Thread by @jonworth

Most charming & amusing Russian 🇷🇺 experience to date here in Ulan-Ude...

When planning this trip people asked me: do you speak Russian? Answer: no. But I am armed with Yandex Translate. It has a RU-EN offline dictionary, and can speak it all too:
itunes.apple.com/us/app/yandex-…

1/7

You can do pretty complex things with Yandex.

But trying to book a bus 🚌 ticket 🎟 online from Irkutsk to Bratsk was a step too far.

Irkutsk = Иркутск
Bratsk = Братск
is easy enough.

Entering names, gender etc., sure.

But nationality?

2/7

What is my nationality?

England = Англия
Great Britain = Великобритания
UK? = Объединенное королевство великой Британии и северной Ирландии

None in the list...

Enter a confused but helpful hotel receptionist.

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Her solution?

For this trip I am from Ирландия! Ireland!

Then the payment... German credit cards not accepted.

Meantime we've become an attraction in the hotel reception. Lots of laughter. And then two guys from Moscow join the discussion.

4/7

The two guys work for a company selling industrial pumps, and are on a business trip here in Ulan-Ude.

"That's Russia!" one says when we explain the predicament with the payment not working.

Give us the cash, one called Pavel says, and we'll use our cards.

OK... 🤔

5/7

But Verified by Visa needs a SMS. Pavel's phone out of battery, and the charger is in his car... Off he goes. We charge the phone. Get the code. Enter it. Wait what feels like an eternity for the booking to complete... but it works out, and we have our tickets.

6/7

The patience and good will shown to help us out - and go beyond what anyone could reasonably expect - was really remarkable. And everyone had fun too.

Now let's see how 11 hours in a bus through Siberia will be! 😀

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