What was your most memorable entry into a new city?

1. 61

   cascolyposted 12 years ago

   What was your most memorable entry into a new city?
   
   In 1990 we spent several nights in Prague - we arrived late and were staying up near the castle, so our first vision of the city was walking across the Charles bridge at night, then moving towards Wenceslas square with Beatles music blaring from a local band performing, turning into the square [acually a log boulevard], we watched kids scrambling  on a Soviet tank that had been overturned & graffittied

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2. 71

   itakinsposted 12 years ago

   Arriving in Colombo,Sri Lanka 10 years ago-the muggy heat 42C as I stepped off the 'plane(where I live we collapse at 23C!) Then to find out-eventually-my luggage had gone to Brazil.The total confusion in the city of brand new high-rise buildings amidst shanty dwellings,and the sheer mass of people and cars everywhere-Oh and the noise,the drivers use their horns as indicators,so the volume of noise was incredible.It was fascinating,and a tad overwhelming at the time.

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3. 80

   terrektwoposted 12 years ago

   Coming to our new home city was awesome just after we drove into it with the moving van and arriving at our new house. I'll always remember that.

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4. 77

   Beata Stasakposted 12 years ago

   Driving through Kiev a few months after the Chernobyl disaster, without knowing it happened (growing up in next door Communist country meant that Soviets told us only what they wanted us to know). I will never forget those displaced groups of people, old and very young, families sleeping on the streets or shuffling along dusty and gloomy streets with few possesions scattered in white sheets on their backs. It was freezing cold and we hurried to the train station to catch our train to Volgograd to resume our studies at the local University. The train station was overflowing with disposesed people and to get us inside the train, our Educational leader used his fists and pushed an old fragile man holding a baby out of his way. They disapeared under many feet trying to get in. Safely inside, squeezed in the narrow corridor in the standing position we watched from the dusty window the passing lifeless plains and people along the railway...sitting, nursing the babies, walking or just staring at our train...a long never ending line of people with blank and resigned stares...
   I was just one of the 20 years old students trying to make sense of it. Our education leader told us: "I don't know what happened either but it is not important, you have to remember in the great Soviet Union, one means nothing, only our nation is everything and you are the chosen one to bring greatness..."
   
   We looked at each other and in that moment we knew we don't want to be the chosen ones, but we had to wait few more years to say it loud.

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