Post: #376

(11-29-2012 10:14 PM)iknowexactly Wrote:  

(11-29-2012 02:20 PM)worldwidetraveler Wrote:  

(11-29-2012 07:58 AM)deepcov3r Wrote:  

Wow, long post. You sound like a fun guy.

You must be one seriously old man if you were traveling when I was in puberty.

I lived in Ukraine for over a year without planning.

Very old. No fun. Stupid too, that's why I have to plan. Every mission needs a paranoid, that's why even cool guys like you should have me along.

What's up with the multiple accounts?

Post: #377

(11-29-2012 02:39 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  WWTraveler,
That's awesome that you lived in Ukraine for a year. Would love to hear more about it. Could you post your thoughts on your experience there as far as living there, the women, their attitude and overall vibe you got there? It'd very interesting!

Hey VP, man that was about 4 years ago. It was a trip and kicked my ass in many ways. I never lived that long in a country that I didn't speak the language. In a lot of ways, I felt like a child. I was just starting my business at the time so all my time went into that instead of learning Russian. I want to go back and do it right. heh

I don't think the women are as gorgeous as many think. I think they are just slimmer and know how to present themselves to maximize their beauty. High heels, tight pants, makeup, all done on a daily basis where we get stuck with women wearing slippers to grocery stores in North America.

Women will assume you're an alcoholic if you say you drink a lot. To them, beer and wine isn't really drinking. I never came across an alcoholic like this one dude I met in Ukraine. He would pound a fifth of vodka and literally not be able to move. That is drinking!

Smoking is the same. Smoking one or two cigarettes a day means she isn't a smoker.

Some say the people are cold but they just mind their own business. They don't walk around smiling at strangers or starting conversations with people they don't know. It is odd to them. They are incredibly warm when they know you. Vodka parties with tons of food is a blast.

They don't seem to be much in the savings department. I am not sure if that has changed with the younger generations. I am sure it has something to do with many people losing their life savings when the USSR collapsed. Some people I knew where scared when we hit our global crisis. I just left Ukraine and people started doing a run on the banks. The government had to cap how much people could take out at one time otherwise the banks would collapse. I think a few did collapse.

One of the things I like about North America is being able to go to a bar and meet new people rather easily. I worked as a consultant and would take jobs in different locations where I didn't know anyone. I always found it pretty easy to make friends. Ukraine, it isn't like that. I found people more closed off and stuck with their social groups.

It was pretty funny when summer hit. It seemed a beer tent popped up on every corner. People love to hang outside drinking. Not at all uncommon to sit in parks and have a beer.

Culture was interesting. Very direct, they don't mince words. Being PC is not normal there which I liked. People have no problem telling others they look bad, gained weight, etc...

Getting anything done there is a nightmare. I think they make it that way so they can get bribes. My ex couldn't get her college diploma for years because they always ran out of paper. That is until she greased them and all of the sudden she got it the next day. I really don't know how people get anything done there because what would take us an hour here would take weeks there.

With that said, you can get away with a lot more because of the ability to bribe your way out of it. It is more in your face there unlike here in the US. The same shit happens at home but we are shielded from most of it.

You see old soviet block buildings that look just terrible. They were basically condos but looked like buildings you would associate with the projects or very poor areas. Walking in the halls, stairs, etc.. would look shitty and you would think you walked into a drug house. Then you walk into the condo itself and it is all done up nicely. The outside building is suppose to be maintained by the government while the inside is up to the owner. That is why the buildings look so terrible. I lived in a new building that looked great but the old soviet blocked housing was an eyesight. It seems like most people lived in these condos and had small houses out in the country where they would grow their own fruits and vegetables.

It's definitely a man's world there.

Post: #378

dupe...

Post: #379

OK, for the visa lovers.

I think using a service would be best. Here are a couple that have been recommended on another forum.

http://www.gotorussia.net/
http://www.travisa.com

Post: #380

worldwidetraveler - great report and good insight into the culture. I have not been but feel these women get hyped up a bit too much, mostly due to the fact they are skinny/slim.

