tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81555207514068037552024-03-13T23:29:02.147-07:00The Hardcore TravelerHello, my name is Steve and I am the Hardcore Traveler! I have traveled around the world and love to get off the beaten path. I am fluent in Russian and specialize in travel to the former Soviet Union. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-69545784370128666982017-12-10T18:58:00.001-08:002017-12-10T19:10:51.616-08:00I've a Feeling We're Not in Kansas Anymore<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As I boarded my flight in Moscow, I could not believe that
the moment had finally come, I’d been planning this trip for so long that it was
difficult to really remember how it all stared! My mother has labeled me a risk
taker and insisted I not go, friends in Russia had warned me against visiting,
my doctor was speechless when I told her my plans……asking in a rather soft and
shocked voice……”why”???? My answer was “why not, I love off the beaten path
places”. In only two hours, what seemed like a far off distant place would soon
become reality. The plane took a right turn and started to descend over the
water. After nearly a year of planning, this dream that once felt soooo distant
and far-fetched would soon come to fruition. <o:p></o:p></div>
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At last our Boeing 737 was on the ground! I had arrived…..arrived
in a place that I had heard so much about on the news, a place that had a very
nasty reputation for ethnic violence and war and a place that is not exactly on
the beaten tourist path. This place? Makhachkala, Dagestan in Russia’s North
Caucasus. Makhachkala was the first stop on an individual tour that would take
me from The Caspian Sea eventually to The Black Sea in Sochi with many stops in
between. One of these stops would include the infamous republic of Chechnya,
which suffered through two horrific wars during the 90s and early 2000s. But,
that’s for later. For the time being I was focused solely on Dagestan. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The stewardesses opened the door to the runway and I
descended the stairs to the tarmac. After being in St. Petersburg and Moscow
for two weeks where it was cold, rainy and rather dreary, it was a bit of a shock
to the system to suddenly be in a climate where it was sunny, dry and mild. On
the tarmac sat three vehicles, a bus (to take passengers to the terminal), and
two vans. I rushed to the bus to get a good seat, knowing soon there would be a
crush of people and it was important to be in a place where I would not be
boxed in like a sardine. But suddenly I was told that since I had flown
business class that I did not have to ride the bus the 100 so meters to the
terminal, that I was entitled to ride in a private van. So, I exited from the
bus to the van. <o:p></o:p></div>
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When I got to the van there were plenty of open places. Just
as I was about to get into the van and take my place, some guys in three piece
suits asked me in Russian if I was in business?? I said yes. They then told me
to go to the next van. What, I thought! Why if I flew business was I told to
get into another van? Whatever, I just need to get to the terminal. However, it
seemed a bit petty of them not to let me ride in their van. I suddenly had
visions of my middle school days when I was not allowed to ride in the back of
the bus since that was where all the “cool, cliquish” kids rode and I was not a
part of that circle. But whatever got me those 100 so meters to the terminal
was fine by me, it was not exactly a three hour or even three-minute ride.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I arrived at the terminal and exited the van to find a metal
detector at the door. I quickly threw my backpack onto the belt and walked through
the metal detector without any trouble. But the terminal I had exited into was
not what I had expected. It was as if I was in some type of airline lounge,
with big couches and easy chairs scattered throughout the lounge with people
sitting around drinking tea and chatting. It struck me as odd that there was no
baggage claim or anything that remotely looked like a regular airline terminal.
But, I figured that we somehow must pick up our bags outside. As I got close to
the exit to the street, I noticed another metal detector and airport officials
checking passports and tickets. I had not left Russia, but knew that this was
the North Caucasus, so of course things were likely a bit different than back
in Moscow or Petersburg. I reached for my passport and just as I was about to
show the officials, they waived me through saying I was a foreigner and could
go right through the metal detector. I left the building onto the sidewalk,
still perplexed to where I had been. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I was a bit surprised when I left and there was absolutely
nothing there! No, baggage claim or truck with bags, just a sidewalk and
parking lot. I searched for my guide who was supposed to meet me at the
airport, but no sign of anyone remotely close to him. I walked toward the
regular terminal building and still no baggage claim or guide. I was still
pretty calm, but started to worry a bit. I wandered around for about five
minutes trying to find something that resembled baggage claim or my guide, but
alas….nothing! Finally, I saw a man from my flight and asked him in Russian
where we picked up the bags. He told me I needed to go back to the building I
had left from. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So, I walked back to the building and luckily found my
boarding pass and baggage claim sticker, which I would need in order to get
back into the building. I showed them my boarding pass and baggage claim and
they told me to take a seat in the lounge and wait for my driver. But what
about my bag I asked in a rather worried voice. They told me to simply wait for
my driver. At this point my concern level was going up quickly to mild panic.
Where was my bag??? And, where was my driver??? I sat down and searched for the
phone number of the tour director, Evgeniya. I sent off an angry message to her
in English (my Russian had shut down at this point) asking just where the hell
my driver was and why I hadn’t been met at the airport. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I waited a few minutes and nothing, radio silence! I figured
at that point I should call her. I hurriedly dialed her number only to get a
message that the user was not available at this time. I was a bit perplexed as
I had a mobile plan that allowed me to make nationwide calls, so this should
not have been an issue. I then figured I would call the tour agency she works
for and who organized my tour. I told them I was a client of Evgeniya’s.
Unfortunately, they had no answer for my situation, leaving me with no other
option but to wait and hope my bag somehow showed up. <o:p></o:p></div>
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After about 15-20 minutes of sitting around worried, I
noticed people’s bags being delivered. It finally dawned on me that this place
was the business arrival hall where you waited until your bag is personally brought
to you. This calmed my nerves a lot knowing that my bag would eventually show
up. Just then I got a text message saying the user was back online and within a
few moments I received a message from Evgeniya apologizing for the confusion. Just
then my driver/guide Gadzhimurad called me apologizing for the confusion asking
me where I was. I tried to explain but it was a bit tough to pinpoint exactly
where I was. He eventually understood and said he’d wait for me outside. And
just as we hung up an airport employee showed up with my bag! I was overjoyed
to see my beloved crimson red and black bag and thanked them!! <o:p></o:p></div>
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I exited the terminal bag in hand and looked around and saw
a guy waiting outside. Within a few moments he found me and asked me if I was
Steve. I said yes. He took my bag and we went to his car. He knew I had come
from Moscow, not only because of the information I provided to the tour
organizer, but the fact I was carrying both my heavy sweatshirt and coat. I
guess since the temperature was near about 18°C or about 67°F it was a dead
giveaway that it was indeed me. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The drive into town would be about a half hour. At first the
scenery reminded me of somewhere out of Arizona or California desert with empty,
desert like scenery and roads. But as we came nearer to the city, the desert
like conditions gave way to a large city with blocks of flats and full of
chaotic traffic!! The streets of Makhachkala were absolutely INSANE!! Cars zig
zagging in and out of traffic, people bolting, across the road in front of cars
narrowly missing being hit, drivers making video calls on their phones and one
guy who was working his way between cars in a rather primitive wheelchair. I had
been to India where mass chaos on the roads is just a fact of daily life with
cars moving in and out of traffic and avoiding giant cows and monkeys that
wander the city streets, so I had seen some pretty chaotic scenes. However,
Dagestan really gave India a run for its money in terms of road chaos. My
driver Gadzhimurad made his way through traffic like a pro, never flinching,
not giving an inch to other drivers, all while giving me an in-depth narration
of Makhachkala and Dagestan. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Finally, after what felt like a crazy war of cars on the
streets of Dagestan we arrived at my hotel. But it did not look like your usual
hotel. There was no sign in front, no parking lot, no nothing. We walked into
the building and there was no lobby, just stairs and an elevator with a sign board
of the businesses in the building. There had to be a mistake, where was the hotel
I thought? But then it dawned on me….in Russia they have such things as
mini-hotels, hotels within a building that only take up several floors and not
the entire building. We eventually got to the 11<sup>th</sup> floor and off to
the left was an office. This office turned out to be the “lobby”. I walked in
with my guide and gave them my passport for registration. They gave me my key
and told me I was on the 9<sup>th</sup> floor. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">So, down I went in the elevator and behind a
large wooden door was a hallway with rooms. I entered my room and it was
stunning!! A giant living room, beautiful bedroom and two bathrooms!! After
about 12 hours of travel from St. Petersburg, it was good to be in a
comfortable place, if only for a few hours before our city tour. As I made
myself at home, unpacking my things and laying down for a quick nap, I started
to think about just where I was. The famous words from the protagonist, Dorothy,
from the world-famous film, "The Wizard of Oz" came to mind when she said to her
dog, “</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.15pt;">Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas
anymore.” In other words, I was in a whole another world!! </span><!--EndFragment--></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-46162253649993078342017-10-20T10:51:00.004-07:002017-10-20T10:51:44.996-07:00The Caucasus <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Apologies to readers for dropping out of sight for the last
few weeks! Moscow and St. Petersburg have sucked up all my time and energy in
every single way. From meetings with old and new friends to doing an interview in
Russian for my Russian teacher’s YouTube channel to walking 10+ miles a day,
I’ve hardly had a moment to breathe. But, now I am forced to take some down
time as I am on my way to Makhachkala, Dagestan in The Caucasus, which is on
The Caspian Sea. </div>
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My journey promises to be an exciting one! I have a 12-day
excursion planned that will take me through the heart of The Caucasus and to
places that have been home to some VERY, VERY ugly ethnic conflicts and
horrible wars. Whenever I tell people of my plans to visit these areas, their
reaction ranges from shock to utter distress to comments like “you sure are
brave, I wouldn’t be caught dead in these areas”. When I told my doctor I was
visiting Chechnya, she paused for a good 15 seconds and calmly said……….”why”? </div>
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So, why would I go to an area that is not exactly a place
that is associated with peace and love? Like a moth attracted to light, I am
drawn to really off the beaten path places, where there is adventure and even a
hint of danger. Traveling around North America and even Western Europe to me is
boring. I have no desire really to travel in my own nation, especially with all
the gun violence. I truly feel safer on the streets Russia than I do in my own
hometown of Seattle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I begin my journey in the city of Makhachkala, the capital
of the Republic of Dagestan. I continue my path down south to the ancient city
of Derbent, near the Azeri border and the furthest point south in Russia. From
there I will travel over to Chechnya and spend several days in the city of
Grozny, the capital of Chechnya and a city that has been rebuilt from the
ground up after two very bloody and violent wars in the 1990s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks to the republic’s over the top
ruthless autocratic, Instagram star leader, <em><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-style: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ramzan
Kadyrov</span></em>, Grozny has become a sort of mini-Dubai with over
the top buildings and the largest mosque in Europe. After Chechnya, I’ll visit
the mountainous republic of Ingushetia, where I have received a special permit
for travel. Following Ingushetia I will visit North Ossetia, the highest
mountain in Russia, Mt. Elbrus and the city of Pyatigorsk, home to my favorite
Russian author, Mikhail Lermentov.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I’m looking forward to the adventure ahead of me
and hope you will follow along as I wind my way through The Caucasus to Sochi,
my final destination in the south of Russia. It’s gonna be a hell of a long
