5/19 Continued...- Taking the public bus instead of a taxi in Russia, bad idea

So I got to St. Petersburg at about 5pm, went through the visa check and went to the baggage claim.  I had a sneaking suspicion, pessamisticly thinking my bag wouldn't be there--it was not.  I told a Russian soldier, he smiled, and walked away.  I filled out 3 copies of the same custom form and went to lost and found.  The ladies working there told me I should have my bag by tomorrow.  I hope so, becasue if I don't have it by the time we leave for Moscow, I'm not sure what I'll do... Luckily I was carrying my phone, camera, guidebook, and cash/credit cards.

I left the airport baggage claim thinking I could buy some basic stuff from a store in the airport--NOT.  The airport was not like JFK (airport in NYC) and there were no stores.  I walked outside and saw the taxis, I don't know why I thought it would be fun to take the bus...but I did... I got on the #13 bus and I couldn't read the stops (Russian).  We drive through what looks like war zones of construction and people are walking everywehre: the side of the highway, through fields, through construction.  The bus starts making stops, but no one gets off, people just keep getting on and the bus is really crowded.  The bus comes to a relatively urban area and I see people going down staris and there's a sign that looked like the metro--so I get off the bus.

I go down the stairs and voila, the metro, but I couldn't read the Russian stops and it didn't look like Nevsky Prospect was on the list.  (Note: At this point, I thought Russian writing was phonetic... I learned the hard way that it is not.)  So I went back up the stairs and I started. freaking. out.  I walked into a store and asked for directions: everyone just starred at me.  I kept telling myself to calm down and I could feel the tears starting to form in my eyes.  The hostel where I'm staying is on Nevsky Prospect (the equivalent of Broadway in NYC, Nevsky is miles long), and I had no idea where I was or where on Nevsky the hostel was.  I walked for a while and found a cab.  The driver, believe it or not, did not rip me off.  I got to the City Hostel at 16 Nevsky Prospect and went into the building.  The lady at the front desk showed me to my room which is clean, the bathroom is down the hall, I had to climb a ladder (no joke!) to get to my room... I can't believe I'm paying $70 a night for this.