Post: #381

I'd like to put up the city of Krasnoyarsk for consideration. A few facts I've pulled out from this Wiki Travel article ( http://wikitravel.org/en/Krasnoyarsk ) :

Krasnoyarsk is Siberia's third largest city in terms of population,with just under a million residents.

The city has 30 higher education institutes so there is a large student population.

It also states that $500 is a good local wage with $1000 being very good so I think we can presume it is a cheaper city then Novosibirsk, the current front runner.

Numerous museums,theatre,balet companies etc. to keep us occupied when not chasing skirt. The city appears to be a cultural centre not an industrial shit hole.

There are direct flights to Moscow and other Russian cities.

Some photos:

Map
[attachment=8850]

Krasnoyarsk by night
[attachment=8851]

Krasnoyarsk Downtown
[attachment=8852]

Krasnoyarsk Chicks
[attachment=8853]

I'll try to dig out more intel but what I like about Krasnoyarsk is that it is a large city with plenty to do ( not a grim shit hole ) but off the beaten track enough for us to still be somewhat exotic to the locals.

Post: #382

(12-01-2012 10:02 AM)Vorkuta Wrote:  I'd like to put up the city of Krasnoyarsk for consideration. A few facts I've pulled out from this Wiki Travel article ( http://wikitravel.org/en/Krasnoyarsk ) :

Krasnoyarsk is Siberia's third largest city in terms of population,with just under a million residents.

The city has 30 higher education institutes so there is a large student population.

It also states that $500 is a good local wage with $1000 being very good so I think we can presume it is a cheaper city then Novosibirsk, the current front runner.

Numerous museums,theatre,balet companies etc. to keep us occupied when not chasing skirt. The city appears to be a cultural centre not an industrial shit hole.

There are direct flights to Moscow and other Russian cities.

Some photos:

Map


Krasnoyarsk by night


Krasnoyarsk Downtown


Krasnoyarsk Chicks


I'll try to dig out more intel but what I like about Krasnoyarsk is that it is a large city with plenty to do ( not a grim shit hole ) but off the beaten track enough for us to still be somewhat exotic to the locals.

Nice work Vorkuta. Yes I like this city too. Maybe we can pipeline both cities, practice our Russian and see where we get the most interest. But the location is perfect and it looks quite nice(not like a shithole). Didnt think there would be another Siberian city with more than a million. The one main problem I see would be the lack of english speakers in the city. In Novosibirsk, there might be 10 percent who speak ok english. That could help a lot of us out.

Post: #383

By the way, I claim the tall blondie in the pic. You guys can have one of the rest lol.

Post: #384

i call dibs on the one with the leopard pring bikini !!! ohhhhhhh yeahhhhhhh

Post: #385

I'm honestly considering just doing a tour of Russia. St. Pete, Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, who knows maybe Vladivostok, instead of locking myself into a spot for months (definitely still up for the meet up too though). I can spend a few weeks or a few months in a location, depending on the vibe, pipelining opps, etc.

I'd also like to spend some time in Romania (I think girls from here are pretty much the hottest in the world, IMO), either on the front end or back end of the Russia trip.

Post: #386

I just joined the forum to post in this thread.

I'm an American and have traveled extensively in the FSU and lived in Russia for many years, including six months in a tier 2 city continuously (not one in Siberia, though).

I think you guys have a great, GREAT, plan here, the main thing is to approach it as you should if you're a young and strong guy: it's an adventure. The idea is to find a place as "untapped" as possible, and go with a big group and keep a party atmosphere alive non stop for a couple months. That is a great goal, and I think really doable. I won't be able to come for that kind of time, but if this really happens I will try to swing by.

A few thoughts:

1. You can get a 3-year visa easily, a buddy of mine has one (and I saw it in his passport). VisaHQ.com is giving these out easily for $350 (including invitation/shipping). Make sure to send them to their Washington office. They are valid for 6 months for each stay, and all you need to send in is (a) your passport; (b) the visa application form (done online); © a letter from yourself to the embassy asking for the visa and (d) a single passport photograph that you can get done at any drug store. That's it. It does take a month to get it though, so don't wait until the last minute, and it does cost $350, but it's a great investment if you're young and you want to take multiple trips over the next several years.
2. Having spent six months in a tier two city that had BAD logistics, I have to echo Roosh's recent post. If the goal is to get laid as much as possible, to be honest Siberia is probably not the best goal. But if the goal is to have an adventure and get laid in the process, and be local rock stars, then Siberia is a great idea. I would pick a smaller city, Novosibirsk is frankly huge, although I am unfamiliar with how compact the downtown is. But you definitely don't want a city that's TOO big in a bad way (spread out) as that really makes the logistics hard, and a lot of Russian tier-two cities are like that (Samara, Volgograd to name two).
3. Arranging a flat really shouldn't be that difficult, provided you have at least one person who speaks fluent Russian. If you show up with only non-Russian speakers, it will be a problem. The easiest way, if you are splitting the apartment many ways, would be to contact a local real estate agency and tell them about what you're looking for. I would advise to minimize furniture, and just buy some mattresses to put on the floor in one room. I bought a mattress at an Ashan in Russia for just $100 new.
4. I'd avoid the cities that have a foreigner presence already. Novosibirsk and Ekaterinburg have fairly large foreign business presence. Avoid any town integrated into the oil/gas sector like the plague. Lots of those towns are full of young guys who come for short work stints, so the gender ratio is all off. So basically, I'd find a Russian town that is (a) medium-sized (b) compact and © not in a big oil/gas region. To be honest you guys might do better looking at some European Russian cities, like Smolensk, Voronezh, Kursk, etc.
   

My suggestion to you all would be to use the same process that things like this are usually decided by online. Start a thread where people can nominate cities, and you can also discuss things. And then after a set period like two weeks, start another thread that has all of the nominations, and put it to a vote.

EDIT: I guess we could just do the nomination in this thread, and set a date by which the voting thread will begin, so all nominations are in by that date. I think that's a good way to go. Also I agree with the above comments that Krasnoyarsk is probably better than Novosibirsk.

Post: #387

(12-01-2012 08:46 PM)BigDave Wrote:  I just joined the forum to post in this thread.

I'm an American and have traveled extensively in the FSU and lived in Russia for many years, including six months in a tier 2 city continuously (not one in Siberia, though).

I think you guys have a great, GREAT, plan here, the main thing is to approach it as you should if you're a young and strong guy: it's an adventure. The idea is to find a place as "untapped" as possible, and go with a big group and keep a party atmosphere alive non stop for a couple months. That is a great goal, and I think really doable. I won't be able to come for that kind of time, but if this really happens I will try to swing by.

A few thoughts:

1. You can get a 3-year visa easily, a buddy of mine has one (and I saw it in his passport). VisaHQ.com is giving these out easily for $350 (including invitation/shipping). Make sure to send them to their Washington office. They are valid for 6 months for each stay, and all you need to send in is (a) your passport; (b) the visa application form (done online); © a letter from yourself to the embassy asking for the visa and (d) a single passport photograph that you can get done at any drug store. That's it. It does take a month to get it though, so don't wait until the last minute, and it does cost $350, but it's a great investment if you're young and you want to take multiple trips over the next several years.
2. Having spent six months in a tier two city that had BAD logistics, I have to echo Roosh's recent post. If the goal is to get laid as much as possible, to be honest Siberia is probably not the best goal. But if the goal is to have an adventure and get laid in the process, and be local rock stars, then Siberia is a great idea. I would pick a smaller city, Novosibirsk is frankly huge, although I am unfamiliar with how compact the downtown is. But you definitely don't want a city that's TOO big in a bad way (spread out) as that really makes the logistics hard, and a lot of Russian tier-two cities are like that (Samara, Volgograd to name two).
3. Arranging a flat really shouldn't be that difficult, provided you have at least one person who speaks fluent Russian. If you show up with only non-Russian speakers, it will be a problem. The easiest way, if you are splitting the apartment many ways, would be to contact a local real estate agency and tell them about what you're looking for. I would advise to minimize furniture, and just buy some mattresses to put on the floor in one room. I bought a mattress at an Ashan in Russia for just $100 new.
4. I'd avoid the cities that have a foreigner presence already. Novosibirsk and Ekaterinburg have fairly large foreign business presence. Avoid any town integrated into the oil/gas sector like the plague. Lots of those towns are full of young guys who come for short work stints, so the gender ratio is all off. So basically, I'd find a Russian town that is (a) medium-sized (b) compact and © not in a big oil/gas region. To be honest you guys might do better looking at some European Russian cities, like Smolensk, Voronezh, Kursk, etc.
   