journey, so let’s go!!!! </span>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-46198153226186508272017-10-08T09:19:00.002-07:002017-10-08T09:21:37.629-07:00In The Beginning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Last year when I came to Russia, my trip got off to a rather slow start. The combination of jet lag plus extreme sorrow over the election had me down for the count, causing me to lose valuable days in Moscow. However, this year luckily I’m off to a much quicker start and am supercharged for what lays ahead.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My journey began with a Trans-Atlantic flight to Keflavik International Airport in Iceland. Surprisingly enough this time around the trip over was quite pleasant and non-eventful…… at least compared to last year, which was painful at best. I love landing in Keflavik as it looks as if you’ve landed on Mars, with black lava rocks everywhere and not a tree in sight.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Iceland holds a very, very special place in my heart since this is where part of my family comes from. I have fond memories of my Aunt Peggy, who had a thick Icelandic accent and was known to be an “elf whisperer”, someone who talked to the elves. In Iceland, elves are an enormous part of society, where entire road projects are literally diverted to avoid elf churches and settlements.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But, unlike previous visits to Iceland, which would be 8-10 day affairs, this one would be relatively short and sweet, a total of about 8 hours. I basically landed, went outside, hired a cab, was ripped off for about $20, and went to my room, slept only to wake up several hours later to return to the airport for a connecting flight to Helsinki, Finland.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My connecting flight went by quickly and before I knew it I was back in Helsinki or what I like to call my “hub for Russia”. Helsinki serves as an excellent transit point as there are two trains to Russia, one fast speed train to St. Petersburg called The Allegro, which takes only a few hours or the overnight train to Moscow named after the famous 19<sup>th</sup> century Russian authors, Lev Tolstoy. Both are great options for entering Russia.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But before I was to enter Russia, I had planned a few days in Helsinki as a way to soften the blow of jet lag. My first night was at The Hotel Seurahuone, which I have zero idea how to pronounce! My first night was free, a nice way to start off the trip! Why was it free? The last time I was in Helsinki, I arrived at the hotel with a reservation from booking.com at about midnight. When I walked in and tried to check in, the girl told me they were completely sold out and there were no rooms. I insisted on a room, but there was no getting around the hotel was completely booked. I was furious!! Luckily there was another hotel I’ve stayed at in the past that had a few rooms left, so I reluctantly took my luggage and dragged it over there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The next day I went by the hotel and had a word about this phantom reservation with the manager. She was horrified and assured me it would never happen again. As a way of showing me her sincerity that was indeed sorry, she promised the next time I came through Helsinki my first night would be free.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Luckily, my check into my hotel went a lot, lot smoother this time since they were expecting me and made sure that there would be a room available. I figured since I was getting a free night out of this whole thing that she likely would put in me in an economy room. I was cool with this and was prepared to get a small room. As I put down my credit card preparing for them to say "ok we have you in an economy room for two nights", instead the girl says "we have you in a suite". WOW! A suite! How lucky was I!! I guess all that pain and suffering I went through last December paid off since I got a beautiful suite overlooking the train station!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The first day in Helsinki, I got off to a rip roaring start, walking 9.5 miles or for those used to the metric system, 15 kilometers. There was no stopping me, I walked everywhere, no way was I going to be taken down by jet lag for a second time. Helsinki was pretty much the same wonderful seaside city as it was the last time I left it, except for one thing, Chinese tourists!! The city was absolutely INFESTED with Chinese tourists. Everywhere you looked were Chinese. It felt intimidating and maddening because they seem to just be taking over everything. In my neighborhood, busloads of Mainland Chinese are brought in every day to go house shopping. They then take their cash and make offers on houses, thus jacking up the prices through the roof. There seems to be no end to them, like locust they keep spreading and wrecking havoc wherever they go.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Helsinki is a great city, but on average I would say that it could be seen in about two days, if maybe even one and a half days. All the main sights there are generally located within a one or two kilometer radius. If you are visiting Helsinki, a day there is incomplete without a visit to Senate Square and the beautiful Lutheran Church that towers over it. Last year when I was there during the Christmas season I walked into the church and heard the beauty of a girls’ choir singing Finnish Christmas songs all dressed up in white with one girl wearing the famous Santa Lucia with candles on top. It was magical and if you are in Helsinki during this time of year, be sure to make an effort to see these girls sing and to also visit the Christmas market down below the church.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Besides Senate Square, one absolutely must see when in Helsinki is to take a ferry across the harbor to Suomenlinna Sea Fortress. I did this on one of the few nice days I have had on my trip and it was incredible! The leaves were turning and the islands were like a maze intertwined with beautiful fortresses and different types of dwellings. I would suggest allowing at least a half a day to get the utmost enjoyment. Tickets are pretty cheap, only a few Euros for a round-trip all day ticket.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Two days of touring Helsinki by foot left me exhausted! Luckily, I had the night to recover on the overnight train to Moscow, The Lev Tolstoy. Stay tuned for more of my adventures as I make my way down to Southern Russia and The Caucasus!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">NOTE: Apologies about no photos, blogger seems to have virtually thrown up on me and cannot seem to handle the format of having photos. I hope to resume placing photos in future blogs. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-73749953700476172292017-09-14T21:44:00.000-07:002017-09-14T21:44:12.023-07:00A Walk on The Wild Side<div class="MsoNormal">
I crave off the beaten path destinations! Several years ago,
I spent a week in Turkmenistan, a nation that has been compared to North Korea
due to its isolation from the world, last winter I traveled by train to
Murmansk, Russia, the world’s biggest city north of The Arctic Circle, I’ve visited
what’s been named the most “dangerous place on earth”, the DMZ, a buffer zone
between North and South Korea and nine years ago I ventured up to the disputed region
of Kashmir on the Indian-Pakistani border. To say the least I am not one to
like leisurely cruises to Alaska or Mexico where you sit around by the pool all
day and stuff your stomach full of gourmet food and liquor at night. This
hardcore traveler likes to live on the wild side! That’s why a trip to the once
war-torn region of Chechnya and the Northern Caucasus was a natural fit for me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6UksqUQFQs0/WbtaRoWvsJI/AAAAAAAABP8/E5OMBUxkpAsRsvpH2z3uqMU-zshurJ-JgCLcBGAs/s1600/450px-Flag_of_the_Chechen_Republic.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="450" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6UksqUQFQs0/WbtaRoWvsJI/AAAAAAAABP8/E5OMBUxkpAsRsvpH2z3uqMU-zshurJ-JgCLcBGAs/s320/450px-Flag_of_the_Chechen_Republic.svg.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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When people think of Chechnya images of mass destruction and
extreme danger pop into minds. I admit I also have these images in my mind, but
the beauty of the Caucasus Mountains and the totally rebuilt, modern capital of
Chechnya, Grozny, really attracted me. My interest in The Caucasus began in 12<sup>th</sup>
grade when in fourth year Russian my teacher had us read an abridged of the
famous Russian novel, “Hero of Our Time” by Mikhail Lermentov. The author’s
depiction of the region’s beauty and its people mesmerized me and got me
thinking about someday visiting this region. But I kind of forgot about
visiting here until I was at my Russian Meetup group and a member, after my telling
him of all the weird and different places I’d visited, recommended I visit
Chechnya. He told me the capital city, Grozny, had been rebuilt entirely from
scratch and had the largest mosque in Europe. I gave it some real thought but
really never seriously followed up on it until last winter. I’d just completed
a visit to Murmansk in Russia’s far north, north of The Arctic Circle and felt
I needed a new off the beaten path destination to visit. Suddenly as my train
was lurching through the northern tundra in the middle of the night, I thought……..what
about Chechnya!!! I always am looking for new and exciting places and Chechnya
and the Northern Caucasus fit that niche. The dream was born!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VH9dYbv4HrE/WbtafYQB6iI/AAAAAAAABQA/4BGEdWK58FE9YbTh3dclLoHAaqR6_Hj0wCLcBGAs/s1600/grozny-city-day-celebration-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VH9dYbv4HrE/WbtafYQB6iI/AAAAAAAABQA/4BGEdWK58FE9YbTh3dclLoHAaqR6_Hj0wCLcBGAs/s320/grozny-city-day-celebration-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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When I got home from Russia last December I found a good
tour agency that specialized in travel to The Northern Caucasus and I put the
wheels in motion for a trip to this once war-torn region for spring. My mother
was none too happy about my wanting to go to Chechnya and worries for my safety
as any mother would if their son were announcing their intentions to visit a
place associated with Islamic extremism and war. After a lot of reassurances
and showing her documentaries about the beauty of the Caucasus republics, she
is a bit calmer about my visiting, but still has her hesitations.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But after a lot of thought, I decided spring was just too
soon to return to Russia and opted instead to go to Asia. However, the thought
of visiting Chechnya was never far from my mind, so when I returned from Asia I
started to plan a return trip to Russia for this fall. I thought about going
back across Russia on the train to The Far East, but this time taking the train
eastbound instead of westbound like I’d done in the past few years. But, I had
done this already twice, so I was a bit hesitant to do it a third time plus I’d
lost a couple of friends out in Vladivostok due to their support of tRump and one’s
rabid anti-LGBTQ attitude. Due to this, Trans-Siberia was looking like a less
than desirable option, so I decided I’d go to Chechnya and The Northern Caucasus.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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My trip to The Caucasus will take me through the republics
of Chechnya, Dagestan, North Ossetia and Ingushetia. At the end of the trip I
will visit the nation’s tallest mountain, Mt. Elbrus, which also is the highest
peak in Europe. After a tour through The Northern Caucasus I hope to visit the
breakaway Georgian republic of Abkhazia, where my good friend and Pushkin Hotel
front desk girl, Vanda, is from. It should be a hell of a journey, so stay
tuned to this blog as I start my trip to Russia, The Northern Caucasus and
Abkhazia on September 30<sup>th</sup>! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-83148030189625340172017-04-12T00:58:00.001-07:002017-04-12T00:58:16.421-07:00A New Adventure<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I feel like my life is a series of take offs, landings and
holding patterns. Whenever I’m home I feel as if I am in a holding pattern,
waiting patiently circling the airport for my turn to land and to be assigned a
gate. So since I came back from Russia back in December I’ve been patiently
waiting and planning for a new big trip. I’ve made some smaller trips in
between, to The Oregon Coast to visit my family beach house and up to Vancouver
Island in British Columbia, Canada twice, but nothing really compares to my big
international trips! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For a month or so I had been planning a trip across Canada
on the Trans-Canada railway from Halifax to Vancouver with stops in some of
Canada’s biggest cities. I thought it was only natural to cross Canada by train
since I’d crossed both Russia and Australia by rail. But as I started to book
my tickets and take an in depth look at my accommodations on board the train I
started to really have major concerns. The cabin was tiny, barely enough to
even stretch out your body and barely enough room for a small bag. And then
there was the fact you would have to eat dinner with four other people every
night. Since I am not a huge foodie and really don’t like fancy food (I’d
rather eat fast food honestly), I had even more doubts. Plus, the thought of
making small talk with four other people for an hour or so over crappy food
gave me even more hesitation. All this for triple the price of the
Trans-Siberian railway. So, I decided to cut my trip back to only going across
Eastern Canada. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I contemplated my trip across Eastern Canada and had some
really great plans, but for some reason I could not get excited about it. Maybe
it was because my new virgin passport would be devoid of stamps till at least
fall when I may return to Russia. As the days went by I became less and less
excited about a visit to Atlantic Canada and Eastern Canada. I did not want to
waste money on a trip I was not 100% into. After a lot of thinking, I pulled
the plug on the whole trip and went back to the drawing board. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I could return to Russia again?! But, I’d just been there in
December, plus the Russian Ruble has been on a tear lately, gaining at least
20% in the last few months against the dollar. And then there was the whole
Russian interference in our elections that still had me bothered. So, Russia
was out until at least fall or maybe next spring. But if I were not to go to
Russia and I wasn’t going to Canada, where on earth would I go? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The question of where to go weighed heavily on my mind for a
few days until I came up with an answer. My acupuncturist who is from Taiwan
had always told me I should visit Taiwan and explained to me about the
friendliness of his people and the beautiful natural scenery. Since I’d been to
a lot of other Asian nations, Taiwan really intrigued me. So……..after a lot of
thinking I decided Taiwan and Asia would be my next destination. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now after several weeks of planning I sit here in the Eva
Airlines Business Class Lounge awaiting my flight to Taipei at 1:30am local
time. It will be a nearly 13 hour flight across the Pacific. I will touch down
shortly after 5am Thursday April 13<sup>th</sup>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After I complete my trip around Taiwan I will hop across
down to Hong Kong where I spend a few days seeing one of the most famed cities
of the world! Once I’ve seen Hong Kong, I jet across The Pearl River Delta to
Asia’s answer for Las Vegas, Macau, a Chinese special territory that belonged
to Portugal. After I’ve lost money gambling in Macau…….just kidding I really
don’t gamble, I’ll head to Seoul and then to Beijing. I must say I am pretty
worried about the air in Beijing. Checking the air quality forecasts the
predictions range from unhealthy air to very unhealthy air. I guess I’ll just
have to adjust and find a pollution mask! Stay tuned for more as I begin my
travels! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-52630465241847809102017-01-03T20:18:00.001-08:002017-01-03T20:39:49.630-08:00The Pink Egg<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QS7F3Su55zo/WGx0locbG9I/AAAAAAAABOo/8umhvANUA78C0kCWfoqDpdFfaF9TigySACLcB/s1600/20161205_183505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QS7F3Su55zo/WGx0locbG9I/AAAAAAAABOo/8umhvANUA78C0kCWfoqDpdFfaF9TigySACLcB/s320/20161205_183505.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pushka Inn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My ride down to St. Petersburg from Murmansk was long, but
luckily uneventful. I arrived around 11pm and unlike in Kazan where I had
massive dramas with the taxi, this time things went off without a hitch with
the taxi arriving right on schedule. I arrived at my hotel, The Pushka Inn, and
checked in with little drama. It’s always nice when things go so smoothly since
many times they don’t. I was excited about staying at <a href="http://www.pushka-inn.com/" target="_blank">The Pushka</a>, as usually it
is so popular it books out months in advance and I’m usually stuck with only a
few days out of the week or so I normally stay in the city. But this time I
planned ahead and booked out about two months ahead of time. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r0bKcuU22Rg/WGx1G19SE4I/AAAAAAAABOs/SRd5YeZEKngUsKAa7dCd6uVqvymO50GOQCLcB/s1600/20161206_113925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r0bKcuU22Rg/WGx1G19SE4I/AAAAAAAABOs/SRd5YeZEKngUsKAa7dCd6uVqvymO50GOQCLcB/s320/20161206_113925.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palace Square</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
For those considering a visit to Petersburg I cannot
recommend The Pushka Inn enough. Not only is it luxurious, centrally located
(only steps from Palace Square where The Hermitage/Winter Palace is located) but
also has quite the history. Throughout the 19<sup>th</sup> century and during
the early part of the 20<sup>th</sup> century the hotel served as the mansion
for the <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pushchins family, who were part of the revolutionary group,
The Decembrists, who in 1825 led an unsuccessful uprising against the Tsar. Throughout
the hotel you will see reminders of the family from paintings to drawings of the
family coat of arms and many other historical pieces. Also next-door is the
apartment of Russia’s most famous poet and author, Alexander Sergevich Pushkin.
