We were on our way at 8:00 A.M. with a new driver and bus. We were getting our last look at the Estonian countryside. The color green was prominent with countless birch trees framing the road. As we approached Narva, I noticed numerous windmills that supplied power. We ate lunch there.
It was then a ten-minute drive to the Estonia/Russia border. First we had to check out of Estonia. Our bus was second in line to enter Russia. During the wait, I taught a basic ventriloquism workshop. My trip mates seemed to enjoy learning this new skill, and they did well. We had just finished the basic sound substitutions when it was our turn to get our passports stamped. While we were away, the bus driver cooperated with the border guards by letting them check the luggage hold and any other possible hiding places for contraband. It had only taken us an hour and twenty minutes to cross the border. We then returned to the bus and rode about 1 1/2 hours to St.Petersburg.
As we drove toward St. Petersburg, we passed summer homes that were not as well kept as the houses in Estonia. The landscape was the same, though. As we entered St. Petersburg, the traffic got heavier.
St. Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia. There is a problem with migrant workers. Low paying jobs are done by the Asian people. St. Petersburg has more population than the three Baltic countries combined. 80% of Russians support Putin because they want to see Russia big again.
Some trivia: The first toll our bus paid in St. Petersburg was 80 rubles or $1.20 for using the road. St. Petersburg has approximately forty sunny days a year. Peter the Great liked Holland, so the Russian flag has the same colors: white, red, and blue.
We checked into the Domina Hotel. We had an appointment for a river trip around the city, so we left the hotel at 4:20. On the way we stopped a the bank to exchange some American dollars into rubles. However, the bank teller said they were out of rubles. Miina said this was the first time the bank had no rubles! We walked to a nearby hotel and got the money exchanged. Then we walked to place on the river where we would board the boat. It was lovely cruising around the city late in the afternoon. There are a huge number of palaces and museums ringing the river.
Afterward, we walked back to the hotel, and we ate salad, bread, soup, and dessert for dinner.
My purple and red rom at the Domina Hotel