My suggestion to you all would be to use the same process that things like this are usually decided by online. Start a thread where people can nominate cities, and you can also discuss things. And then after a set period like two weeks, start another thread that has all of the nominations, and put it to a vote.

EDIT: I guess we could just do the nomination in this thread, and set a date by which the voting thread will begin, so all nominations are in by that date. I think that's a good way to go. Also I agree with the above comments that Krasnoyarsk is probably better than Novosibirsk.

Huge thanks bigdave. We needed someone with your experience involved in this process. I'll be sending you a PM shortly.

Also, just curious...did you know about the forum before this thread? Or did you happen to stumble across it by searching keywords that appeared in this thread?

Post: #388

Also, stay away from anywhere east of Irkutsk, however, Vladivostok and Yuzhno Sakhalisnk are special if you are not showy and don't call too much attention. Whoever said Magadan is totally off the mark here. The only thing in Magadan is a jail. I have a plan to stay a year going from town to town, but it depends heavily on my income (right now 0 ). Visa is not a factor, thankfully, I don't need one.

Can you guys also keep a blog when there? But please please, no embellishments, I've seen enough of these and you can pick out the BS too easily.

Post: #389

(12-01-2012 09:06 PM)presidentcarter Wrote:  Huge thanks bigdave. We needed someone with your experience involved in this process. I'll be sending you a PM shortly.

Also, just curious...did you know about the forum before this thread? Or did you happen to stumble across it by searching keywords that appeared in this thread?

I don't have the time to get super involved, but I'll give any practical advice I can on the logistics. I do speak Russian fluently (I participate in business meetings, etc. all in Russian), and I only started learning it about 10 years ago (when I was in my 20's). I've even been on local news in Russia being interviewed. It's not an impossible language, and not even that difficult if you approach it with the right mind. Just because the letters look funny doesn't mean it's that hard, it's certainly easier for a native English speaker to learn than Chinese or Arabic, for instance.

I found Roosh's site about a year ago and purchase and read Bang! then. I was living in Washington, DC at the time and found his blog because of what he had written about that city. I saw this forum a few weeks ago and saw the thread, and then just registered today.

Post: #390

(11-30-2012 05:05 PM)worldwidetraveler Wrote:  OK, for the visa lovers.

I think using a service would be best. Here are a couple that have been recommended on another forum.

http://www.gotorussia.net/
http://www.travisa.com

thanks for info, I took a quick look and travisa seems to have quite low prices. will check with them and report.

Post: #391

(12-01-2012 10:42 PM)iknowexactly Wrote:  

(11-30-2012 05:05 PM)worldwidetraveler Wrote:  OK, for the visa lovers.

I think using a service would be best. Here are a couple that have been recommended on another forum.

http://www.gotorussia.net/
http://www.travisa.com

thanks for info, I took a quick look and travisa seems to have quite low prices. will check with them and report.

All of the places will be about the same. The embassy charges $180, and there is a $60 fee for mail-in applications, so it's $240 minimum, before the fees charged by the tourist agency. VisaHQ as I said is $80 on top of that, or $320 plus the invitation ($20) and shipping. Travisa is probably similar, maybe slightly cheaper. But in general it will be at least $240 for a 3 year visa.

Post: #392

(12-01-2012 08:46 PM)BigDave Wrote:  I just joined the forum to post in this thread.

Lots of those towns are full of young guys who come for short work stints, so the gender ratio is all off. So basically, I'd find a Russian town that is (a) medium-sized (b) compact and © not in a big oil/gas region. To be honest you guys might do better looking at some European Russian cities, like Smolensk, Voronezh, Kursk, etc.

Thanks for sharing your ideas and knowledge Dave. You are probably the only guy we have on here who has spent a lot of time in a second tier Russian city so it would be great to get your take on things as this idea progresses.

Cheers.