Here Pushkin wrote some of his most famous works and also died after getting
into a duel. Do not miss the tours of his apartment, which happen every day.</span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zi2j8PAVT4o/WGx1gg73EbI/AAAAAAAABO0/w92-GyEAh-UtkcyawdsNwEE4cwoahl5pQCLcB/s1600/pushka%2Broom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zi2j8PAVT4o/WGx1gg73EbI/AAAAAAAABO0/w92-GyEAh-UtkcyawdsNwEE4cwoahl5pQCLcB/s320/pushka%2Broom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I settled into my room and removed all my layers feeling a
sense of freedom since I was in an actual room and out of my tiny train
compartment. Just when I had arrived the snow started picking up and was really
sticking with a fierce wind whipping things up outside. I was happy to see the
snow coming down, as there’s nothing more I love than the snow! But damn was I
ever going to pay for it the next day!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That next morning I awakened and there still was snow, but
it looked as if it were on the verge of melting. When I finally got out on the
street after a delightful breakfast, the snow was indeed melting before my eyes
and turning into a horribly soupy, messy, brown, slushy ice. I barely took
three steps on the sidewalk and I could feel my feet moving from underneath me
as if I was one step away from landing flat on my ass. As I walked along every
single step I took seemed treacherous at best! No way was I going to survive
this. But I thought since I was on the side streets of sort that maybe it’d get
better once I got to the main drag, Nevsky Prospect. It did get a bit better
once on Nevsky but every step still was torturous and treacherous at best. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2fTDS1Npqo4/WGx1tZ36jrI/AAAAAAAABO4/TSanvzE6EIgiHujTAv8B5F-wxsWxLSgSQCLcB/s1600/20161205_123149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2fTDS1Npqo4/WGx1tZ36jrI/AAAAAAAABO4/TSanvzE6EIgiHujTAv8B5F-wxsWxLSgSQCLcB/s320/20161205_123149.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My first stop of the day would be Church of Our Savior on
Spilled Blood, which ranks up there as one of Russia’s most beautiful churches
and a close 2<sup>nd</sup> to St. Basil’s in Moscow. Getting there though was
not easy as there as the sidewalks and roads were covered in snow, slush, ice
and mud puddles as deep as Lake Baikal. Once I arrived at Church on Spilled
Blood I just stood and looked at the cathedral in awe. I’ve seen it many times,
but looking at it never gets old. However the exterior is not the only thing to
see, the interior is gorgeous as well with beautiful stained glass, frescoes,
iconstatuses (a wall of icons) that reach to the heavens, the smell of burning
wax candles and also the final resting place of the Tsar Alexander the II, who was
fatally wounded on the spot in March of 1881. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d0yhjl7wEX8/WGx15J7MWrI/AAAAAAAABPA/i8xB9li8GdAPJG-wmQI_9EGYgQG_48UFACLcB/s1600/20161205_125636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d0yhjl7wEX8/WGx15J7MWrI/AAAAAAAABPA/i8xB9li8GdAPJG-wmQI_9EGYgQG_48UFACLcB/s320/20161205_125636.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexander II mausoleum </td></tr>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nSMvx8u3R9U/WGx2PQYa3FI/AAAAAAAABPI/xppF9mrsyC0QgXsw9J7pJRI2JIBR2dXXQCLcB/s1600/20161205_124608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nSMvx8u3R9U/WGx2PQYa3FI/AAAAAAAABPI/xppF9mrsyC0QgXsw9J7pJRI2JIBR2dXXQCLcB/s320/20161205_124608.jpg" width="320" /></a>I took my time looking around enjoying how peaceful it was
inside compared to other times of the year when there are tourists everywhere
making it a rather unpleasant experience. I spotted a gift shop, really more
like a gift stand, in the back. I looked longingly at all the souvenirs and
treasures wishing I had a place to put them all, but knowing I best abstain
since my house is stuffed with decades worth of souvenirs. After some more
looking I came upon a beautiful pink Faberge egg with a clock on it. It was
amazing!! The woman who was the gift shop employee showed me all the cool
things it did, like sit up on a small pedestal thanks to magnets, opened up on
top as a place to put jewelry and even cooler it wound up like a music box and played
a well-known Russian song. It was the perfect and best gift for my mother! I
was sold and ready to buy it! But just as I was taking out my credit card the
woman said they only accepted cash. Only problem….I did not have enough cash on
me. She told me there was an ATM just out the door and that she’d hold it for me.
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XpICIEAilgw/WGx2k1jei8I/AAAAAAAABPM/fM0w9Z9-04sxLXgQE2d9U2RxO55ikNK7wCLcB/s1600/20161205_124650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XpICIEAilgw/WGx2k1jei8I/AAAAAAAABPM/fM0w9Z9-04sxLXgQE2d9U2RxO55ikNK7wCLcB/s320/20161205_124650.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iconostatus </td></tr>
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So, off I went in search of an ATM trying my hardest to
avoid the deep mud puddles and keep my balance despite all the slush and thick
ice on the sidewalk. I was determined and nothing was going to get in my way!
Finally I found a bank. YES, I thought, just go in, pop in my card, take out a
few thousand rubles, get back to the church, pay for the present and continue
my day. It was as if it was too easy and The Universe just wanted to challenge
me a bit more. I got in and proceeded to enter my code. The ATM did not work
like most other ATMs, instead of asking for a four-digit pin like we enter in
American, it wanted a six-digit pin. Odd I thought but entered my pin anyway.
ERROR, try again it said! I always challenge myself and choose Russian language
when using ATMs, so I thought maybe I’d done something wrong on the Russian
side. Hopeful I tried English and repeated what I did thinking that this time I
would get a different result! WRONG! Error again! I was enraged. WTF I thought,
what’s going on. </div>
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Frustrated I moved to the next bank and once again it
required a six-digit pin. I entered my four-digit pin hoping that would suffice
and once again it spit out my card saying error. Exacerbated, I walked another
several blocks to a well-known Russian bank and finally, finally the bank asked
for the standard four-digit pin. But it wouldn’t allow me to take out
denominations of 5,000 rubles in one transaction. So, I had to do separate
transactions. It was frustrating, but after all the grief I had suffered at the
hands of these ATMs no way was I going to back down. It was just the price I
had to pay.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5aFbuxITyvs/WGx2yipVG9I/AAAAAAAABPU/D03Z78kixIIiX1raSrjjWbRivG-IjwsHwCLcB/s1600/15826921_10209666255866266_8435310850926366375_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5aFbuxITyvs/WGx2yipVG9I/AAAAAAAABPU/D03Z78kixIIiX1raSrjjWbRivG-IjwsHwCLcB/s640/15826921_10209666255866266_8435310850926366375_n.jpeg" width="283" /></a></div>
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Eventually I got the money and trudged back through the
snow, slush, ice trying to avoid the deep mud puddles, where I could. However,
resistance was futile as I got my shoes wet at least four or so times. After the
third time I stopped counting and just soldiered on. I wanted to buy a Faberge
egg of my own, but figured it’d just have to wait till next time since I did
not want to repeat the saga that I’d already endured! In the end I was very
pleased with my purchase as my mother adored the egg and said it was the best
gift I’d ever brought back!</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-43986219595226078992016-12-24T19:23:00.001-08:002016-12-24T19:23:41.738-08:00A Day In Moscow<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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After a rather dramatic end to my visit to Yoshkar-Ola, my
train ride to Moscow was pretty uneventful. I arrived in Moscow early that
morning at Kazan Station, a place I’d become very familiar with since I spent
an entire day staying in the station hotel. I would once again spend a long
amount of time at the station hotel, “CityHotel”, since my train to Murmansk
didn’t depart until 12:30am giving me around 15 hours to kill. This time I was
lucky enough to get a room with a view of the city rather than an interior
room, which overlooked the train station. </div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9QOM8gsKhis/WF8eLccYMoI/AAAAAAAABMU/HX1RYrrzITYPQezUQ33E9KerP22b5UViQCLcB/s1600/20161123_142135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9QOM8gsKhis/WF8eLccYMoI/AAAAAAAABMU/HX1RYrrzITYPQezUQ33E9KerP22b5UViQCLcB/s320/20161123_142135.jpg" width="180" /></a>My first stop would be a look around the Moscow Metro ring
line. The ring line was Moscow’s first line and has some of the most beautiful
stations! I was very familiar with my temporary “home station”, Komsomolskaya,
since when I was younger I used to use this station every day to take the
elektrichka train (a type of commuter train) to and from where I was living
with my host family. Of all the stations on the nearly 62-year-old system
Komsomolskaya is by far the most beautiful station! You cannot get any more
elegant than this station with its beautiful golden yellow trim, incredible
chandeliers hanging down and beautiful mosaics that adorn the ceilings. This
should be ground zero for any tour of the metro. </div>
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The next stop along my metro tour would be the incredible
Elektrozavodskaya station named after the nearby light bulb factory. The
station was built during World War II, but was not finished until shortly after
the war. The look of the station is very different! Instead of marble and
mosaics, the station is a mix between Stalinist Art Deco and the post war look of
the line’s other stations. The <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ceiling is the most incredible part of
the station as it is adorned with six rows of circular inset lamps. This station
is well worth a visit. </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DDfDxpKJz9Q/WF8e-iyxqBI/AAAAAAAABMY/gypDaGCP8-Al5hCFbsi5MNJa55WeLKyTgCLcB/s1600/20161128_113609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DDfDxpKJz9Q/WF8e-iyxqBI/AAAAAAAABMY/gypDaGCP8-Al5hCFbsi5MNJa55WeLKyTgCLcB/s320/20161128_113609.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I continued my journey along the dark
blue line going several stations north to one of the only above ground
stations, Izmailovskaya. My goal was to visit the Izmailovskiy Kremlin, an
entertainment and cultural center that were built in the shape of a Kremlin. I
got to the station and looked around from the platform and could not spot the Kremlin. I then remembered that although the station’s name was Izmailovskaya,
the name corresponded with the park, not the Kremlin and that it was up another station. So, I waited for the next train to come along in order to reach my destination. </span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sb3MasZPV4w/WF8foGbIJ0I/AAAAAAAABMg/LTZw0u5uPAY6o3eDbaR_9IcrCnkcUAkawCLcB/s1600/20161128_125437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sb3MasZPV4w/WF8foGbIJ0I/AAAAAAAABMg/LTZw0u5uPAY6o3eDbaR_9IcrCnkcUAkawCLcB/s320/20161128_125437.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I arrived at the next station, which
unlike the other station was below ground. I got above ground and conditions
were nasty. It was just above freezing that day and the snow was turning
to brown wet slush. The mud puddles were looking deep and daunting. The Kremlin
was not exactly next door, more or less about a half-mile walk from the
station. With all the slush and mud puddles it may as well have been a few
miles. After a lot of careful small baby steps to avoid slipping and creative
hopping around the mud puddles I reached Izmailovskiy market where they sell
