I have loved Russia even before I went there the first time and on my first trip it was love at first sight all over again. The women of course, as my wife is Russian and lived there until she was 23 when we met in America...the vodka can be good or bad so i would say neutral. If your Russian grandpa insists you do shot after shot with him and you are not in the mood it can be bad, but it's part of the culture....The sights are captivating, it's hard to put your camera away while walking anywhere you go....the people and culture and wonderful ...thanks for following my blog, i am in America right now and making plans to return to Vladivostok at some point soon!