Perm - Down With The Prejudices!

I'm not sure how and why we came to Perm. It was meant to be just a resting stop before continuing with our Trans Siberian railway journey. I had no expectations of it and only a few prejudices.

I had no idea how pleasantly surprised I would be by this place! The town, the atmosphere, the people and the Kungur Ice Cave (80 kilometres away but still) left a lasting impression on me. The picture I had in my mind about Russian countryside and towns smaller than St. Petersburg was violently shattered to little bits and pieces. 

In Perm, we had our first couchsurfing experience. Apart from our host we also met another young woman from Perm and spent an evening together. So apart from hosting people in your home and staying with other people through Couchsurfing you can also just meet local people without staying with them. I didn't know that beforehand and it was a nice experience. 

Apart from Perm, where we spent one day walking around the city, we went on a day trip to Kungur to see the Kungur Ice Cave, the only cave in Russia where they organize a guided tour. You're not allowed to go inside the cave by yourself – it would be quite dangerous. The word ”cave” does not in my opinion describe the place very well at all. It was more like a labyrinth of tunnels and grottoes. Our guided walk was 1,5 kilometres long and took one hour and twenty minutes. It was not simple to walk in these caves. The ceiling was very low in many places, it was slippery and there were many stairs. Even though a walkway was built to help people to get around, it wasn't very wide or even or even that safe. There were rails everywhere to hold on to.

I have never been to a cave before and the atmosphere was very original. Not one tiny ray of sunshine got underground. The perception of time fell away. It was like stepping into a different reality, a parallel universe. If you live in Finland and know what it's like to step outside into the dark winter wonderland at Christmastime, it was a little like that. No light, no time, no sound. Just calm, quiet being.

One interesting thing I noticed about Russia (and they say it's the same in China) in Perm – is that you can't tell what is inside a house by how it looks on the outside. You can be walking in an eerie feeling neighborhood, walk up to an old worn-out building with a roof caving in, enter it and find a nice restaurant. In Finland you can tell what's on the inside of a building by seeing the outside – it will look the same. No surprises and no hidden gems. I like this aspect about Russia. It feels like there are treasures everywhere.

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While in Perm one thing kept going through my mind – how silly it had been of me to be so scared of travelling before. I'm not even sure what I had been so scared of exactly. Going into a stranger's home to stay there, taking a Russian train, that I would be tricked and robbed, which is an old prejudice of mine – and that Russia is a scary and dangerous place in general, where people cannot be trusted and you have to be always aware. 

Well let me tell you – Russia is the complete opposite! It's so easy to travel here, it's crazy. I've never had such an easy and effortless time. People are kind, welcoming and helpful, service is great, food is tasty and inexpensive and the lifestyle is down to earth. Here, people are aware that life is fleeting. They are grateful for the small things, they cherish each other and they don't take anything for granted. 

It's so easy to believe horror stories and warnings and make excuses for not going to travel, like it's hard, complicated and dangerous – when it's not.

My first week of travel was a violent shattering of old prejudices about Russia – and with that came a new kind of pride of being a part of this nation. This Russia that I saw, with its people, makes me very happy to be who I am.