all the tourist souvenirs. The place was pretty empty since it was a weekday
and it was winter. Not many tourists were around at this time of year, so a lot
of the vendors had packed up leaving rows and rows of empty stalls. There were
still a few. I walked through the empty marketplace and the few vendors who
were around were calling me in English asking if I wanted a furry Russian hat
or offering me other souvenirs. I just kept walking saying “</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-ansi-language: RU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">нет спасибо</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">”,
nyet spasibo or no thanks. Eventually a giant set of matryoshka dolls caught my
eye. I tried bargaining with the guy, but I could not get him down to a
reasonable price, plus he did not take credit cards. I eventually gave up and
figured I didn’t need any more souvenirs, plus was unsure just where I’d put
it. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X8QZsm8uXMo/WF8gSILk33I/AAAAAAAABMo/GNi40_OXABA7TI-cqjcSQQZ4gElkLZCngCLcB/s1600/20161128_130025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X8QZsm8uXMo/WF8gSILk33I/AAAAAAAABMo/GNi40_OXABA7TI-cqjcSQQZ4gElkLZCngCLcB/s320/20161128_130025.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I eventually arrived at the Kremlin,
which was totally empty since it was a weekday. Inside the Kremlin are a lot
entertainment options. But I wasn’t there for entertainment options I wanted to
see the architecture. Although it was not exactly as incredible as its much
older cousin down south in Red Square it still had some pretty cool sights. Some
of the highlights included the beautiful giant copulas that tower over the Kremlin and the tall wooden church, which is supposedly the largest wooden
church in Russia. I’m not sure how accurate this is because there are some
pretty large wooden<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BwCh487NZyk/WF8gv6WpjBI/AAAAAAAABM8/nksUqM6hOCshK3ERbW5NSNGFe_d8eYeRACEw/s1600/20161128_130419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BwCh487NZyk/WF8gv6WpjBI/AAAAAAAABM8/nksUqM6hOCshK3ERbW5NSNGFe_d8eYeRACEw/s320/20161128_130419.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vodka Museum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
churches in Kizhi in Russia’s north. There’s also quite a
large wooden church outside St. Petersburg, but who knows. During weekends and
certain weekdays in the off-season you can visit two of the Kremlin other
highlights, Museum of Vodka and Miniature Museum. There also is a marriage palace
making this a popular place for wedding photos and parties. </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dTOhWDoEc6g/WF8hZRRFfcI/AAAAAAAABM4/qj01sZoTKOYphDyDYb42j9H6F52I-h-MACLcB/s1600/20161128_134008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dTOhWDoEc6g/WF8hZRRFfcI/AAAAAAAABM4/qj01sZoTKOYphDyDYb42j9H6F52I-h-MACLcB/s320/20161128_134008.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Having seen most of the Izmailovskiy
Kremlin I figured I’d kill some time and take another ride on the new second
ring line. As I’d explained in an earlier post, the second ring line is the
newest addition to the Moscow Metro system and really resembles a train line
more than a metro line. I spotted what I thought was a ring line station (which
are all above ground) so I started to dead reckon and walk toward it. I walked
a good 15 minutes until I reached my "destination" and discovered it was just
an overpass over the highway. I looked at Google maps and saw that the real station
was really not that far from the overpass so I kept walking along the highway. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I eventually reached my station and got
on one train, which was quite crowded, so I got off at the next station and
decided to go the other way. I boarded the next train going the other way with
the goal of riding the entire line. I eventually decided since I’d be on a
train for the next two days and was paying for a nice deluxe room at the train
station, I figured it might not be the best use of time to waste 2-3 hours
riding the second ring line. So, I exited at the next station and headed back
to the hotel. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I returned to my room for a bit of a
rest. Just as I started to settle into my room for a rest I noticed it snowing
outside. I figured it was probably just a passing flurry or two and not worth
anything. But then it started to actually accumulate on the cars and looked
like it could turn into something. Since I love everything snow related, I
figured I had to act! No way was I going to let this opportunity go by without
taking full advantage of it. So, I put on all my layers and headed out to Red
Square. I had been to Red Square a few other times during the snow but
absolutely nothing beats Red Square in the snow!!</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8WwjgjX7ZBs/WF8kaCRNjWI/AAAAAAAABNU/5bKSckiQyQIJ8bC8Trb03l045qn0IeuAQCLcB/s1600/20161128_154852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8WwjgjX7ZBs/WF8kaCRNjWI/AAAAAAAABNU/5bKSckiQyQIJ8bC8Trb03l045qn0IeuAQCLcB/s320/20161128_154852.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NxBdJagnepI/WF8kmePQdUI/AAAAAAAABNY/saQAKSbIVlA9pPb2-0IYZDzC2WTRPMemgCLcB/s1600/20161128_160519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NxBdJagnepI/WF8kmePQdUI/AAAAAAAABNY/saQAKSbIVlA9pPb2-0IYZDzC2WTRPMemgCLcB/s320/20161128_160519.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interior of St. Basil's</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I reached Red Square in record time and
luckily it was still snowing! I have a type of record where whenever I show up,
the snow seems to stop or lighten up. But, luckily not this time. Although the
snow was not as heavy as I would’ve liked it still was beautiful to see St.
Basil’s and Red Square in the snow. Since I’d seen everything I tried to figure
out what I’d do next. I could go back to the hotel room and wait another six
hours, but no way was I going to just sit around the hotel all evening!! I
figured it’d been a very looooong time since I’d been in St. Basil’s and it was
open so I thought I might as well spend some time looking around the interior.
The last time I had been there the interior was nice, but nothing too special. But
I thought I might as well see if anything was new. The inside of St. Basil’s
was awesome compared to the last time! Everything inside was so beautiful and they
had done an incredible job at restoring the interior with restored
iconostatuses (wall of icons), mosaics and other beautiful icons. </span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-COXPc0_WSgc/WF80ricfzbI/AAAAAAAABN0/UFx5H2hQJfk2uQc-FcdouVqO-Ev8tECWACLcB/s1600/20161128_170329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-COXPc0_WSgc/WF80ricfzbI/AAAAAAAABN0/UFx5H2hQJfk2uQc-FcdouVqO-Ev8tECWACLcB/s320/20161128_170329.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By the time I left St. Basil’s it
was dark and still snowing. The snow made the entire square so beautiful! The
holiday decorations along with the giant New Year’s tree outside GUM made it
even more magical. In Russia Christmas is mainly a religious holiday celebrated
by the Orthodox Church and does not really concern those who are not into
religious ceremonies. The main holiday in Russia is New Year’s, which has
become the default Christmas holiday with a New Year’s tree, ornaments, the
exchanging of presents and a Santa Claus figure whose name is Father Frost
along with his granddaughter, The Snow Maiden. The conversion of Christmas into
New Year’s began in the Stalin era and is still going strong today. </span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7vp3l4iRWl8/WF82aJHyHoI/AAAAAAAABOE/j77EwQf1zKEtWdtAzQ44b-infjNrWyM8ACLcB/s1600/20161128_163802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7vp3l4iRWl8/WF82aJHyHoI/AAAAAAAABOE/j77EwQf1zKEtWdtAzQ44b-infjNrWyM8ACLcB/s200/20161128_163802.jpg" width="112" /></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Once I stepped into GUM, Moscow’s
premier shopping arcade/department store, the place was decorated with all
types of New Year’s trees in all shapes. One “tree” that especially stood out
to me was one that consisted all of traditional Russian trays of all different
colors. Besides the many trays in the shape of a tree, there was one giant tree
dominating in the center of the arcade. It was beautifully decorated and one of the more beautiful New Year’s tree I’d seen in Russia!</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-22osa3ns2bk/WF82qXfob1I/AAAAAAAABOI/jxGJpircIqUQH-J3sXQtIZvs8ZmrXQaOgCLcB/s1600/20161128_162530%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-22osa3ns2bk/WF82qXfob1I/AAAAAAAABOI/jxGJpircIqUQH-J3sXQtIZvs8ZmrXQaOgCLcB/s320/20161128_162530%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="179" /></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I left GUM and stepped outside onto Red
Square, where you could tell the holidays were just around the corner! The ice
skating rink which covers about half the square looked as if it was only days
away from welcoming skaters and the New Year’s tree market also appeared to be
on the cusp of opening. All in all it looked like the capital was all ready for
the holidays. After looking around at the beautiful decorations one last time
and taking a final glimpse of the beauty of St. Basil’s with the backdrop of
snow, I bid one last farewell to Red Square and headed back to the hotel. I was
sad to leave Moscow, but knew that in no time I’d be back again and walking
around Red Square! </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-23386898644535802412016-12-23T11:16:00.001-08:002016-12-23T11:30:49.626-08:00Mari El<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bCf4BIEMLLw/WFzRaMfoQWI/AAAAAAAABJg/HTmW20skuKM8rzk-FLCMTLm7xO0qnwWtQCLcB/s1600/yoshkar-ola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bCf4BIEMLLw/WFzRaMfoQWI/AAAAAAAABJg/HTmW20skuKM8rzk-FLCMTLm7xO0qnwWtQCLcB/s320/yoshkar-ola.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The City of Yoshkar-Ola in Mari El Republic</td></tr>
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Where can you visit Prague, Italy, Brussels and Moscow in
one day? The answer may surprise you! All these cities and more you can see in a
city full of replicas, the city of Yoshkar-Ola in the Republic of Mari El 762 kilometers east of Moscow. Yoshkar-Ola caught
my attention when in summer a Facebook friend from Kazan posted pictures of her
holiday in this small city with pictures of replicas of Moscow’s Savior Tower, <span class="st"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bruges embankment in Belgium and other landmarks that looked
straight out of Italy</span></span>. I instantly looked at a map and found that
it was not far from Kazan, so I figured there was no way I could miss it!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-scz6f5bp1C4/WFzRw1vEqaI/AAAAAAAABJo/KjmeObrKJoE1xqxZPE0Gty1QsrhB8W71wCLcB/s1600/20161126_134539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-scz6f5bp1C4/WFzRw1vEqaI/AAAAAAAABJo/KjmeObrKJoE1xqxZPE0Gty1QsrhB8W71wCLcB/s320/20161126_134539.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My cab</td></tr>
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I had two options to get to Yoshkar-Ola, either I could take
the twice a week elektrichka (electric commuter train) for only a few dollars
or I could hire a taxi for $50. If I were to take the elektrichka it would take
around four hours, if I were to take a taxi it’d be about two. Having taken the
elektrichka to many different places I knew travel on it was not easy and being
that the train only departed twice a week I figured it may be rather crowded
and miserable. So I opted to pay $50 and hire a taxi. True it was more
expensive, but the price really was not that bad considering it would be a
two-hour drive. </div>
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So, I logged onto Yandex taxi service and ordered a taxi.
