Aerostar Hotel Moscow

... I think to promote a cartoon film about space dogs or something. I wonder if it's the story of how a cute little dog was sent into space and frazzled to cinders shortly after blast-off. Maybe not.<br><br>Now back at the hostel to pick up our bags and have a shower as we won't get another chance til monday, eurgh. Our train to Yekaterinberg leaves at 22.55 tonight so we'll be on it all night and all of tomorrow, niiice.<br><br><br>

... in and a really nice sauce which was around 7 pounds or so. Moscow is not that cheap we had a beer in a bar before and a small 330ml beer cost me over 3 pounds, not that I brought it, one of the girls did for my birthday! One thing you notice about Moscow is how wide the roads are, all the main roads running through the city are 4 lane motorways and it is pretty busy. There is also quite a few drunks around with ...

... another part of the visa rules...) The metro we took to get there went so deep down, with some of the longest escalators we'd ever ridden. It was nice to see Cyrillic writing again, and we were pretty quick at reading the signs, thanks to our travels in Bulgaria and Ukraine.<br><br>As soon as we'd settled into our room, we headed straight for Red Square, minding the police, who we'd been repeatedly warned could hit you up ...

... doing this trip alone. BLA BLA BLA is all I have to say about all those things. The arrival at the DME airport was smooth - except for the "Stay in your seats until the doctor clears you" (swine flu) - as well as the Immigration procedures. I found the airport express train with no problems, got right on and off I was. At the train station, I got a cab to take me to my hotel, et voila I am all checked in! I am staying at the ...

... that sold all things Russian, of course there were some shasliks and beers at 10am but also lots of Russian hats and gasmasks (!) as well as shawls and babushka dolls. We just could carry or spend much more which was a shame as there were so many cool things! We will have to come back! &#9786; I took some photos of some of the amazing metro stations, the one with the brass dog who had a smooth nose - warn from the pats - made me think of the Croatian wizard with his smooth big toe ...

... il fait encore nuit, mais deja presque 20 degres, ce qui ne m'empeche de m'engoufrer dans le metro jusqu'a la place rouge (sans me tromper de station), je serai presque devenu un "winner", si des policiers ne barraient pas l' acces a la place et si il ne commencait pas a pleuvoir plus serieusement que je ne suis habille. Apres avoir recupere mon sac, je rejoinns la pension de Galina, qui en fait est son appartement, jamais renove, niveau deco, on fait un bond en arriere de ...

... in 2 or 3 hours and finish before you get too worn out. We then had a rest in the park beside the Kremlin before heading to the metro to take in some of the "underground art". Several of the metro stations (most of them on the ring line) are built more like banquet halls than metro stations with marble tiles and columns, mosaics, ceiling frescos and monuments (all depicting good soviet themes or important victories). It's also interesting that the central ...

... ties to Russia, and won't disappear and stay in America forever once they get there. Also, Yulia said that she didn't wear any makeup or cute clothes to the Embassy so they wouldn't think she was going to America to find a husband. I guess only ugly Russian girls get solo visas. Anyhow, I had no idea the process was so complicated and intense. We had a loooooooooong leisurely dinner (though most meals out end up that way, since Russian service is notoriously slow ...

... get on a train heading in the right direction, we were then pushed back off the train at the next stop by a unstoppable flood of commuters exiting the train. Fortunately this allowed us to re-board a far emptier carriage and we made it to Prospect Mira where we changed to the number 6 line that takes us to VDNKh and the Hotel Cosmos. Belle had to register before we could head upstairs so we joined another of the now familiar glacial paced ...

... course arrived, but I don't remember what it was, or even eating it. We polished the evening off with more vodka before moving to another bar for some beer. I don't remember too much about this place, but we got home at some point and I managed to get into my top bunk without breaking my neck. Needless to say I wasn't kept awake too long by my fellow guests this time. The following morning I felt worse than I have done in years. I don't know how these Russians cope ...