RUSSIA, MY HOMELAND Travel Tips for Tourists. There are certain things you should remember if you want to get the most out of a visit to my country.

transport First of all, traveling around. One good way of seeing the country is to travel by train. The trains in my country are quite efficient and not too expensive. In the big cities, you can take the bus or a taxi. Hitchhiking is quite dangerous and should be avoided. If you want to get around cheaply, try cycling.

hotels Hotels in the summer are usually full. If you are stuck, try asking for rooms in private houses. However, you may have to share a bathroom with other quests. Do not expect the owners to spend a lot of time with you; they will tend to keep themselves to themselves.

Ecological situation The ecological situation in Russia is not very safe. Pollution in some industrial towns is high. Some parts of western Russia were badly influenced by radiation from Chernobyl in In many places wildlife is in danger. Anyhow, more and more people are beginning to realize that a clean environment is extremely important. Ecological education has found its way to schools. We all hope that the situation will soon become better.

meals Perhaps the greatest Russian love is tea. Its drunk without milk and is often served with homemade jam (varienye), baranki (circles of dry pastry) and pirozhki (baked pastry with some filling). Russian-style tea is a special ceremony when people sit around a table with a samovar placed in the middle, and drink hot strong tea with a slice of lemon either from cups or from glasses in glass holders.

The main dishes of the traditional menu are pancakes with honey, caviar or sour cream, different soups, pirozhki, pelmyeni served with mustard, butter, vinegar or sour cream. Russian people eat brown bread with nearly every meal.

souvenirs Usually tourists buy such traditional Russian souvenirs as Matryoshka dolls, beautifully painted mugs, plates and spoons from the village of Khokhloma and Palekh boxes. Those who have more money buy amber, furs, art books and caviar. Some tourists are more interested in badges, T- shirts and Russian ushanka-hats.

religion Many Russian are religious people. The main church is the Russian Orthodox Church. It has survived during the hard times and now people speak about a rebirth of religion in the country. New churches and cathedrals are built every year, old ones are restored. But not all people in Russia belong to the Orthodox Church. There are other religions too and there are a lot of people who are non-believers.

TSUM is a tourist attraction, but for shopping in Russia try other big department stores, such as European, GUM and Mega. A good place for clothes is Ramstor city and Mega. When there are sales on, you are allowed, and even expected, to bargain with the shop assistant to try and get a better price for goods. If there are a lot of people, you should wait your turn to be served. Most large stores also have restaurants where customers can have lunch or a quick snack.

If you are invited to dinner at someones home, you should take some flowers or a box of chocolate. If you are invited to an informal party, it is quite common to take a bottle of wine or even a few bottles of beer.