We ended up in Moscow all quite a bit longer than planned.
We took an overnight train from Novgorod, with us both on top bunks (4 beds to a cabin in 2nd class). Joanna managed admirably, Ben struggled a little with the serious heat whilst we were trying to sleep... But a great way to travel - your night's accommodation sorted, and you wake up in a new place. At 5.30. Our hostel wasn't to be open until 9.30, so we sat about the train station eating our pastries we'd bought the previous night in preparation. Then we set off on the Moscow metro. Quite busy on a Sunday, but not too bad with our packs - it was only later that week we got the feeling that all >9 million daily users were trying to get into our carriage. Cyrillic reading all going well, we worked out our changing lines and made our way quite north of the city to the "Hotel Street" our hostel was on. Indeed the hostel was located on the 3rd floor of a hotel. We took our time working out where the entrance was, so by the time we got to the hostel office (which was just in a room on the 3rd floor) we were perfectly on time... Shame the hostel people weren't. So we waited... Until nearly 11, having had a good kip on the hotel couches... Apparently our booking hadn't been made, but they had space. Accommodation prices in Moscow take the breath away somewhat - there is no cheap or mid-priced sector really. But you do what you have to. Although we eventually discovered it was cheaper for a double at the hotel than the hostel...
After getting ourselves settled we went into town to have a look at the big sights, wandering around the Kremlin and then onto Red Square. St Basil's Cathedral isn't actually called St Basil's, that's just one of the chapels inside:
Also on Red Square is GUM, the famous mall that had nothing in it in later Communist days - these days it is all designer stores: very Posh.
Here's a view of the whole square:
That was enough for Sunday, Monday we headed to the Kazakh embassy to try to get the ball starting rolling on that front, but no go. In Moscow it turned out we needed an hotel reservation confirmation, which we wouldn't've needed in Blighty. So off we went to try and organise that... which didn't turn out to be so easy. The internet didn't come up with much, and whilst we filled in a couple of forms requesting reservations they still haven't got back to us! We did find a great wee local eatery chain though - Moo-Moo, so at least we had some success on our Monday... After it became clear things weren't happening on Tuesday, Joanna came up with the bright idea of going to a travel agents. Which worked brilliantly. Expensive hotels only available, but reservation was achieved... although unfortunately we got to the Kazakh Embassy at 12.30, and the visa applications shut at 12... and there's no Wednesday service...
So we had a wander down from the embassy again - we got to know the central area reasonably well... There's almost as much stuff being renovated as in St Pete's. Here's the Bolshoi Ballet Theatre:
The next image would've been one of Joanna sideways, as these shots are regularly requested, but this internet cafe doesn't do USB. So just the 5 images I uploaded at an Astana cafe, sorry. We'll have to continue the tale of hot, sunny, overcrowded, over-bustling Moscow someplace else.
Quick slice of life thoughts from the Russian capital though:
- No-one knows where they're going and we look Russian. Everybody seemed to ask us for directions. Although occassionally when we looked quite lost enough people would ask if they could help us with directions... which they generally couldn't.
- Sheets aren't allowed to be big enough for beds in Russia (and we've discovered in Kazakhstan too). Admittedly you don't use the sheet under the pillow, but seriously, cloth can't cost that much...
- They must worry about the great gob shortage in the west of the last few decades. We don't know where the men get all their phlegm from, but it seems to need constant expulsion from their mouths. Even whilst smoking. It may be phenomenal, but it's not a phenomenon that needs witnessing...
We're in Almaty (18 October), which is beautiful and leafy and gorgeously sunny. Turns out we didn't need to pack the thermals. Saturday we have a trip up a canyon before flying early on Sunday. We'll try and get Moscow finished tomorrow...
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