Greg: Hello, Mary! It’s so good to see you. How are things?
Mary: Oh, hi, Greg. I’m fine, thank you. What about you?
Greg: I’m okay, thanks. Congratulations on your summer holidays! I hope you are going to do something really exciting during them.
Mary: Actually, I’m going to travel to Russia.
Greg: Russia? Such a great choice! I spent a year in Russia as an exchange student and I absolutely loved the country.
Mary: Oh, I’ve clean forgotten you’ve been to Russia. It’s so good we’ve met
today then. I hope you can give me some useful tips on my future trip.
Greg: I’ll be glad to be of some help. What would you like to know?
Mary: Well, let me think … I have got my visa already and I’ve booked my trip with the travel agency, so I guess I have just a few practical questions.
Greg: So, go ahead.
Mary: Okay. The first issue is the money. Should I take cash or can I pay by my credit card?
Greg: If you stick to bigger cities, your credit card should be fine. In very small towns paying by credit card or withdrawing cash could be a problem, though.
Mary: Oh, I won’t go to any small towns. The tour includes just big cities, like Moscow or Saint Petersburg.
Greg: Then you don’t need to worry. You’ll find exchange offices and ATMs at banks without any problems. If I were you, I’d take some cash just to be on the safe side plus the credit card.
Mary: Did you have an impression that it’s safe in Russia?
Greg: You can visit any place and peacefully walk on the streets. However, you can easily become a victim of pickpockets in the underground, so take care of your wallet and don’t keep a lot of cash on you.
Mary: Well, no surprise here. London is just the same. What would you say about the food? Is it much different from what we have here in the UK?
Greg: I’m sure you’ll find something to your liking. The only problem you can face is that they seldom have a menu in English.
Mary: Should I tip?
Greg: If you wish. Tipping is expected but not mandatory. In any case, check your bill before paying.
Mary: Which dishes did you like most of all?
Greg: Well, I thought soups were quite nice. Generally speaking, Russian cuisine is not spicy. I think you’ll like it.
Mary: Thank you, Greg. I’ll let you know about my impressions when I get back.
Greg: Okay. Have fun!
Mary: I will.
