six: dubai

Despite this being the Asia portion of my travels, I found myself in the European part of Russia with a long way back to Southeast Asia. Fortunately, I discovered the existence of Oman, a beautiful country that's somehow relatively under the radar - but why not explore the more famous city of Dubai on the way? It was definitely a choice introduction to Middle Eastern culture (which I'm honestly pretty unfamiliar with), being a city open to Western people and ideas while maintaining traditional values. I appreciated the learning experience, but as a tourist, I think I'd rather visit when (if!) I'm rich and have a family to spoil.

Burj Khalifa at night 

I landed at midnight, expecting a cool night breeze to make my full-length clothing more bearable. Ha! It was easily 40 degrees and humid, and I was sweating balls. Not the classiest description, but I wasn't feeling too classy either. My hostel, at the "cheap" end of US$40/night, wasn't much relief either - there was no hot water, mostly because the exposed cold water pipes are heated beyond any hot shower you'd ever want.

Thankfully I only had two days to kill, so I ticked off the main sites: the soukhs, the Dubai Mall, and of course, Burj Khalifa. Dubai makes a point of striving to impress the world with its wealth, and it definitely succeeds. Its mall is the epitome of this - ice skating rink, aquarium, theme park and ski slope all included, no less! Situated right beside Burj Khalifa, every turn will amaze you. Honestly, I was less amazed by the displays of wealth than the very fact that they found so many ways to display it - I mean, indoor skiing?

Streets like golden threads - the view from Burj Khalifa

Somehow though, Dubai succeeds in creating beauty rather than disgusting excess. The famous fountains at the mall are a great example, worth waiting on the bridge or dining outdoors for a good view. But Burj Khalifa is literally the high point of Dubai's beauty - the petalled design, the claim to being the tallest in the world (at least for now), the view of golden streets below...

Living on a backpackers' budget, the Burj Khalifa ticket was my biggest spend. Instead of the other big attractions, I explored on foot, briefly adopting an Aussie family to browse the soukhs together. The famous gold soukh wasn't quite as grand and glittery as I expected, especially since most stores are behind modern glass-windowed fronts today. I preferred the spices soukh, with saffron and other wonderful perfumes permeating the air, but the soukhs were all particularly quiet when we visited. Overall I wasn't too impressed by the markets, partly because they are tourist-oriented ("Hey lady! China? Japan? Try this scarf!") and partly because the lack of people really left it with no atmosphere. To be fair, the latter was probably just bad timing since the shops were just starting to reopen after the standard midday break.

Gold soukh

Bearing the heat a little longer, I took a dip in one of the public beaches. Though still warm, the water was a great relief - it helps that bikinis are acceptable in the beach area! Otherwise though, the beach was also unimpressive, but I'm sure the private ones (perhaps on the man-made Palm Island) are much more beautiful.

Saving the best for last, I visited Jumeirah Mosque. The mosque offers a number of cultural learning programs, including a free information session or a meal with discussion. I only had time for the information session, but even the short talk opened my eyes. Presented by a British woman who converted to Islam, I particularly appreciated her explanation of the modesty required of women - or rather, preferred by women. Although I still reserve my right to wear shorts and bikinis, I can respect the conservatism with the understanding that it is a woman's demand for respect rather than religious repression.

This is a relatively short one, but honestly, while Dubai certainly impressed me it did not capture me. To me, it feels like a wealthy person's playground (albeit with a broken thermostat); an interesting place to work or spend money, but not for me. I fell in love with another desert country: Oman.

A couple of lessons learned the hard way

• Book a few days early to catch the sunset from the top of Burj Khalifa
• Catch the boat from the south to the soukhs for a cheap scenic ride
• Be aware that when you visit certain places like the soukhs, they may close in early- to mid- afternoon; probably why it was so quiet when I visited

five: moscow and st. petersburg

Russia was my idea of an exotic destination, but to be honest I was pretty clueless before I arrived. Having always imagined it in minus 40 degree winter with everyone wearing fur hats (the movie Anastasia was my primary source), I was surprised to find out that Russia has a summer - and what's more, it does get over 30 degrees. It then occurred to me that Russia's tourist claim to fame is its culture and history, which usually bore me to bits after an hour. And I had a week to kill.

But I was surprised by how much I loved the culture in Moscow and St. Petersburg - they know how to stay contemporary!

As the last stop on our official VodkaTrain itinerary, we were greeted in Moscow by our appropriately-named guide Anastasia. She took us to our hostel Godzilla's - not a bad place to stay, although I still can't get over the ridiculous registration fee (you have to pay in every city you stop in!)

We only had a guide for the afternoon though, so we took a walk through Red Square, and the huge 100-and-something-year-old department store GUM. GUM looks more like a castle - I think I was actually awestruck by how excessively grand it was for a department store. Shopping must have been a lot more fun in the 19th century. We also strolled down a beautiful side street, pl. Zvezd Estrady behind the Old English Court - definitely recommended!

Try a berry from the trees on Zvezd Estrady - a bit sour, these are usually made into juice when ripe, though our guide didn't mind just munching on them.

Chilling outside a bar near the I <3 Moscow sign above (look for the giant wok), we watched the people pass until after the sun set late after 9pm. People-watching was probably one of the most interesting parts of Moscow, especially for the great fashion - my favourite dress had a dancing Sleeping Beauty and Prince pattern. Equally memorable was an awkward but funny conversation about Russian attitudes towards homosexuality - "we just don't talk about it", in case anyone was wondering.

The next day I explored the area south of the river and, on my last boss's suggestion, visited Moscow University. The University is one of the Seven Sisters, architecturally similar buildings spotted around Moscow. I'm sure I read about it having more meaning than that, but, let's be honest, I was just there for the pretty pictures.