This time there was no drama as the driver pulled right up in front of my
hotel. He greeted me and repeated the destination address to me. I confirmed
saying it was in Yoshkar-Ola. He looked a bit surprised and said
“Yoshkar-Ola….really”. I answered yes and he said “let’s go”. The drive north
was not too eventful, we stopped for gas once, which gave me a chance to grab a
candy bar and pop. It was snowing but unlike in Seattle where a little bit of
snow sets people into a full scale panic, in
Russia it’s business as usual. </div>
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We arrived to Yoshkar-Ola just before 4pm and the sun was
already down. I paid and tipped him and dragged my stuff into the hotel. I only
had about 24 hours in Yoshkar-Ola so I knew I couldn’t just sit around the
hotel and rest. Therefore when I arrived I quickly unpacked my stuff, got back
into all my layers and headed out on the town. No way was I going to waste a
second here!</div>
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Having seen the pictures of all these replicas and since my
hotel was in the center I expected everything to be nearby. But nothing was
what I expected. I walked out of my hotel and there were just the usual
assortment of low-rise buildings mixed in with apartment blocks. I wandered
around for about 15 minutes expecting to see something familiar. Where were the
row houses, where was the replica Savior Tower? I had google maps and
remembered from the pictures and a TV show I saw about it that everything was
located on the river. I looked at my map and headed toward the river. I got to
the river and still nothing, only an ice hockey/skating arena. I was at a loss.
I decided to turn right and sure enough I wound up in the right place. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SSRbDiPyX1M/WFzYp7Eer8I/AAAAAAAABKY/UpjXGlCBMmIGXmLIIrlSErLUxdiPoIafgCEw/s1600/20161126_180203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SSRbDiPyX1M/WFzYp7Eer8I/AAAAAAAABKY/UpjXGlCBMmIGXmLIIrlSErLUxdiPoIafgCEw/s320/20161126_180203.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Savior Tower Yoshkar-Ola</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DsCdVOcLGng/WFzYXcG3qFI/AAAAAAAABKc/Lurb0bwV13MWIKTWthIdTeh13Rm0QragACEw/s1600/20161127_103736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DsCdVOcLGng/WFzYXcG3qFI/AAAAAAAABKc/Lurb0bwV13MWIKTWthIdTeh13Rm0QragACEw/s320/20161127_103736.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the six theaters</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jommvVzIjo4/WFzXPizY57I/AAAAAAAABKM/V82HOvp5FWMY4zMtrIitYw8maO2ZNMG6gCEw/s1600/20161126_182604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jommvVzIjo4/WFzXPizY57I/AAAAAAAABKM/V82HOvp5FWMY4zMtrIitYw8maO2ZNMG6gCEw/s320/20161126_182604.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puppet theater</td></tr>
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I eventually started walking along the <span class="st"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bruges
embankment with its row houses, which looked exactly like what I’d expect from
Amsterdam or Belgium. I spent about two hours in the cold and the snow walking
around taking in all the sights. The city was amazing, everything was nearly to
scale and you’d never know you were in some small town in the middle of the
Russian forest. Many of the buildings, especially the Puppet Theater, looked
straight out of a fairy tale!! I eventually reached the city’s Savior Tower
(The Kremlin’s most famous clock tower) replica. It was incredible! Although it
was not quite as big as the real thing its chime was nearly the same. I was
shocked at how such a small city could have so much going for it. But replicas
were not the only thing unique to this city. Being such a small city of just shy
of a quarter million people, you’d think they might have some culture but
probably not a lot. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact the city
has not one, not two, not three, but SIX different theaters! </span></span>
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--></style><span class="st"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I always so appreciate Russia’s love of
culture. The US could learn a lot from Russia’s intellectual and cultural life.
</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oqrQ0qlVLN0/WF1e9IxwIWI/AAAAAAAABK8/dtY1Nvy49O8sY2s_dsMFo2pE6ccdTxpkgCLcB/s1600/20161127_105410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oqrQ0qlVLN0/WF1e9IxwIWI/AAAAAAAABK8/dtY1Nvy49O8sY2s_dsMFo2pE6ccdTxpkgCLcB/s320/20161127_105410.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="st"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The next day my goal was to see the
replicas in light. And they did not disappoint at all! The amazing thing about
the replica row houses that were copied after Bruges embankment was how they
were actually occupied. I thought when I first saw them from a distance that
they likely were just empty shells, almost like a Hollywood set. But it turns
out each one had some type of purpose, many home to different republic
ministries and government organizations. I spent hours just walking along the frozen
embankment and even enjoyed walking across the river. Who said you can’t walk
on water?? It’s always soooo much fun when you can walk across frozen lakes,
ponds or rivers. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1kgqlvV0-K0/WFzXxUmLHCI/AAAAAAAABKU/3RXSoaMXFfEeoX2BtKI7UjM8nyxfuEAdQCEw/s1600/20161127_112854.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1kgqlvV0-K0/WFzXxUmLHCI/AAAAAAAABKU/3RXSoaMXFfEeoX2BtKI7UjM8nyxfuEAdQCEw/s320/20161127_112854.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bruges Embankment </td></tr>
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<span class="st"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After walking around the Bruges
embankment, I visited the Yoshkar-Ola kremlin. Yoshkar-Ola’s kremlin is one of
the youngest checking in at about 100 years old. Much like its bigger cousin in
Moscow it is also red. There was no charge to enter and that day there was a
farmer’s market of sorts going on inside it. The kremlin was tiny
compared to Kazan and especially compared to Moscow. One of the best parts of
the Yoshkar Ola Kremlin was being able to walk along a sort of catwalks that
hugged the side of the kremlin. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O8CNaa2iZOc/WF1fvjnolqI/AAAAAAAABLM/6jcz1NuZ2lAh8tgczRBDiLQPv-eWrM-EgCLcB/s1600/20161127_110417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O8CNaa2iZOc/WF1fvjnolqI/AAAAAAAABLM/6jcz1NuZ2lAh8tgczRBDiLQPv-eWrM-EgCLcB/s320/20161127_110417.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside Yoshkar Ola Kremlin</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NuXYsJ-lUAY/WF1g0y5B1AI/AAAAAAAABLY/fGWq6k3ijZ8upaJbtEFLQxJ_WCh1xK7jACLcB/s1600/20161127_160203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NuXYsJ-lUAY/WF1g0y5B1AI/AAAAAAAABLY/fGWq6k3ijZ8upaJbtEFLQxJ_WCh1xK7jACLcB/s1600/20161127_160203.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The donkey and icon</td></tr>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_qfAbu4jpj4/WF1gbLd-I8I/AAAAAAAABLU/HNWRgDWsTdgBLgLpmp5iDZ_T3jhyjK_bQCLcB/s1600/20161127_155925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_qfAbu4jpj4/WF1gbLd-I8I/AAAAAAAABLU/HNWRgDWsTdgBLgLpmp5iDZ_T3jhyjK_bQCLcB/s320/20161127_155925.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="st"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span class="st"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">My next stop would be
Nogotkova-Obolenskovo Square next to the Mari El National Art Gallery. The
square and building looked something straight out of Italy and had a beautiful
clock tower, which every hour on the hour would chime. This was no ordinary
chime but the Mari chime and within a few seconds of the chime out comes a
small little path with moving figures and a donkey carrying an icon from one
end of the clock façade to the other. Quite a cool sight, which always draws a
crowd!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BQsnxKf508Q/WF1hIvEGfNI/AAAAAAAABLg/NanF3rgTEoMYdqbUfH02sgeJHUreWw73wCLcB/s1600/20161127_132725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BQsnxKf508Q/WF1hIvEGfNI/AAAAAAAABLg/NanF3rgTEoMYdqbUfH02sgeJHUreWw73wCLcB/s320/20161127_132725.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0ixxKrtj75w/WF1hxQ5NY6I/AAAAAAAABLo/_XDGIrO9XFEMACkyzV0UQy-OfkDRUTHPwCLcB/s1600/20161127_132101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0ixxKrtj75w/WF1hxQ5NY6I/AAAAAAAABLo/_XDGIrO9XFEMACkyzV0UQy-OfkDRUTHPwCLcB/s320/20161127_132101.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My view from the Ferris wheel</td></tr>
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<span class="st"></span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">I continued my day by walking over to the Park of
Culture and Rest a common landmark in every Russian city. And just like nearly
every Park of Culture and Rest the one in Yoshkar-Ola had a Ferris wheel. And
of course wherever I see a Ferris wheel I have to take a ride. But you’re
probably thinking how would a Ferris wheel be working in the middle of winter
and in the middle of a snowstorm? Luckily the Ferris wheel had heated
compartments so it was business as usual on a Sunday afternoon. From my cabin I
could see all of Yoshkar-Ola and all the replicas. It was well worth the several
dollar price I paid for the privilege! </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Eventually my ride came to an end and I
would set out in search of food. My goal was to reach a café that I learned
about on a Russian travel show called “All The Way”. The café was called “Café
Sandal” and served traditional Mari food. I was looking forward to trying the
puffed up bliny (thin pancakes).<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></span>I
wanted to make it there badly, but I had walked so much and it was so icy! I walked a bit further and passed a McDonald's. No way was I going to go to McD's, but hunger and fatigue got the best of me and I eventually
surrendered to the Golden Arches aka McDonald’s. Yes, I was that
desperate!! </div>
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I regretted my decision the moment I walked in, as the place
was an insane mess packed to the gills with children and their parents. I
eventually found a place to sit, but a parent eventually came along asking if
her kid could sit down at my table. I said yes…..and then the entire family sat
down at my table, kind of inadvertently kicking me out. I eventually found a
free place all to myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I later tried again to get back to Sandal Café. Although I
did not have a lot of time I figured I had just enough time to have a good
dinner and get back in time to catch my train. So I brought up Maxim car
service and ordered a car to take me to the café and then I waited, waited and
waited some more. I waited about 15 minutes until it popped up there were no
cars available. I gave up! I guess there must’ve been a reason I didn’t get
there or maybe I needed to save up something for next time. Eventually I
settled for Russian pelmini (dumplings) at the hotel restaurant, which were
fine but not puffed bliny <span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">:(</span></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from my room</td></tr>
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Having finished up a nice dinner I went upstairs to pack. My
bag was overflowing but eventually I got everything packed up. I was all ready
to go to the train station to catch my 7pm overnight train to Moscow, all I had
to do was go downstairs and check out. Easy…….! WRONG! I walked into the
elevator, the door closed and I pushed “L” for Lobby. The elevator was not
moving…….hmmmm…I thought, what was going on? </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My hotel, Ludoviko Moro</td></tr>
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Then a little digital message appeared above that read
“elevator not working”. I quickly pushed the open button…..no luck….I pushed
the close button……nothing!!! Then I pushed the emergency button and the call
button saying I was trapped in the elevator. They responded that help was on the
way. Five minutes went by and nothing. Time was ticking, my train left in only
a short time. Then ten minutes went by! At this point I was panicked and told
them I had a train to make and was worried about missing it. I started thinking out
alternative scenarios about what happened if I were to miss my train. I
basically came to the conclusion that if I missed my train I was utterly
screwed! They assured me help was on the way. Eventually after about 15 minutes
(it felt like easily 50) they somehow forced the door open manually. I was
relieved, I would make my train after all and my trip would continue without
interruption. To say the least my trips are never without drama and today was
no exception!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ImNYjbdibCg/WF1jGJ2X4vI/AAAAAAAABL4/DfW467HNwEUZ33rlfvU0szEQgjtF22J9ACLcB/s1600/20161127_185420_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ImNYjbdibCg/WF1jGJ2X4vI/AAAAAAAABL4/DfW467HNwEUZ33rlfvU0szEQgjtF22J9ACLcB/s320/20161127_185420_001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yoshkar-Ola train station</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-14010311243025220952016-12-22T19:09:00.000-08:002016-12-22T19:22:50.371-08:00Russia's Third City<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">My journey to
Kazan, Tatarstan aboard the new double decker train would take just under 12
hours. I was excited as I had been on all types of different trains throughout
Russia, but this promised to be a different experience! The train was beautiful
and my compartment on the second floor was gorgeous. Since I always travel with
a heavy bag and don’t like another person in the cabin I bought out the cabin.
