Tourist Hotel Moscow

... as we had no idea where an ATM was and what any of the signs meant. After half an hour of walking around the station we finally found an ATM and bought a highly nutricious breakfast of a Coke and Snickers. It was cold but we liked that because it reminded us of home.

We found the hostel fairly easily after braving the confusing and frustrating Moscow subway system. We had no idea how to get into the hostel so Amy rang the lady who ran the place and she came down to meet us ...

... area called the Park of Statues or something. It was pretty nice, but the Statue of Peter the great outside the park in the river was far more interesting. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Relaxed there by the river for a bit just absorbing things.

Since it was my birthday, I felt I should at least attempt to hit the city in some form. Sergei and I did dinner at an Italian restaurant, (so good!). Then we proceeded to some bar for ...

... Yekaterinburg, outskirts of Moscow, Moscow....everywhere!"

On to the train itself - this was described as "Premium" on the electronic timetable, and premium it was (I hope at least one of you see how this reference made me laugh). We were fed breakfast and lunch, although it was more like lunch and lunch, and were plied with tea, coffee, cookies and buns. The beds were thicker and far more comfortable than on other legs, and the bathroom ...

... square by nite which is all lit up and great to stroll around. Our last nite in moscow we were dragged into a russian birthday party at the hostel... so along with a lot of vodka, they had piles of food which was great fun and a late nite left us shattered for the 26 hour and 1800km train journey ahead... They say you will either love or hate Moscow, 5 years ago i had nothing but hassel there, this time was way more organised and absolutley loved it.

... After some dinner, we wearily make our way back to the hotel. A very long day. I check out the next morning and head into town, exploring the area of Arbat to the west of the Kremlin. Then down to the river and over to the New Tretyakov gallery. This huge collection shows mostly Soviet art of the 20th century, including several Kandinsky's. Thoroughly galleried out, I say goodbye to Aoife and get back to the hotel for my bags. Overnight train to Warsaw is next.

... the afternoon) that we left for another festival outside of Moscow, once again within the beutiful Russian countryside. And spent the next four days camped out in the woods drinking, smoking and sitting around many diffrent camp fires. It was here that I tryed Salvia while sitting with the group up on fairy hill, and I must say, twas a intresting experience, having reality pause for a time, as if everything leading to that point was a false experience and I caught a small ...

People It is hard not to generalize but I often see behaviour of different standards to the West. People here care little about the others - the pushing in metro, manners at road crossings... Some of them have not learned to use a handkerchief when they have cold, spitting in metro stations and on streets is normal. I was going crazy on one of the domestic flights here where after a strict command about turning of all electronic devices, people continued ...

... morning - El Creepo and GI Joe talked loudly until 3:00 AM, disturbing the entire carriage (we couldn't believe that not one person said a damn thing!). At one point, during a brief period where we were able to fall asleep, Yvonne woke up to find the two hovering near her head. She got startled and they must have enjoyed her reaction, because they laughed and then continued to tease her by mock-scaring her. She had enough and yelled at them (the only words they surely ...

Nach einem sechsstündigen Flug aus Moskau, zwei Gläser Weißwein und einer Nacht im Hotel, sind wir wieder unterwegs in dieser sibirischen Großstadt, zu Besuch bei alten Menschen, die so gern tanzen. Die Stadt hat sich in zwei Wochen nicht verändert. Nur die Renovierungsarbeiten auf dem zentralen Platz sind abgeschlossen. Vor zwei Wochen liefen noch überall tadschikische Gastarbeiter, in den blauen Westen der Putin-Partei "Einheitliches Russland ...