Amazing Russia - traveling experiences

On my way across Russian Trans-Siberian Railroad I have experienced many amazing moments that might give you some inspiration for your travels. Thus I'd like to share them with you.


HIGHLIGHTS:
- taking a crazy drive on 35-year old Lada with a typical crazy Russian driver wearing a mustache, dressed in leather jacked and looking pissed (this works like a cheap illegal taxi in Russia)
- camping at the island on the coast of a big, very clean lake and enjoying white-nights (when a night is not really dark) during dinner cooked on the fire
- having so called in-nature-made 'banya' (sauna) with couple of local Russian friends and cooling ourselves down in a brutally cold lake
- get beaten in 'banya' with 'venik' (bunch of springs) by naked big muscular Russian guy and then beat him back (it is a part of tradition)
- resting on lazy Saturday by doing nothing except lying, thinking and listening to the raindrops hitting our tent and waves surging at the bank of lake (perfect to organize your thoughts)
- being perfectly relaxed watching fireworks from the nearby wedding taking place on the coast
- marveling about crazy Russian drivers able to pass your car-queue in a traffic jam from both roadsides driving their huge cars even with two wheels on outside of the road
- swimming in underwear in a cold lake and taking shower in the rain
- having a double date in Petergof gardens in Saint-Peterburg (one who was there understands)
- taking the most dirty and old train on the first stage of Trans-Siberian (journey to Moscow) with sweat people, locked windows and not working air condition (extreme conditions right from the beginning)
- getting lost in crowds in the big city of Moscow
- practicing Russian when trying to buy an umbrella from random bystanders on a metro exit in huge Moscow's rain
- being on the way already for 11 days and still haven't used official trains of big Trans-Siberian railroad


EXPERIENCES:
- getting fed-up with Russian not working system for buying train tickets on the Internet, trying out 5 different credit cards and understanding that my trip's schedule will have to be open, spontaneous and changeable in every moment at any time
- being surprised that usually on the Russian roads there are no lines and drivers just drive like they want (even they are able to use just two lines road as a three line road)

I am just in the first third of my journey, so I am still waiting for many more to come.