Since I had it to myself I put my big suitcase on the other bed. When the
stewardess came around to check on me she was a bit irritated that my bag was
on the other bed saying that the spot must remain “clean”. After she saw that
I’d bought the cabin out she apologized and was fine with my bag wherever it
was. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kazan's Railway Station</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I visited
Kazan several years earlier but since I never can do things just once, I had to
go back and experience it again. Supposedly Kazan had changed some since I was
last there in 2011 due to the 2013 Summer Universiade, a summer Olympics type
games for university students. So I was looking forward to seeing the change.
When I arrived in Kazan it was mid-morning and I was in fair shape having slept
most of the night on the train. In order to get to my hotel I decided against
using the taxis that were right there at the train station and instead used
Yandex taxis and/or the car service Maxim. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I first tried
Yandex taxi. I’d used the service before and it was pretty solid. I entered in
my destination and pushed send. I waited a while for my taxi but figured
everything was fine. Just when I was about ready to call the competition and
cancel my order, it popped up on my screen that my taxi had come. Wait what I
thought………I looked around for the license plate number and make of the car and
I saw nothing. I looked everywhere and no sign of the taxi. Finally I received
a call from Yandex saying they were connecting me with the driver. That’s
always dangerous for me as the drivers always speak very fast and I have a hard
time understanding them. This time was no different as the driver was nearly
yelling into the phone asking me questions I could not understand. I explained
to him in clear Russian exactly where I was. He said he’d try to find me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">After several
calls to clarify exactly where I was he never found me. I tried the next car
service, Maxim, and ran into similar problems. It was not as if I was in a
remote place, I was standing on the sidewalk nearest the train station. Finally
I furiously gave up and decided to take a regular taxi that’d charge me many
more times the rate I’d’ve gotten with Yandex or Maxim. It wasn’t that I
couldn’t afford a taxi, it was pride and the feeling of not getting ripped off
that made me avoid a regular taxi in the first place. But I figured the day was
moving fast, so I may as well just eat the cost and my pride and get to my
hotel. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">To my surprise
my hotel was only three blocks from the train station and in all the time I
spent wrestling with the car services I could’ve been there. I guess that’ll
teach me to do my research! I gave the hotel name to the taxi driver, which was
an Italian name, Hotel Giuseppe. He had no clue about the name. I may as well
have said Hotel California and maybe I would’ve had as much a chance of getting
there. Luckily I had my phone and was able to read him the address. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Finally after
a morning of extreme drama and the ordeal of just getting there I was finally
in my room! Unlike in Moscow where I put down my stuff and took a nap I was not
going to let time slip away from me in yet another city. So after a brief time
in my room I set out to see the city. The location of Hotel Giuseppe could not
be any better!! It is located only steps away from Kazan’s Kremlin and about
two blocks up from the pedestrian shopping street. My first stop would be
Kazan’s Kremlin. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OvS1MeLHovU/WFyMq_0iY6I/AAAAAAAABHI/qxgXbE8ljEYSFcrHTSE2j-noOeR-lBCdQCEw/s1600/20161125_141429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OvS1MeLHovU/WFyMq_0iY6I/AAAAAAAABHI/qxgXbE8ljEYSFcrHTSE2j-noOeR-lBCdQCEw/s320/20161125_141429.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kazan's Kremlin</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Kremlin or
Kremel’ in Russian means fortress so although the most famous kremlin is
located in Moscow, there exist dozens more kremlins throughout Russia. Unlike
Moscow’s kremlin, which is red, Kazan’s is white, however there was a time back
in medieval days when The Kremlin was white. Unlike Moscow’s Kremlin, which
costs about $10 to enter, Kazan’s is totally free and easy to get into. It’s
not quite as big as its sister in Moscow and maybe not as glamorous but that
doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a lot of things to see. </span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-igJrNrUZH3g/WFyNNhtmjWI/AAAAAAAABHQ/kAdeg9jrKzgw27pXjhb7gbByehxHN4rywCLcB/s1600/20161124_122659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-igJrNrUZH3g/WFyNNhtmjWI/AAAAAAAABHQ/kAdeg9jrKzgw27pXjhb7gbByehxHN4rywCLcB/s320/20161124_122659.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lwb2bfMOa8E/WFyNcig2YZI/AAAAAAAABHU/PpWkwEWY1a8yaxTuvS4Q0whIaY904qeJACLcB/s1600/20161124_123159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lwb2bfMOa8E/WFyNcig2YZI/AAAAAAAABHU/PpWkwEWY1a8yaxTuvS4Q0whIaY904qeJACLcB/s320/20161124_123159.jpg" width="180" /></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">The first
highlight of Kazan’s kremlin is similar to Moscow, a famous clock tower, The
Savior Tower. In Moscow The Savior Tower is best known for it chime and how on
New Year’s Eve it rings 12 times to usher in the new year. But unlike in Moscow
where their tower is red, Kazan’s is white. Once you pass underneath The Savior
Tower, two buildings inside the Kremlin really stand out to you, The
Annunciation Cathedral and The Qol Sharif Mosque. Both are stunning, but the
mosque with its incredible blue and white minarets definitely takes the cake as
the more incredible of the two. It is also the newest addition to Kazan’s kremlin
having been built in 2005. One of the most incredible facts is that the
mosque’s dome was so heavy that it had to be helicoptered in order to complete
the mosque. Unlike many landmarks, which are beautiful on the outside and ho
hum on the inside, the mosque’s inside does not disappoint, see picture at bottom. The beauty is
absolutely incredible and costs nothing to enter. Even better you are free to
take photographs wherever you like, which many orthodox churches prohibit. As
for The Annunciation Church it is very beautiful but just does not have that
wow factor that the mosque does. Besides the mosque and cathedral, the other
real highlight inside Kazan Kremlin is what is known as The Leaning Tower of
Kazan, </span><span class="st"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Söyembikä Tower,</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> just a few meters beyond the mosque and
cathedral. It was built during Ivan The Terrible’s time and along with the
mosque serves as the city’s most well known landmark. </span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1PJ6HPbzK_U/WFyNnpI9SjI/AAAAAAAABHc/nIopuCsRq-MyBVqPdCJawjePd5djzLl8QCLcB/s1600/20161126_110432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1PJ6HPbzK_U/WFyNnpI9SjI/AAAAAAAABHc/nIopuCsRq-MyBVqPdCJawjePd5djzLl8QCLcB/s320/20161126_110432.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-boVpHkVvlkU/WFyPm0mks6I/AAAAAAAABH4/6lrn6hhQj-cW3U7mg4TgcwGCoCSZBXkqACLcB/s1600/KazanMetro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-boVpHkVvlkU/WFyPm0mks6I/AAAAAAAABH4/6lrn6hhQj-cW3U7mg4TgcwGCoCSZBXkqACLcB/s320/KazanMetro.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Although Kazan
is not quite as big as Moscow that does not mean it lacks a lot of the big city
amenities Moscow has. One of its best qualities is a fairly new metro built in
2005. The stations are flawless with some beautiful Islamic art. The metro gets
you to both of Kazan’s most well known landmarks, the kremlin and its
pedestrian shopping street, </span><span class="st"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Baumana Street. The
price cannot be beat, about 30 rubles which translates out to about $0.50. For
access to Kazan Kremlin from the metro, you need to ride to the end of the line
to Kremlyovskaya station. Right outside of the station is a great statue of
Kazan’s symbol, the dragon and a wonderful view of the mosque towering above
the kremlin, an excellent spot for a photo!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NDFcgZlCCrI/WFyP2wHVByI/AAAAAAAABH8/oL2RjvfB8HAd0ymvENigyEmnfj2uDhy9wCLcB/s1600/20161124_140505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NDFcgZlCCrI/WFyP2wHVByI/AAAAAAAABH8/oL2RjvfB8HAd0ymvENigyEmnfj2uDhy9wCLcB/s320/20161124_140505.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PJy-itpUr4M/WFyQd5J497I/AAAAAAAABIE/uz983uTL1y4ZcvwNvkeaL6vwavPr93IagCLcB/s1600/20161125_155228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PJy-itpUr4M/WFyQd5J497I/AAAAAAAABIE/uz983uTL1y4ZcvwNvkeaL6vwavPr93IagCLcB/s320/20161125_155228.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="st"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That evening I decided to try something
new food wise. I had noticed a Turkish Café on the pedestrian street and my
friend from Turkey, Tulay, had always encouraged me to try Turkish food so I
figured this would be a good choice. When I walked in I was rather amazed at
the interior decorations. Instead of pictures of such famous Turkish landmarks
as Istanbul’s Haga Sophia or Blue Mosque or the capital city of Ankara they had
pictures of New York City landmarks!! What the hell I thought. Last I checked I
was in a Turkish restaurant not an American one. Despite the confusing décor,
my meal was delicious, Turkish kebabs with yogurt. To this day I still yearn
for good grilled kebab drowned in yogurt. If you want to try some delicious
Turkish food, the name of the café is pretty simple to remember, Turkish Café,
on Baumana Street about halfway down the pedestrian mall. Prices are reasonable
and seating is widely available. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rRU4CSCHlbs/WFyQ0Zu29NI/AAAAAAAABIU/Bb3DTJFKGQc8r2bAPY3wCNOqfYVTQFFegCLcB/s1600/20161126_120204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rRU4CSCHlbs/WFyQ0Zu29NI/AAAAAAAABIU/Bb3DTJFKGQc8r2bAPY3wCNOqfYVTQFFegCLcB/s200/20161126_120204.jpg" width="112" /></a><span class="st"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The pedestrian street has some
wonderful shops that have a wide array of Russian souvenirs and uniquely Tatar
and Muslim like souvenirs. I picked up a small replica of Kazan’s Kremlin
Savior Tower and a green prayer rug. I stumbled upon a gigantic huge life size
matryoshka doll right outside the store. It was beautiful! I so wished could
have bought it, but it was likely not for sale and would be just a bit hard to
fit inside my suitcase since it was the size of about half a dozen suitcases.
