Roger W Keatons Blog on RealTravel

Baltiisk journal: Risking arrest and deportation, seeing the Russian Baltic fleet at anchor was well worth it.

Sat, 30 Sep 2006 18:14:33 GMT

Baltiisk is a close city which is closed to all but Russian citizens. Only by having a friend give me his papers was I able to acquire access to this military base. Seeing the fleet at base was a most memorable sight. I made sure to keep my mouth shut.

Riga journal: A colder, harsher version of Tallinn

Sat, 30 Sep 2006 17:37:49 GMT

Riga is another beautiful Baltic city. The anti-Russian sentiment was awe-inspiring as in the middle of old town, the people have built a Russian gulag to remind everyone what happened under Stalin and Lenin.

Tallinn journal: An Eastern European Scandinavia

Sat, 30 Sep 2006 17:34:42 GMT

Tallinn was a welcome sight. The beautiful old town will always be a highlight of all of my travels. I am definitely considering Tallinn's old town for reitrement.

Minsk journal: Experience the only communist state left in Europe.

Sat, 30 Sep 2006 17:31:02 GMT

Minsk is a very cold place, even more so than Moscow. Seeing the Belarussian military goose-stepping down main street Sunday morning was definitely an experience. Minsk is a very well planned city and amazingly clean. Don't miss the only Lenin statue left standing outside of Russia outside the capital building.

Brest Litovsk journal: A moving monument to the resolve of the Russian people.

Sat, 30 Sep 2006 17:26:14 GMT

What can be said about the Russians, but that they know how to build a moving monument. The mass grave, the ruined fortress, the monster sculptures, the horrifying pictures, and the silent walk out to the Polish border. All of this combines for one of the most moving experiences of my life.

Nizhniy Novgorod journal: A unique beginning to the Russian Experiance

Sat, 30 Sep 2006 17:20:40 GMT

After having a police officer attempt to mug me and fighting through the fog I was able to find a hotel to relax and get my bearings. Then the phone calls propositioning me by prostitutes began. This is a very mofia ridden city with a lot of dirty and unsavory neighborhoods, but still, for the third largest city in Russia, it is worth the visit. The highlight is the grand memorial to the Russian explorer who was the first to visit the North Poll.