Moscow University

I also took a few shots in the Moscow Metro, the "underground palace of the people" - for anyone with limited time, this is a neat way to see the city. You might see a glimpse of history, rows of sports trophies, or an impressive mosaic ...

A real highlight was seeing Russian ballet - the Nutcracker - at a theatre near the Bolshoi that night. Although I've lost all claim to expertise from my few years attempting to be a ballerina, even this cheaper production displayed some impressive moves. Definitely worth doing on any budget!
We also discovered what was to become our favourite Ukrainian restaurant: Taras Bulba. I could easily devour some borsch and vareniks from there any day.

Touristing on, I took a great morning walking tour with a funny guide who told us some interesting stories about the Kremlin, the myth of Stalin's coffee cup leading to the Metro map design, and more.

Kyoko, a serious traveller from Japan and new friend from the tour; one day I'd like to see why Syria is her favourite country to visit.

Although I did get touristy in the Kremlin, I actually preferred my much more relaxed day reading in Gorky Park with another cool kid from VodkaTrain. I hear it's great for music and shows, though it was quiet when we went. Settled in with Russian ice cream and a good book, we just chilled in the sunshine with rollerbladers on one side and picnickers lounging in giant bean bags on the other. (Why don't we have any parks in Australia with giant chairs and bean bags? Seriously.)

Now for some reason, I decided to walk to the train station to leave Moscow. Well, can't say it wasn't interesting - a larger Russian man approached me, and hearing that I was Australian, he laughed and said I looked like a kangaroo with my backpack. And then he took my hand - walking cane in the other - and dragged me across a 5-lane highway. Most girls probably would have run when he told me he liked "to walk with young girls" ... But, hey, I guess he was just being friendly, as he walked me right to the entrance and we parted ways without incident. Well, what's travelling without an unusual meeting or two?

An actual kangaroo (to be found randomly outside the Peter and Paul Fortress)

Back on the (relatively luxurious) train for one last trip! Arriving in St Petersburg I was greeted by my guide for the afternoon, who had the honour of introducing me to the Russian version of McDonald's, Teremok. (Don't bother, unless you want to tell people you went to Russia's McDonald's.) The real highlight was the incredible Church on Spilled Blood. Built in honour of a Tsar on the site of his assassination, this masterpiece of a building blew me away. The interior is completely made up of mosaics, tiny pieces of beautiful stones forming works of art that reach metres above. Amazes me what we are capable of imagining and creating.

The only half-decent photo I have of the Church of Spilled Blood - much more impressive on the inside

For dinner I met up with a remaining VodkaTrainer. We ate on a rooftop above an art gallery called Loft Proyekt - not easy to find, but a pretty neat place even in my uncultured opinion. Dinner was great, despite half the menu being unavailable; the oversized bird statues and blankets more than made up for it.

One of my favourites from Loft Proyekt

Returning to the Red House, I was pulled away from brushing my teeth to take some vodka shots in the kitchen - the usual. This hostel had the perfect atmosphere, from the bean bags in the communal area to an impromptu run to see the bridges opening at 3am. (Which was kinda underwhelming, but the company was good!) Here's a secret the Russians don't want you to know - they're not actually drinking heavyweights, they're busy eating between every shot! Pickled cucumber being the favourite, we also had chips, sausage, even tomatoes...!

My final days in St. Petersburg were pretty chilled out, just what I wanted. On a recommendation, I explored the city's more hipster joints. In particular, I made a mad dash to fit in "the mosaic garden" - and thank goodness I did. This hidden gem, in the courtyard of house #2 on Tchaikovsky Street, even has a mosaic playground! While not the same detail or style as the Church of Spilled Blood, this small garden has a character of its own and is great to explore and relax in.

Mosaic playground!

Really, my favourite parts of St Petersburg were the ones I could relax in - I failed at being a proper tourist. I skipped the Hermitage, pausing only to watch a group of buskers jamming outside. I much preferred getting baikal (a Russian soft drink) from an old-fashioned vending machine, then chatting about my guide's life while sitting in the Michael Garden. And when visiting the Peter and Paul Fortress, my favourite part was sitting by the water looking back at the city.

View from the Peter and Paul Fortress, St Petersburg

At least I had one unusual experience that didn't involve being a lazy bum, exploring the local market hidden behind the buildings between the river and Mokhovaha Ulitsa. I think I found the entire Chinese population of St. Petersburg, operating these small shops - but here, according to the hostel receptionist who revealed its existence, was where the locals shopped. While not a uniquely Russian experience, this market really surprised me in its similarities to the Mongolian black market and to Chinese markets - despite crossing borders, the goods and the atmosphere could have made them all the same place.

Buskers outside the Hermitage

Moscow and St. Petersburg are beautiful cities, not just for hipsters and history buffs, and its culture will draw you in whether you want it or not. Plus they both so many incredible green spaces, from the grand Victory Park to the little mosaic garden. My tip? Forget the Kremlin, forget Lenin's body. Come in the summer, find a comfortable spot on the grass, and watch the people pass by - the rich Moscovites in unusual fashions and brand names, the hippies in mime makeup busking outside the Hermitage, the confused tourists lining up in the Red Square. Don't get too stuck on the past - experience what modern Russia has to offer in the present.

I <3 Moscow!

Parks and recreation

For once, it's not about food. For the lazy reader, here is the shortlist of my favourite spaces that you should just visit to chill out and absorb nature and/or the locals.

Moscow:

• Gorky Park
• Plaza near I <3 Moskby sign [will update if I ever find it again]

St. Petersburg:

• The mosaic garden, house #2 on Tchaikovsky Street
• Michael Garden
• Victory Park
• The rooftop, Loft Proyekt