MADISON, Wis. -- A University of Wisconsin-Madison professor is back in the U.S. and recovering after being drugged, robbed and dumped in a remote Russian park.

David Bethea, who is chairman of the university's Slavic languages department, said that he has visited Russia more than two dozen times. But, he said that he made a mistake that he hopes other tourists can learn from.

He accepted a cup of coffee from a cab driver, who apparently had laced it with a date-rape-like drug. A stranger found Bethea in a remote park in St. Petersburg about 12 hours later.

He spent eight days in a St. Petersburg hospital before being flown to UW Hospital on Nov. 1. He's since been released.

Bethea said that robbers took his leather jacket, watch, wedding ring, cell phone and wallet. He said that they charged several thousand dollars on his credit cards.