Post: #393

(12-01-2012 10:02 AM)Vorkuta Wrote:  I'd like to put up the city of Krasnoyarsk for consideration. A few facts I've pulled out from this Wiki Travel article ( http://wikitravel.org/en/Krasnoyarsk ) :

Krasnoyarsk is Siberia's third largest city in terms of population,with just under a million residents.

The city has 30 higher education institutes so there is a large student population.

It also states that $500 is a good local wage with $1000 being very good so I think we can presume it is a cheaper city then Novosibirsk, the current front runner.

Numerous museums,theatre,balet companies etc. to keep us occupied when not chasing skirt. The city appears to be a cultural centre not an industrial shit hole.

There are direct flights to Moscow and other Russian cities.

Some photos:

Map


Krasnoyarsk by night


Krasnoyarsk Downtown


Krasnoyarsk Chicks


I'll try to dig out more intel but what I like about Krasnoyarsk is that it is a large city with plenty to do ( not a grim shit hole ) but off the beaten track enough for us to still be somewhat exotic to the locals.

Those pictures of those hotties were a dirty sales trick haha. But it worked on me, that city seems pretty legit.

Post: #394

(12-01-2012 05:16 PM)GameTheory Wrote:  i call dibs on the one with the leopard pring bikini !!! ohhhhhhh yeahhhhhhh

She was my 2nd choice lol. I cant see most American men being unhappy with any of these girls.

Post: #395

(12-01-2012 05:36 PM)presidentcarter Wrote:  I'm honestly considering just doing a tour of Russia. St. Pete, Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, who knows maybe Vladivostok, instead of locking myself into a spot for months (definitely still up for the meet up too though). I can spend a few weeks or a few months in a location, depending on the vibe, pipelining opps, etc.

I'd also like to spend some time in Romania (I think girls from here are pretty much the hottest in the world, IMO), either on the front end or back end of the Russia trip.

Carter, I dont know about your experiences..... but when you want to maximize the amount of quality pussy you bang, it is best to stay in a city at least a month and in a decent pad. This is definitely true, when it is your first time in a country and your language skills are mediocre.
Now, in any brazilian city I will bang at least 2 girls in a week. Before, when I didnt speak portuguese well and didnt understand the culture, I was lucky to bang that in a month.
The first month in Russia will be very difficult.

Post: #396

Just read Big Dave´s post and there is a lot of wisdom in what he says. Krasnoyarsk has become my first choice now. It could change again later, but hard to see another city being better for what we are looking for.

Post: #397

Vorkuta, where did you find that pic? I havent found that amount of femininity....not even here in Brazil. And they just seem like normal girls. This trip has to happen.

Post: #398

I am just reposting what Big Dave wrote in another thread, for the benefit of any non white members that might be considering this trip.

Quote:The nationalism element is always present and I wouldn't tell any minorities (at least those who would be minorities in the USA) to go anywhere besides Moscow, as even St. Pete's has bad problems with racist violence. But my friend did incredibly well in Moscow, better than any of the rest of us in that circle of friends (we were all white).

Post: #399

Found some general pics of areas somewhat near Kras. Mostly NOT women, but very interesting locales and glimpses into the culture. Lots of interesting things that people do for fun when there is not much money to waste. There is one pic of a soldier with a bomb-sniffer dog sweeping a school before the academic year starts.

http://en.fishki.net/comment.php?id=123856

Post: #400

(12-02-2012 11:22 AM)ManAbout Wrote:  I am just reposting what Big Dave wrote in another thread, for the benefit of any non white members that might be considering this trip.

Quote:The nationalism element is always present and I wouldn't tell any minorities (at least those who would be minorities in the USA) to go anywhere besides Moscow, as even St. Pete's has bad problems with racist violence. But my friend did incredibly well in Moscow, better than any of the rest of us in that circle of friends (we were all white).

Thanks for the info ManAbout. I dont expect things to be easy over there, but I could pass as a Kazak easily. And in the cold, my face gets really white, so I appear like a Spanish or Italian dude.
Nevertheless, it would be best to be with a crew in Russia.
It is the same thing I would recommend for a white guy in Latin America. Travel with a buddy or 2 or else there is a good chance you will get messed with.