New Horizons

I have arrived here in Russia, and from the first impression that I received, it is a very interesting place. The first person that I saw as I walked into the tunnel was a Russian border police officer, with a very large peaked hat. Following the dimly lit brick hallway, I came to the top on an old rickety escalator that smelled of machine oil that led into Passport Control. Here I joined into a mass of people pressing to get through the customs line. The line, or lack thereof, seemed to be totally random and advancement through said 'line' depended entirely upon pushing your way through the mass. Not surprisingly, My group and I found ourselves at the back of the mass, while we triple checked our immigration forms before going through. When I finally arrived at the passport control window, I handed the woman my passport and completed immigration form. She simply glanced over it, stamped it, and handed it back to me with the side of the immigration form needed to leave the country (can't lose that!) After this, I merely picked up my bags from the conveyer, and walked out. Leaving the airport, I was shown the Polkovo hills, from which the German artillery was positioned surrounding the city during the Siege of Leningrad in World War II. Travelling towards the city, we passed a museum dedicated to the siege itself, which we will be visiting soon. Upon arriving at the school, I took my bags to a room, and proceeded with various registration tasks. After a brief tour around Narvsky Square, and a tasty supper of stuffed crepes at Teramok, I returned to the dorm to shower and sleep. It was much appreciated. Already my excitement for my time here in St. Petersburg is starting to blossom, and I look forward for what else this trip has in store.