Travel Conversations Part 2
Following our conversations, today we will talk with the traveler and blogger, Gleb Stepansky.
Tell us a little about yourself, was it difficult to start traveling on your own, and how did you get there?
My name is Gleb, I’m 26 years old, and I’ve been to 56 countries around the world. And so far, I do not think to stop, even despite the pandemic.
As a child, I always wanted to travel. But I come from a military family, so we practically did not travel abroad, except for my grandmother, who lived in Latvia. Basically, every summer we took train tickets and went to the Black Sea coast of Russia (Anapa, Gelendzhik, Sochi, etc.) And then I noticed that I really look forward to traveling as a holiday! And when I began to travel myself, I realized that I want to have this holiday much more often.
What booking services do you use the most?
The services are standard. If you need accommodation, then I look for it on the booking, sometimes on airbnb. When I travel alone, I can use the couchsurfing service, I love it very much. I buy tickets mainly on the websites of airlines, but I look for them with the help of aggregators – skyscanner and air sales.
What was your first solo trip?
My first independent trip: it was enchanting!
Many factors influenced my restless desire to travel. But, I think, the first “adult” trip abroad stands out here.
The idea to go somewhere with friends was given to me by my parents, or rather, my dad. At that time, Latvia, whose visa I had, had already entered the Schengen area, so the borders of Europe were open for me. It remains only to wait for your 18th birthday and hit the road. My parents supported me, but I don’t think they would approve of that trip if they knew how it would go (hello dad 👋🏻 and with the past you!).
But there was another problem – who to go with? The proposal to go on a trip for 3-4 days inspired all my friends and acquaintances, but when it came to the need for specific actions, people immediately had excuses: either the foreign country was not yet ready, then there was no money for a visa, and so on. I think you have friends like that too.
Well, finally, I found a companion who had an open visa and some money, in the trade union committee of the university we chose a tour, and on March 8, 2012 we went to the classic trip Helsinki – Stockholm. I remember when we at the trade union committee paid for the trip (I still don’t understand why we paid exactly at the trade union committee?), The chairman of my friend and I kept teasing that the tour was bought by us and “18 more girls”.
In the end, it so happened that we almost immediately met two girls, one of whom I even attended at a wedding, a few years later, as … a witness to the groom.
Well, then, on the first day, we walked around Helsinki and in the evening, already in Turku, loaded onto the ferry. And here, in the usual program that every second Petersburger had, chance intervened.
My friend went out on the deck to smoke, and since we were the two of us (we even paid 1,000 rubles for this, but it seems to me that we were simply thrown out due to inexperience), documents, money and other valuable things were scattered throughout the cabin. Suddenly, together with a friend, some guy comes into the cabin, he introduces himself, if my memory serves me, Sasha, puts 4 cans of Tuborg on the table, and asks to use the toilet. I, being a little shocked by what happened, begin to ask my friend what kind of man he is and should I now, in a hurry, hide valuable things in my pockets?
It turned out that Tolik (we decided that this name suits him better) is an Estonian citizen who works as a cleaner on this ship. And he was so surprised by the presence of Russians on board that he was ready to treat us with everything he could, if only we could talk to him in our native language. Honestly, at first we didn’t know how to get rid of him!)) Only when we told him in plain text that girls were waiting for us, he decided to leave, but said that he would treat us to a bar in the evening. We did not attach any importance to this.
As a result, an hour and a half later, finding the four of us at a table in one of the ship’s establishments, he brings us 8 “jack and cola” cocktails as a presentation. We freaked out a little from such generosity, because on the menu such a position is listed in the region of 5 euros (about 200 rubles at the time of the trip), and we have 80-100 for each euro for 3 days. Well, we take Tolik aside, we ask, they say, so and so, how much do we owe you? He replies that this is a gift, we don’t owe anything, he, as an employee, got drinks practically for nothing, so we can not worry about this. Then we ask you to show the receipt. He takes it out of his pocket, and what we see is the cost of 8 cocktails at his discount – 4.80 euros! That’s 60 cents for a cocktail! It ended with the fact that my friend and I chipped in another 10 euros, and the evening was extremely fun.
The next morning, of course, we didn’t feel very well. But we woke up, came to our senses, they drove us around Stockholm, and then they took us to the hotel. As I remember now, it was one of the Scandics, on the outskirts of the city. By the way, one of the best hotels I’ve ever stayed in: we had 2 rooms (living room and bedroom), and in addition to a separate shower, there was also a large bathroom. Chic!
But in the afternoon, having already visited the Junibacken, Vaza and Royal Palace museums, we sadly walked along the embankment of Stockholm, realizing that we would no longer have such an enchanting night as we had on our way here. But suddenly a friend’s phone was called …
The number was somehow incomprehensible. The comrade hesitated a little, still roaming, but decided to answer. And on the other end of the line came: “Hello, it’s Tolik! I changed shifts, I’m sailing today with you. Cabin 1234!” AAAAA!