Someday maybe, who knows!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6zcEjxxSrZc/WFySAcwTg9I/AAAAAAAABIw/5NCkGVn9UtYCUaBVwKrVk83GF96dc7ilwCLcB/s1600/20161125_122713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6zcEjxxSrZc/WFySAcwTg9I/AAAAAAAABIw/5NCkGVn9UtYCUaBVwKrVk83GF96dc7ilwCLcB/s320/20161125_122713.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="st"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The following day I would visit a
rather unusual landmark, The Temple of All Religions about 20 so miles outside
of town in a small village. The temple is incredible with a combination of
colorful copulas and domes. According to an article on the American news site,
The Daily Beast, the eccentric architect and psychic supposedly saw Jesus
Christ appear to him on the banks of The Volga. Christ gave him the order to
construct this incredible temple and he devoted 20 years of his life to
building this stunning landmark. Unfortunately the temple is not open to the
public. Supposedly you used to be able to make an appointment to go inside, but
appear those days are long gone. So, you will just have to enjoy the view from
the outside. I recommend if you want to see the temple to take a taxi from
town, which should cost a bit over $10 round-trip. Ask the reception at your
hotel for a taxi to The Temple of All Religions or find the address and enter
it into Yandex car hire or Maxim car hire. </span></span></div>
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<span class="st"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Another eccentric landmark I hit up on
my trip to Kazan was The Kazan Family Center viewpoint. The name sounds benign
enough, but the actual building itself looks like a huge and very tall UFO that
landed out on a spit of land. It was not exactly central to the city itself so
it’d take some planning to get to. I really did not feel in the mood to take a
taxi and it looked pretty far to walk so I figured I’d take the Kazan Metro and
walk the 15-20 minutes from there. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XdfFE-c2j5g/WFyRSEIlGZI/AAAAAAAABIg/CEZIQTyN_Gc18X2jZVS6EKd-W0TqIjeCgCLcB/s1600/20161125_140633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XdfFE-c2j5g/WFyRSEIlGZI/AAAAAAAABIg/CEZIQTyN_Gc18X2jZVS6EKd-W0TqIjeCgCLcB/s320/20161125_140633.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="st"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After taking the metro and walking
15-20 minutes in the cold wintry Kazan weather I finally arrived at my
destination. My goal was to go up to the top of the <s>UFO</s> the Family
Center to the viewpoint for an excellent look at the city. Last time I was in
Kazan this building wasn’t yet constructed, so this would be a new experience. I
was excited and looked forward to getting a great view of the city. I arrived
and noticed several limos in the parking lot. Then I noticed a bride and groom
walking around taking pictures. No big deal I thought. That is until I got
inside. There in the lobby area was a huge party going on. I noticed a security
guard and asked how I got to the viewing deck. He said it was closed for the
wedding! CRAP I thought, I walked all the way here and it is closed for a
wedding. WTF! I was quite angry. Not sure why I was surprised, in Russia it
seems everything is always difficult. Things are always either closed,
forbidden or just impossible. I could’ve retraced my steps back to the metro
but I decided I’d use my angry energy to walk the two miles back to town
instead. </span></span></div>
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<span class="st"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y_34axS22go/WFyRmPUdigI/AAAAAAAABIo/GeXKEQsBkTgEmuapmw2XE528Ydz2vGZLwCLcB/s1600/20161124_123744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y_34axS22go/WFyRmPUdigI/AAAAAAAABIo/GeXKEQsBkTgEmuapmw2XE528Ydz2vGZLwCLcB/s320/20161124_123744.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the mosque</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bapVKdMlAfc/WFyS7W6dYEI/AAAAAAAABJA/5dW2uPcV_1IlWt1eqNJVGD0aZpWP1ZejQCLcB/s1600/20161124_125157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bapVKdMlAfc/WFyS7W6dYEI/AAAAAAAABJA/5dW2uPcV_1IlWt1eqNJVGD0aZpWP1ZejQCLcB/s320/20161124_125157.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kazan's leaning tower</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="st"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Kazan is an incredible
destination and should be on the top of everyone’s must see list when
considering a trip to Russia!!! If you want to go to Kazan, check out the city’s
information site at <a href="http://kazantravel.ru/en/">http://kazantravel.ru/en/</a>.
I can guarantee, you will not regret your decision to visit Russia’s “third
city”.</span></span><br />
<span class="st"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-40526882802622462662016-12-11T13:05:00.000-08:002016-12-14T22:16:06.742-08:00Polar Night<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zr8JKvAahgo/WE2uRsbT-YI/AAAAAAAABFQ/EWsannng2woJOWf5TGHgIdFaNyo2LhhnwCLcB/s1600/20161129_001009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zr8JKvAahgo/WE2uRsbT-YI/AAAAAAAABFQ/EWsannng2woJOWf5TGHgIdFaNyo2LhhnwCLcB/s320/20161129_001009.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leningrad Station</td></tr>
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My journey north to the Port of Murmansk, home of Russia’s
Northern Fleet and north of The Arctic Circle began quite late at night,
12:40am or so to be exact from Moscow. I had once again stayed at <a href="http://rzdhotel.ru/guides/city-hotels/kazanskiy" target="_blank">The CityHotel</a>
in Kazan’ Station like I had a few days before when I was leaving for Kazan,
see my entry “<a href="http://notravelworries.blogspot.com/2016/12/should-i-stay-or-should-i-go.html" target="_blank">Should I Stay or Should I go</a>” for more information about my stay
then. However this time my train was departing from across the street in
Leningrad Station. This meant I had to lug my bag down the stairs from the
hotel into Kazan station, then down into an underpass, back up the underpass stairs
and up some more stairs just to get in the door of Leningrad station. No wonder
I always come back from these trips a bit trimmer and stronger. Nothing builds
up strength like dragging a 20kg + bag through Russia!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_kHm8Q0c_7M/WE2ufQ77WVI/AAAAAAAABFU/_DyWZkvr23kd6fsMsAJ3jZRr0fUY9p58wCLcB/s1600/20161129_145554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_kHm8Q0c_7M/WE2ufQ77WVI/AAAAAAAABFU/_DyWZkvr23kd6fsMsAJ3jZRr0fUY9p58wCLcB/s320/20161129_145554.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many stations along the road to Murmansk</td></tr>
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The road to Murmansk was going to be a long one, well over
24 hours by train, but luckily I had bought out the entire cabin, all four
places, so the journey would be a lot more pleasant. No way was I going to be
stuck with three strangers in a cabin the size of a medium sized coat closet.
Plus the amount of luggage I was lugging around, one heavy bag and a backpack,
I likely would have needed to sleep on top of my luggage if I somehow wanted to
fit into a cabin with three other people. </div>
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Early the next morning we arrived at our first major stop,
St. Petersburg Ladozhskiy Station, for a record 90-minutes. Normally stops are
no more than a half hour or at very max 60 minutes, so I was a bit surprised by
the length. Ladozhskiy Station, is the only station in St. Petersburg that is
not a terminus meaning trains can go straight through without having to stop.
Our time at Ladozhskiy was a welcome one as I was able to get a nice breakfast
at a coffee shop and stock up on some groceries before we started our long haul
all the way north to Murmansk. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to go north!</td></tr>
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There are many things I love about riding the rails in
Russia, but it’s probably the journey and all the stations you stop along
during that journey. I guess that old saying “it’s not the destination, but the
journey” really rings true in this case. Stations along the journey come in all
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tekYzPHPOhY/WE2vqszrWUI/AAAAAAAABFc/RVMz6pYKFDAUKsjLGJ5EJbDAP6E0C5y3QCLcB/s1600/20161130_063830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tekYzPHPOhY/WE2vqszrWUI/AAAAAAAABFc/RVMz6pYKFDAUKsjLGJ5EJbDAP6E0C5y3QCLcB/s320/20161130_063830.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kandalashka Station</td></tr>
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types of different colors, shapes and sizes. But not all stations are created
equally. Some are rather ordinary and bland with nothing more than a boring
Soviet like building with a few platforms, whereas others can be masterful
pieces of architecture. My favorite station by far on the route to Murmansk has
to be Kandalashka station just north of The Arctic Circle. I enjoyed it most
due to its beautiful red building that resembles more of a ski chalet than a
plain old train station. Even the train stations in the biggest city of them
all, Moscow all have very unique features and holds high architectural value. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XrPLBe8K_vs/WE2waW04vpI/AAAAAAAABFg/E3vTkeBNttM6q8x-WhrmDNwIqJR7BApOgCLcB/s1600/murmansk%2Btrain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XrPLBe8K_vs/WE2waW04vpI/AAAAAAAABFg/E3vTkeBNttM6q8x-WhrmDNwIqJR7BApOgCLcB/s320/murmansk%2Btrain.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Murmansk train station</td></tr>
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After a very long 36 hours of riding we finally pulled into
Murmansk. Although it was cold, the temperatures were not all that frigid
considering that we were at 69° north. To put Murmansk’s latitude into
perspective the US-Canadian border in my home state of Washington is at 49°
north, so I was quite a bit far north. Thanks to the Gulf Stream though Murmansk
stays pretty warm during the winter and its waters stay ice-free thus serving
as the perfect base for Russia’s Northern Fleet. </div>
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When I arrived at around noon I noticed there was not a lot
of light, but I assumed that was because it was cloudy plus it’s in the north
and there’s not much sun light during the winter anyway. Later on when I got to
my hotel I looked up when sunrise and sunset was. I googled “Murmansk sunrise”
and it popped up “sunrise January 11<sup>th</sup>, 2017”….. WAIT…..what?
January 11<sup>th</sup>??? No way…I mean I knew we were north but really? Sure
enough after doing some more investigation it turns out that the sun had set a
few days before I came and will not rise again until January 11<sup>th</sup>,
which is where the term “Polar Night” comes from. And people back home complain
about how “dark” it is during winter! Next time I hear people complain about
how “dark” Seattle is during winter, I’ll tell them it could be worse, just
consider Murmank, where the the sun is down for an entire month and a half. However,
just because the sun never rose did not mean we were without light. Some beams
of twilight came through just like what you’d expect before sunrise making for
semi-light day, but that wasn’t much, about three hours. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gtL0W9_98Q4/WE2xXBRsqLI/AAAAAAAABFo/3jnpVHGdxkck_7RayXjJg7-Sc2Md60G4wCLcB/s1600/20161201_140659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gtL0W9_98Q4/WE2xXBRsqLI/AAAAAAAABFo/3jnpVHGdxkck_7RayXjJg7-Sc2Md60G4wCLcB/s320/20161201_140659.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Murmansk at about 2pm</td></tr>
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After recovering from what I like to call “train lag”, the
next day I went out to explore. The city was quite small and very compact with
not a lot to see. The main drag, Leninsky Prospect or basically Lenin Street stretched
for about a kilometer and made up the center. Unlike in Moscow there were no
fancy luxury stores or restaurants, not like I need any, just the basics. There
was amazingly enough a McDonald’s to which I guiltily admit to eating at. Hell,
I was tired and didn’t want to spend a lot of money so I gave in and went
across the street to the world’s most northern McDonald’s. Say what you may
about McD’s but the food is always reliable and the price can’t be beaten. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vzadJFOzOqQ/WE2xzuE2LMI/AAAAAAAABFs/r-fQphR7YFsA8-r5cj02UJ2p0sQDcL0DgCLcB/s1600/20161201_104116%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vzadJFOzOqQ/WE2xzuE2LMI/AAAAAAAABFs/r-fQphR7YFsA8-r5cj02UJ2p0sQDcL0DgCLcB/s320/20161201_104116%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leninsky Prospect</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hiUe4FWcfrU/WE2yH1mM1VI/AAAAAAAABFw/ZxX-sW1TET4wrUV__qPEDdjDq9z7dQFJQCLcB/s1600/20161201_112708%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hiUe4FWcfrU/WE2yH1mM1VI/AAAAAAAABFw/ZxX-sW1TET4wrUV__qPEDdjDq9z7dQFJQCLcB/s320/20161201_112708%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="239" /></a> <span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">My first stop on my three-stop tour would be The </span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">Memorial Complex to the Soldiers and Seamen Who Died in Peaceful Time about
a mile north of town. This memorial was obviously dedicated to those who served
in the navy and to soldiers who died during times of peace and was in the shape
of a giant lighthouse. Inside were marble plaques with the words “Forever
Memory” inscribed on them with the Russian and the flags of St. Andrew next to each
other. The
lighthouse structure was a bit odd sitting there in the middle of a Russian
neighborhood with giant gray apartment blocks surrounding it. Not exactly the
type of place you’d expect to find a lighthouse! But then again Murmansk was
not exactly St. Petersburg with grand European architecture and magnificently
beautiful palaces! </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PpVlx9sXMhE/WE2yWKeztrI/AAAAAAAABGI/kCB1vUMW8sQZ6sZWjryy0OF7GjTd1bNAwCEw/s1600/20161201_122727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PpVlx9sXMhE/WE2yWKeztrI/AAAAAAAABGI/kCB1vUMW8sQZ6sZWjryy0OF7GjTd1bNAwCEw/s400/20161201_122727.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alyosha Monument</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">The next stop was another somber memorial, Alyosha
