Karma Bar

Well, my short nap turns out to be three hours long. I wake up at 11:45 PM and head out on the town at midnight. (Got to love the big cities!) Karma Bar is my location of choice. I figured the name itself is a good enough reason to go. I grab a car and got there no problems. The guy actually understands the word Karma and I manage to pronounce the street enough for him to understand. What a relief. Getting a car is a very interesting experience in an of itself - more on that later.
Unfortunately I miss the free dance lessons earlier in the night. The bar is dark. There is hip club music pumping. I make my way through the crowd and take my inaugural shot of Russian Vodka and drink the local brew....

Soon I am hanging with the locals and get to know some of the people. A few that actually speak english. I eventually loosen up a bit and goove to the tunes. I smile - a lot! Which of course is VERY un Russian - but I can't help it. THe night progresses and, as I had been told, there are people dancing on the bars and plenty of rabblerousing. There are a couple moments where I bump into guys and have a moment of "I hope this guy doesn't get agro" thoughts. I manage to keep my wits about me and keep the vodka shots to a minimum. I hear Snovum Godum for the first time - and realize that someone has told me Happy New Year in Russia. THAT I must remember as it will likely be a staple of what I am going to be saying in the next few days. The night progresses and I consider another spot, but it is 4:30 in the morning.

I am nervous about finding my way home and getting at car this late. I end up sharing a car with a couple nice girls who get a great cab fare, and are able to explain where it is that I am staying. Thank goodness. Because it is freezing out and dumping snow. And double thank goodness, because my hostel I am staying at is on a random side street that looks the same as every other street, and if you don't have an exact address and someone that knows how to get there... there is a good chance that you will never find the way.

I lay down for a few hours. Soon I am heading to St. Petersburg for New Years Eve!