The guy from the ferry changed on purpose to sail back with us. It was the happiest moment of the trip, we jumped and screamed like children! Although, why how? ..
In the evening, we talked with Tolik in more detail. It turned out that he had a discount not only on the bar, but also on other stores, including duty free. I decided to take the moment and took him to the store. As I remember now, 2.5 liters of fiery corn water from Tennessee came out 32 euros instead of 64. I gave Tolik 40 as a thank you.
And at night we had a full blast! And all would be fine, but at some point in our friendly company there was a split: my lady went to dance with someone else and got carried away a little, I, of course, accepted too much and did not fully give an account of my actions. As a result, the hurt boyish pride and alcohol in my blood provoked me to start a fight. Well, like a fight, I just went up to the guy who, as it seemed to me, took the girl away from me that evening, and pulled it into my nose. He fell, and I turned around and left. As they say, then two Indians carried him to the toilet, and I calmly danced on the other deck and returned to my cabin.
And don’t you think, I’m not a bit proud of this act! On the contrary, it was stupid and imprudent on my part. As Tolik told me later, I was lucky that no one from the guards noticed me, otherwise they could put me in a punishment cell until morning, upon arrival, hand over to the police station, issue a large fine, expel me from the country and block my ability to travel around Europe for 5 years …
But it turned out the way it turned out. By the way, the guy’s name was Thomas, he was a Swede and, as I was later told through third parties, he did not hold a grudge against me. And I’m still uncomfortable in front of him. By the way, this was basically the last time in my life when I opened my hands. Apparently, he drew conclusions.
And then, for about a year, at parties, we raised a glass to the health of a simple Swedish guy, Thomas, who was undeservedly injured.
By the way, that night I danced in such a way that I tore my jeans. In the end, on my final day in Helsinki, I was dressed like this: a black coat over a white sweatshirt with a hooded sweatshirt, gray cotton baggy pants and black trainers underneath. In general, the most tasteless. But I didn’t give a damn, I was bursting with happiness then!
Are you grabbing promotions from airlines or picking up complex budget route assemblies?
Yes, I am subscribed to several groups that throw out promotional offers. I do not like to overpay! I also really love assemblies, and I make them myself with pleasure. Moreover, I have such a paid service – my readers can order a personal assembly from me.
Do you use affiliate programs from booking services, banks, etc.?
I use affiliate programs. I try to effectively spend every ruble)
How many times a year do you usually get to travel?
I usually travel a couple of times a month. I do not stop even during a pandemic! In fact, I didn’t go anywhere only in April, and already at the end of May I went on a trip to Russia, and in July I flew from Belarus to Turkey
Do you manage to combine travel with work?
Yes, I work as a tutor, I teach classes online. So I can quite combine travel and work, which I do.
Do you prepare for the trip in advance, how long does it take to start booking?
It’s not always the same. I usually take tickets when the price suits me. Sometimes this is six months, and sometimes – a day before departure. But most often this happens in 2-3 months.
But sometimes I arrange a vote in my VK public, and my readers themselves choose where I go next!
What are your favorite places?
I love Europe very much. Perhaps the most favorite city I will call Amsterdam. Perhaps because it reminds me of my native Petersburg, only a little more well-groomed.
What was your funniest travel experience?
The most striking incident happened to me in Armenia.
This story happened to me a couple of years ago. I stayed in Armenia for less than 3 days then, in January 2018 and, to be honest, the country did not impress me much, especially in contrast to Georgia, from which, in fact, I came to Yerevan.
That time I saw the mountains only from the car window when I was hitchhiking from Tbilisi to Yerevan. Moreover, I did not even manage to see Ararat then. They say that Ararat reveals himself only worthy … Apparently, I’m not one of those)
In general, 2 days in Yerevan did not come to me at all – the city is uninteresting, there are no special sights, everything is monotonous everywhere (and I want to write that it is gray, but in fact it is red, because many buildings are made of tuff).
But I will never forget that trip to Armenia, and all thanks to two cases. At first, when I was still driving through the territory of Georgia, a car with Armenians picked me up. They bought an engine for a car in Tbilisi (because it is cheaper there), and at customs they had an acquaintance who could turn a blind eye to customs clearance. That is, an illustration of ordinary life in the conditions of the Customs Union, as it is.
Having picked me up and having learned that I was from St. Petersburg, they in every possible way invited me to visit them in the village. Seriously, almost as soon as I got into their minibus, they in every possible way, sincerely, begged me to come to visit them, promised a delicious dinner, a warm bed and almost a personal transfer the next morning straight to Yerevan (and there is still about 300 km of mountain roads from the border). And I was very upset to refuse, but I had already booked a hostel in Yerevan for that night, so I really wanted to get there on time. But almost immediately I regretted my decision, because when else can I get to an Armenian house in a remote mountain village? And I change hostels every day, I even owned one for a couple of years. Moreover, the people were so nice that after the checkpoint, already on the Armenian side, after which our roads had to diverge, they themselves begged the drivers to pick me up. Golden people!
