Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
To send parcels home, head to the elegant
main post office
OFFLINE MAP
fuse to send parcels internationally; most importantly, your package is more
likely to reach its destination if you send it from the main post office. Bring
your item unwrapped: it will be wrapped and sealed with wax for you. You
must provide an address in St Petersburg - your hotel name will be fine.
TO DRINK OR NOT TO DRINK
Reports about the harmful effects of drinking tap water in St Petersburg have
been widely publicised and greatly exaggerated. The city's water supplier,
Vodokanal, insists that the water is safe to drink, as do many local residents.
Nonetheless, the pipes are antiquated, so the water may contain some metal
pollutants. Furthermore, traces of
Giardia lamblia
have been found on a very
small scale. GI is a nasty parasite that causes unpleasant stomach cramps,
nausea, bloated stomach, diarrhoea and frequent gas. There is no preventative
drug, and it is worth taking precautions against contracting it.
To be absolutely safe, only drink water that has been boiled for 10 minutes or
filtered through an antimicrobial water filter (PUR brand makes a good portable
one). It's probably safe to accept tea or coffee at someone's house, and most
restaurants and hotels likely have filtration systems. Bathing, showering and
brushing your teeth often cause no problems at all.
If you develop diarrhoea, be sure to drink plenty of fluids, preferably including
an oral rehydration solution. Imodium is to be taken only in an emergency; other-
wise it's best to let the diarrhoea run its course and eliminate the parasite from
the body. Metronidazole (brand name Flagyl) or Tinidazole (known as Fasigyn)
are the recommended treatments for
Giardia lamblia
.
Public Holidays
During the major holiday periods - the first week in January (between New
Year's Day and Orthodox Christmas) and the first week or two of May (around
