Kaliningrad. The pre-beginning.
As promised, we are writing this in a "letter from Prostokvashino" style. Alina takes the mic.
Hello everyone! Poll results are in: "stories from trips" won. Two other categories got silver, we will return to them later. Today we turn the calendar almost five years back and begin our spectacular trip story: "Elista-Kaliningrad, part 1." Do not be surprised by the name - the story is worth it.
So, during Vlad’s school break, we decided to go somewhere together. We first chose Elista. Asian flavor, Buddhism, the magical poplar tree - it all sounded mysterious. Arseniy had already been there and liked it, and in April it is warmer than Moscow. Tickets bought, hotel booked.
Then February 2022 comes. Some flight directions get closed. Elista is on that list. We have to return tickets and cancel the hotel. Okay, moving on. "What about Kaliningrad? People say it is beautiful!" - "Let’s do it!" Tickets bought, hotel selected. We build the itinerary: three days in Svetlogorsk, rent a car to explore around, and two days walking in Kaliningrad. Sounds like a plan. "And we are a great team," they thought.
There were already warning signs. The day before departure, the apartment host told us he could not check us in because of heating problems. We canceled that option, urgently searched for another one, and booked a new apartment.
So, departure day arrives. Vacation mode: no work thoughts, full travel immersion.
Task #1. Car sharing or taxi? After a short discussion, we chose car sharing. With time buffer, of course, just in case. We are driving. And then strange things start happening - those warning signs were real. We approach the toll transponder gate and realize we do not understand how it works.
#vacations #kaliningrad