at the young end of my target range they all have half a dozen kids and at least 50 (more usually 100!) extra pounds.  The 9th graders I teach are near the "peak" for the population . . . it's just all downhill from there! 

~Boar

[catzenmouse]

Oh, NOW you tell me, after you went and started it!  

No, it's not to late to change direction.  Dan has just the web site for you!   

http://www.goodwife.com/latin/

This one (also owned by our beloved Dan) would probably be better to learn about the "Latin" mystique! (You can also "Go Asian" here too...)

http://www.planet-love.com/forum/index.php

[Turboguy]

Being a teacher don't you get a nice vacation strech at Christmas and New Year?   Any possiblity you could make your first trip then.   I think Jack often does a tour around then and that might be another option.

[TexasBoar]

Being a teacher don't you get a nice vacation strech at Christmas and New Year?   Any possiblity you could make your first trip then.   I think Jack often does a tour around then and that might be another option.

I have a two-week stretch then, but . . . it's a little soon, financially speaking, this year, though a possibility next year.  However . . . 1. Russian WINTER?      and, 2. Most of it is Yule for me, and there are certain religious obligations I observe. *shrug* Exceptions would be made if some measure of success should be achieved next summer, I'd imagine.

~Boar

[jb]

Boar,

Where exactly in So. TX do you live?

Your comment about the BMW made me laugh.  And are you sure it's as late as the 9th grade?  My wife taught 6th grade for awhile and I thought the girls were peaking there.  Most are already preggers with their first welfare rugrat by the 9th grade.

[TexasBoar]

Boar,

Where exactly in So. TX do you live?

Your comment about the BMW made me laugh.  And are you sure it's as late as the 9th grade?  My wife taught 6th grade for awhile and I thought the girls were peaking there.  Most are already preggers with their first welfare rugrat by the 9th grade.

You've got mail. 

In 10 years, I have yet to have a single semester in which at least one student, and usually many more than one, didn't either already have a kid, or was currently pregnant . . . and I only teach 9th grade!

~Boar

[DKMM]

TB,

I am on day 5 of a "Just go!" trip.  I can say without reservation that anybody honestly even considering such an idea as a RW NEEDS to come here 1st.  It is such an amazing experience and really eye opening as far as what kind of girl you eventually might hope to take home.  You will at the very least have a rewarding vacation.  Much of what you read on these boards is true as far as what its like here, but individual experiences may vary.

So far, i suggest doing what I did.  Go to Moscow & St pete for about 5 days each.  That's a great 1st trip.

[Phil dAmore]

Plenty of good advice given already as to what to see and where to go.  FWIW I would suggest you arrive via Moscow and immediately buy a train ticket to St. Petersburg with a stop off in Tver.  Richard (RVR) will be able to set you up with an apartment and tours of the city.  Oh yeah, he also knows some really great women you may be interested in.

After you have visited Tver (it's a great little city!) get back on the train (maybe with your new-found companion?) and head up to St. Petersburg.  Once there Nina and I can provide you with an experience that it tailored to your interests, and do it for a lot less than others.  How can we do this?  We aren't greedy.

To have a successful trip you must be flexible. Things here don't always work like you are used to but that doesn't mean they don't work at all. Think of it as part of the charm.

For a visit in July you want to have an umbrella and a lot of mosquito repellent. 

more info can be found at our website: www.flowersbynina.com or at www.tverangels.com

Phil and Nina

[TexasBoar]

Now, there's an interesting idea! Cheaper airfare that way?

~Boar

[Phil dAmore]

It may well be cheaper going that way.  You may also wish to consider flying to Helsinki and taking the train to St. Petersburg.  It's only 50 euro and takes you right to Finland Station.  You could still do the Tver trip later...

Any good travel agent should be able to set you up with plane and train tickets.

[CaptB]

1) Knowing what I know now.....other than a quick visit to st. Pete....as you said....mainly to visit......I would choose only "one" city to visit RW. Personally it would be outside St. Pete or Moscow. I prefer the medium sized cities....too many to choose from. My first trip was three weeks long (not long enough). On your short (10 day) trip you will eat up valuable time traveling. If you meet someone interesting in one city.......you will kick yourself.......if you have to leave after a few days....to visit someone else.......in another city. I chose a city that I would look forward to visiting again and again (if you match....you will use up a good bit of your vacation time......so she can see her folks etc.) Its nice to go back for visits.....if you actually like the place.

