Key things I notice when I’m in former USSR countries over the West (EU, UK, USA etc).
1) Cash is King. No cards, no banks. If you have money here, you can do anything you want.
2) If a man says “your dead” he actually means it. None of this little toff boys scraping and shouting and pushing a little bit like I see every weekend in England. Out here if something happens, something happens, with lethal intention.
3) Kickboxing, well fighting in generally, is recognised and respected. Im often spotted and have photos taken etc. Its the only way Ive ever made friends out here.
4) The women are literally 100 times hotter. Seriously. Im not a sex tourist because im here alone. I dont need to be talking to a girl and have a gun at the back of my head because of some crazy ex. So I keep myself to myself. But seriously.. its unreal.
5) Its only capital citys which are tourist friendly. Go to the second largest city in most of these countries and no one will tolerate your stag do running around pissed up shouting your mouths off. Youll end up in body bags. So these are the citys I stay in, the ones nobody has heard of. I hate english tourists theyre all pricks.
6) Everyone plays chess and drinks vodka, two things I love to do. Great way to waste afternoons.
7) People are genuine. Male and female. They will tell you they hate you and tell you they like you, you can tell they mean it.
And finally you dont think minus 10 is cold untill your living in minus 10.