A couple of days later, when I was traveling by train from Yerevan to Gyumri to fly from there on “Pobeda” to Moscow, I met a family from Yerevan, who was going to visit my wife’s parents in Gyumri for the weekend. We chatted with enthusiasm for almost all 3 hours, and then, going out to the platform and starting to say goodbye, my husband asked what plans were next. I replied that I should probably have dinner somewhere and move to the airport, because my flight was already 3 hours later. To which the father-in-law, who met the guys, knowing me literally for 30 seconds, said without hesitation: “Now we sit in the car, we are going to our house, we have dinner, and then I will personally take you to the airport. Okay? ” Keeping in mind that I had already refused some Armenians, which I regretted for two days later, I just asked: “Will I definitely be in time for the plane?” Received an affirmative answer, we all went to their house together.
The house was simple, in a private sector, on the outskirts of the city. In general, the city has not yet recovered from the earthquake of 30 years ago. It is believed that just Armenia lost the most economically from the collapse of the USSR. I am writing this in order to make you understand that people there live more than modestly.
Everything was already ready for our arrival. When, in addition to family members, I also entered the house, my mother-in-law was probably very surprised, but did not show it. The table was already set, we proceeded to dinner – it was as simple as possible (chicken, potatoes, salads), but very tasty. The men drank the tincture. 50%, on dogwood. Of course, they put a glass for me too. In general, I do not like all alcoholic drinks that are analogs of vodka, but then I drank it with pleasure.
And I noticed that the father-in-law, who promised to take me to the airport, first waved one glass, then the second … Before the third, he looked at me and said: “Don’t worry, we will call you a taxi, you will have time to get to your airport.”
Of course, at some point I asked the owner of the house why he decided to let in a completely unfamiliar man, whom he saw literally half a minute. To which he received the answer that he sees that I am a good person, and therefore invited me. I should have asked him why Ararat did not appear to me then? 🙂
In the course of the evening, I noticed that the female half of the conversation almost did not enter into the conversation (perhaps a little – the daughter), basically the three of us talked with my husband and his father-in-law. I even remember their names – Gurgen and Aram. And Gurgen’s wife (daughter of Aram) was very beautiful and spoke excellent Russian, without any accent, while never being in Russia. This fact surprised me a lot.
And so, when there were about 40 minutes left before the end of check-in for my flight, I correctly hinted that it was time for me to move. The guys started calling a taxi, but it was not so easy – only the second agency agreed to “go to such a distance.” As a result, the taxi driver rushed in, and since I was still finishing my meal and finishing my tea and cake, he was also invited to the table and treated to tea. Realizing that the hospitality of these people is simply unlimited, I sincerely thanked them, and asked to leave me the opportunity, at least, to pay for a taxi myself. They agreed.
Then we raced through the whole city on this unfortunate fret, from which, it seems to me, the taxi driver squeezed the maximum. During the trip, someone called him, he spoke in Armenian. It turned out that it was Aram, he asked the taxi driver to check that I got on the flight, and if there was a delay, he would take me back to them, so that I would spend the night there and would fly away the next day. When the driver told me this, I was completely shocked by what was happening.
Rushing to the entrance to the airport (I would even say – airport), I asked how much I owed for the trip, and received the answer that everything had already been paid for me! Ah-ah, well, I asked you not to do this!)) I tried to pay for the taxi services for the second time and even gave them as a tip, but the driver refused to take any money from me. Moreover, he actually got out of the car with me, walked to the counter, saw that I had been registered, then waited until I exchanged my remaining dramas for rubles in the exchange office, and only when I had already entered the security checkpoint did he leave me alone. I am sure that he phoned those hospitable Armenians and reported that I had successfully registered and awaited boarding.
Do you usually make a clear trip plan or improvise?
When I’m alone, I usually improvise, when paired with a friend or girlfriend, I have a more or less clear plan, but I admit deviations.
What is the main difference between an independent traveler and a package traveler, in your opinion?
The solo traveler will book everything on their own and not through an intermediary agent. Among independent travelers, the attitude towards such tourists is negative and condescending.
Usually, such people rarely contact the outside world directly, seeing the country from the bus window.
What are the “pitfalls” of travel agencies?
In the presence of travel agencies, I personally do not see anything wrong. Sometimes, the same tours can be cheaper than a direct flight. However, for the selection of a tour and the work of agents, a person is forced to pay a commission that could not have been paid, and save money in his wallet.
How do you solve the problem of the language barrier?
I know English at an intermediate level. For everyday communication, this is more than enough, and if you have forgotten a word, you can always use the dictionary downloaded to your phone.
Your tips for budding travelers.
The most important thing in a trip is desire. Everything else is secondary. The main thing is to start.
Thanks to Gleb for a meaningful, informative and emotional interview)
The main thing is to start. Leave all your doubts and fears. Impressions and a charge of positive energy, and sometimes adrenaline, compensate for all difficulties. I wish you amazing and wonderful trips.
You can follow Gleb’s travels and thoughts, as well as order your personal route assemblies, here:
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