I have read many blogs, travel guides and articles portraying the Russian police as pretty much a bunch of corrupt bully boys. Well I say balderdash to that! I made it to Penza today. A medium sized city, so so in appearance, confusing to navigate and with killer hills (not heels) on its outskirts. After much huffing and puffing I found the train station, a thought that this would be a good area to find a hotel. I wondered around the station to see if there was a notice board or map of the city, when two police officers stopped me. After a quick glance at my passport they asked what I was doing.I told them looking for a hotel a which point they said wait! I was a little puzzled but obliged. After much scurrying officers would occasionally pass by and say wait, and buy me some Kvass, a rather nice fermented rye drink, widely available throughout the former Soviet Union (and no, it won't get you drunk as the alcohol content is less than 1%!)
So I carried on waiting, but after a while I got a little bored and thought about leaving. But I was unsure whether to leave as I felt I should do what the Russian police had asked me to do, and wait. I did not know why they had asked me to wait, I thought some bureaucratic thing was afoot. So I kicked my heels for a little while longer until an officer who spoke a little English came up and asked me to go with him. At this point he led me straight to the train station hotel, explained in Russian to the staff that I wanted to stay and showed me to my room! Very grateful at their help (and a little relieved that the waiting was over!) I settled into my room.
My evening was spent walking around town and eating shashlik. Penza has a very long, smart pedestrianised shopping street running through the middle of the city. A good place for a night time stroll and a bit of people watching before bed.
So I carried on waiting, but after a while I got a little bored and thought about leaving. But I was unsure whether to leave as I felt I should do what the Russian police had asked me to do, and wait. I did not know why they had asked me to wait, I thought some bureaucratic thing was afoot. So I kicked my heels for a little while longer until an officer who spoke a little English came up and asked me to go with him. At this point he led me straight to the train station hotel, explained in Russian to the staff that I wanted to stay and showed me to my room! Very grateful at their help (and a little relieved that the waiting was over!) I settled into my room.
My evening was spent walking around town and eating shashlik. Penza has a very long, smart pedestrianised shopping street running through the middle of the city. A good place for a night time stroll and a bit of people watching before bed.
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