2) Knowing what I know now....I would make a first visit......in the winter. Airfares are cheap. If you match......you can look forward to a Summer vacation together. I would save St. Pete for June or July.........not going there on the first trip will save you alot of money. Going in the winter will keep your costs way down. If things don't work out.......you have Summer to look forward to......and having gained some experience.....will make better use of your time on the next trip. Yes.....I took my first trip in the Summer.......Tver.....great time. In hind-sight.....a cheap first trip to get my feet wet......looking for someone.....and a great Summer vacation (if successful) ................"not looking"......would have been much better.

3) Lots of interesting cities out side of St. Pete/Moscow. My wife's city of Stavropol....was voted best city parks in all of Russia a few years ago. Historical Tver.....which vied for captital city (over Moscow)....in its past. Beautiful Samara with a beautiful man-made beach on the (very wide in this area) Volga. Picturesque Yoshkar-Ola....in the Mari-El Republic. I like the medium-sized cities the best.....still lots to do....but more laid-back.

I would give serious consideration to a quick-and-dirty "first trip" in the off-season.
That way you will have some "experience"......and that Summer trip will be better planned.......and more enjoyable. And who knows.....maybe you won't be visiting St. Pete.......alone

Capt B

[PeeWee]

Even now the weather is turning cold in Moscow and St Petersburg. St Petersburg is a cold city, weather wise anyway, on occasion it has snowed there as late as June. You want to see the ladies dressed in their best, sans winter coats. The Summer is best time for nothern cities. Reverse is southern city, such as Astrakhan, and lower elevation Kzakstan. Summer temps can go as high as +40C or higher. Without air conditioner it is too hot to want to have any fun.

For touring Moscow is rich with attractions as is St Pete. I agree with Capt B, just one city if you have just a short time to stay in Russia. Air fares do not seem to be much cheaper in the winter than in the summer. I paid $800.00 for a round trip coach, which I later up graded to business class, last June. $800.00 seems fairly in expensive to me for an 11 hour flight. I recall paying $800.00 once just to fly from Seattle to Sacramento.

Peewee

[KenC]

TB,
The Capt. has given you some very good advice.  Ten days isn't really enough time to combine sight seeing and a woman hunt.  Although sight seeing could be your backup plan.  On my first trip to Tver, my now wife had a day that she had to attend to things other than me, so I took a day trip to Moscow with my interpreter.  It was a long day, but I got to get a little taste of Moscow.  Now I can say that my second trip to Moscow, with Lena was much much better!   Go for the girls first as that is your primary purpose and then if you have some time left over to fill, see the sights.  I also agree with the Capt. on medium size cities too.
KenC

[Michelangelo]

I agree with KenC, TB.

Plus, my experience is that the girl will organize your days by taking you to sites and museums in their city.

But do focus and make getting to meet and know the girl(s) your only mission.

[DKMM]

Hmm I don't agree.  I just returned from a 10 day to moscow & st pete trip and it was the best of my life.  I managed to fit in several girls, sightsee and get a feel of the place.  Sure I wished I had more time to be with the girl that I ended up liking but there was no way to tell which girl it would be beforehand (or where).

[Son of Clyde]

I have only heard Latvia mentioned once or twice on the boards and Riga is very European and the street signs are not Cyrillic so you will not get totally lost. The architecture is nice too. My first choice for a first timer would be Riga my second, Yalta and third Kiev. Never been to Russia.

[KenC]

Hmm I don't agree.  I just returned from a 10 day to moscow & st pete trip and it was the best of my life.  I managed to fit in several girls, sightsee and get a feel of the place.  Sure I wished I had more time to be with the girl that I ended up liking but there was no way to tell which girl it would be beforehand (or where).

The highlighted portion kind of makes my point, doesn't it?
KenC

[DKMM]

Yes but the part after it is more important.  How to know which girl you are writing is the one you want to spend time with?  If I went with the girl I thought was the best choice when I nailed down my plans, I would have missed out completely on the girl I'm falling for now.  Best way to start is to maximize exposure to the most places & girls as possible rather than going for the one shot with someone you've never met.  JMHO.

[Michelangelo]

Sure I wished I had more time to be with the girl that I ended up liking but there was no way to tell which girl it would be beforehand (or where).

No, not beforehand.

When I used to play the game, I did it this way. 

I made contacts with a dozen girls.  I would meet them, one by one, for two hour dates.  My hope was to really connect with one girl. As soon as this happened, I cancelled the rest of my dates and focused on the one girl that I had met that I really liked and who really liked me.

If you read my Dnepr trip report, you'll see this in action.  And BTW--I'm still with her, one year later.