Monument dedicated to those who died in The Great Patriotic War (aka WWII)
defending the Arctic. As I was walking there it suddenly hit me that all the
places I was going to see were memorials of some kind or another. Yet, I was
not about to sit in the hotel all day and watch TV or surf the Internet. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">***EDITOR'S NOTE: the following text turned out double spaced due to a bug in the program, apologies in advance*** </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<h1 style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yu9W41oS9LI/WE2zHWILKeI/AAAAAAAABGw/IMb7-fSmH44GyApcQyYaPsbsQsQZAixZACPcB/s1600/20161201_130402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yu9W41oS9LI/WE2zHWILKeI/AAAAAAAABGw/IMb7-fSmH44GyApcQyYaPsbsQsQZAixZACPcB/s320/20161201_130402.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">The final stop along my tour of Murmansk would be
“The Waiting Woman” statue, likely dedicated to the many women who await their
husbands to return from being at sea. There was no formal address to the statue
and I couldn’t find it on google maps, but after some real digging I found a
website that did provide an address, so I plugged it into google maps and
started walking. I kept following the instructions, but eventually came to the
address, which was no more than a giant cluster of huge Soviet block apartment
houses. I looked and looked and looked some more but never could find it. I
eventually gave up and called a cab, as I was way too tired to walk back the
three or so miles to town. In hindsight I should’ve asked a local, but I guess
I’m just a typical guy……doesn't like to ask for directions!</span> </h1>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eaaDRIDx39g/WE2zfZj1-YI/AAAAAAAABGM/XJuEL2FWZLw6-KTbuV8l8BZF857_I2avgCLcB/s1600/20161202_120023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eaaDRIDx39g/WE2zfZj1-YI/AAAAAAAABGM/XJuEL2FWZLw6-KTbuV8l8BZF857_I2avgCLcB/s320/20161202_120023.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h1 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">My next adventure wouldn’t come until the following
day when I visited the nuclear icebreaker Lenin. The Lenin had been in service
from 1959 until 1989 when it was retired eventually being converted into a
museum in 2005. Every day at 12 and 2pm there are guided tours in Russian, so I
decided to take the 12pm tour. It was not a long walk from my hotel to the
port, after all I could see the port from my room. Unfortunately because I used
Google maps to go there by foot it routed me the long way around to the ship
through the rail yards of Murmansk and through the port area. It was not exactly
a problem, just that there was a much simpler and quicker way.</span></h1>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QcA_lFppOKs/WE2z8RMoB2I/AAAAAAAABGQ/DG1kloiojWUFCEsjQFrpIjmGa-1ZLpG1QCLcB/s1600/20161202_115838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QcA_lFppOKs/WE2z8RMoB2I/AAAAAAAABGQ/DG1kloiojWUFCEsjQFrpIjmGa-1ZLpG1QCLcB/s320/20161202_115838.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sea Station</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h1 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">I got down to the area with a fair amount of time
before they started the tour at noon. When I reached the Sea Station where
cruise ships and ferries depart from, a Chinese girl frantically came running up
to me and said in English, “do you speak English”. I said yes and she said that
she had lost her phone in the snow and could I help her. I said sure and
started hunting around in the deep snow. It seemed hopeless, like finding a
needle in a haystack, but we kept looking. Eventually I found a small glow on
the edge of a snow bank and sure enough it was her phone! She was overjoyed and
hugged me. </span>
</h1>
<h1 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">After finding her phone in the snow we both moved
onto join the tour of the Lenin nuclear icebreaker. Along with around a dozen
people we stood out in the snow waiting for them to let us on board. Eventually
after a good ten minutes of freezing they finally opened. I asked for one
ticket in Russian and amazingly enough was given the Russian Federation Citizen
rate even though I’m not a citizen. Not sure why as usually they’re pretty
strict on who gets the Russian rate and who does not. And even though I speak
pretty good Russian my Scandinavian-American looks somehow give me away. </span></h1>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WsqAuNfCEmE/WE20OoIWDuI/AAAAAAAABGU/4w0SK7WWV5YTtb5lu6AIASSNiJC1se5oQCLcB/s1600/20161202_124031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WsqAuNfCEmE/WE20OoIWDuI/AAAAAAAABGU/4w0SK7WWV5YTtb5lu6AIASSNiJC1se5oQCLcB/s320/20161202_124031.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">Our tour began in a giant very official looking
conference room with a large wooden table and a nice looking hardwood floor.
There we’d be briefed about all the information about the ship and its history.
The tour guide described in detail the ship and its long history and gave an
overview of what we’d be seeing that day. One of the most interesting facts was
that it only took the ship a few days to reach the North Pole. He also told us
all about Fidel Castro’s visit aboard the ship many years ago, which was
appropriate since Castro had just passed away a few days before. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lB9nNLXqZJ4/WE20gxXmhgI/AAAAAAAABGY/a3MdSwQDoi0cgmCchWwrDMsx5cOEBnepgCLcB/s1600/20161202_123114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lB9nNLXqZJ4/WE20gxXmhgI/AAAAAAAABGY/a3MdSwQDoi0cgmCchWwrDMsx5cOEBnepgCLcB/s320/20161202_123114.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;"></span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">Once we finished with the orientation we moved onto
look at other parts of the ship. Our first stop was to take a peak down inside
the room where they actually used the nuclear material to power the ship. To
make it look real they even had some mannequins covered in HAZMAT suits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other highlights included looking at living
quarters, captain’s quarters (which were quite spacious), the engine room and up
to the bridge. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i0QSp2Z9gZ8/WE21T0dM6SI/AAAAAAAABGg/0IUZf3bGKDY6OXX_4uYhGFom08rQlkxKACLcB/s1600/20161202_125233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i0QSp2Z9gZ8/WE21T0dM6SI/AAAAAAAABGg/0IUZf3bGKDY6OXX_4uYhGFom08rQlkxKACLcB/s320/20161202_125233.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">But one part I found the most interesting was the on-board hospital. The hospital was not exactly spacious but had a full
operating room and a place for patients to recover. The equipment they used
looked fairly ancient even for 1980s standards. The guide told us that the
hospital was used not only for those aboard but as a sort of mobile hospital
for villages and different missions along the ship’s route. To top things off
there was also a whole dental office next door. It really emphasized to me that
the ship was like its own self-contained floating village. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9nPg2Hr5NiE/WE21mBg1oCI/AAAAAAAABGk/wDMIaW8j_IY43IRDml3HAfcgXnQ8DTmBACLcB/s1600/20161202_131809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9nPg2Hr5NiE/WE21mBg1oCI/AAAAAAAABGk/wDMIaW8j_IY43IRDml3HAfcgXnQ8DTmBACLcB/s320/20161202_131809.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;">When I arrived in Murmansk the day before I was
pretty distraught over the fact that there was nothing to do and I even
contemplated flying to Petersburg a day or two early . But after seeing all the monuments, the nuclear icebreaker and
having survived a day trip out to the Arctic Ocean I was convinced, Murmansk
was a real diamond in the rough and a place I was overjoyed that I had visited.
For anyone with a desire to get off the beaten path and see a different sort of
place I highly recommend Murmansk!</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SNMmdM1EL0E/WE216yleSPI/AAAAAAAABGo/yCPK0xOyex0Y-0PAHdwK55n1Mn6R85ZjACLcB/s1600/20161202_143420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SNMmdM1EL0E/WE216yleSPI/AAAAAAAABGo/yCPK0xOyex0Y-0PAHdwK55n1Mn6R85ZjACLcB/s400/20161202_143420.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Murmansk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h1 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></h1>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-32842034867909532862016-12-05T10:24:00.000-08:002016-12-05T11:42:51.718-08:00The Arctic Coast<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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After two days of looking around Murmansk, I had pretty much
maxed out all there was to do there. I hadn’t traveled 2,000+ some miles from
Moscow to just sit around my hotel room and wait until my train to Petersburg
came at 7pm, so I started searching for tours around the area. I scoured the
Internet for excursions and even inquired with one company about visiting a
reindeer farm and a place with sled dog huskies. But unfortunately nobody
returned my emails. So I figured I should ask the front desk if they had any
suggestions. Luckily they did have suggestions.
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<br /></div>
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The nice girl there, Anastasia, provided me with a card of a
local tour guide. I figured since it was winter and I wanted a tour the next
day I may be out of luck. Nonetheless I figured I might as well try and shot
off an email hoping for something. Within about a half an hour I got an email
back asking what type of tours I’d like stating, I could choose from seeing the
huskies, visiting a reindeer farm and going out to an Arctic Ocean village.
Since I am a Husky…….that is a proud graduate of the University of Washington
whose mascot is a husky, I contemplated seeing the dogs. But this just didn’t
have the wow factor that going to The Arctic Ocean had. </div>
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<br /></div>
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So, after thinking it all over I signed up for a tour to a
village called Teriberka on The Arctic Ocean. I was unsure exactly what it
entailed, maybe looking around the village, some light walking around, maybe a
visit to a museum, some cultural program and that was it. Neither did I realize
what I was getting myself into. </div>
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<br /></div>
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I met up with my tour guide, Yuri, in the hotel lobby. He
was a tall thin but well built guy with long hair tied back in a ponytail. It
took us a good two and a half hours to reach the village. After a quick stop at
the local café for a bathroom break and a chance to look around the village we
headed further up the Arctic Ocean Coast. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w63zbJwOXgc/WEWvgmIrnFI/AAAAAAAABE0/6NTWuaMtrlkA3yfg0cCEj_LtkxHpiGg_gCLcB/s1600/20161203_111214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w63zbJwOXgc/WEWvgmIrnFI/AAAAAAAABE0/6NTWuaMtrlkA3yfg0cCEj_LtkxHpiGg_gCLcB/s320/20161203_111214.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cEKG3n5a80M/WEWvPFN9ChI/AAAAAAAABEw/rHLBON5Puuk5hnV2lP-XU9QS_I59AW2DwCLcB/s1600/20161203_111211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cEKG3n5a80M/WEWvPFN9ChI/AAAAAAAABEw/rHLBON5Puuk5hnV2lP-XU9QS_I59AW2DwCLcB/s320/20161203_111211.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Eventually we got to a point in the
road where the snow got pretty deep. Yuri tried several times to get some
traction and go forward, but we just sat there spinning our wheels. We couldn’t
go forward or backwards, the van was stuck. And this was no ordinary van, this
van had high clearance and was built for the snow, still we may as well have
had a Lada from the 1980s as it didn’t matter we were stuck!
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Yuri hopped out of the car after several futile attempts and
started shoveling. He shoveled for a good 10 minutes and then got back in and
still nothing! We were stuck. He repeated this for about a half hour. Eventually
as luck would have it he was able to shovel out just enough to be able to back
out but unfortunately we would not be going forward and had to park the van. So, at this point our only
option to go forward was to walk. </div>
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The wind was howling and I do mean howling! The air
temperature was not that bad, about -3 to -4 centigrade or around 28-30 F. But
combined that with the frigid wind chill, blowing snow, ice, brutal headwinds
and even some sand to mix in with it, it was difficult at best to walk. We
walked and we walked over rocks, through snowdrifts and over ice. I could see
the Arctic Ocean over to my right with its violent crashing waves against the
rocks. It was thrilling to finally see the Arctic Ocean, which now meant I’d
been to all four oceans, the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Indian and now the Arctic.
And even more thrilling to imagine was that at that point I was closer to the
North Pole at 2,000 kilometers than I was to Moscow! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n2oJeBoGHkU/WEWuSLnn-oI/AAAAAAAABEo/bF5J9xhh8FEo15TFLK8_494X0KIbW_DDwCLcB/s1600/20161203_124312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n2oJeBoGHkU/WEWuSLnn-oI/AAAAAAAABEo/bF5J9xhh8FEo15TFLK8_494X0KIbW_DDwCLcB/s320/20161203_124312.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After a few pauses to look at some of the scenery and some
of the rocks, we continued on. I was struggling mightily as I had not brought
the proper footwear since I had no idea we would be doing so much hiking! I
only had tennis shoes on and not my “arctic grip” boots, which put me at a real
disadvantage, as the snow was DEEEEEP! At times I would be going along and
suddenly I’d drop down a foot or two into a snow bank. But I kept going until I
fell into a hole and severely bruised my leg. After a moment or two of
expletives and assessing any damage, I was able to pick myself up and continue.
We were going to go down to the beach, but seeing how I was struggling Yuri
decided we’d instead stop at a rock that was not covered in snow and have some
tea. He brought with him some pads for us to sit on. We sat down and in true
Russian fashion sat there surrounded by snow with howling winds and drank tea.
With the winds screaming and the frigid wind chill I was quite grateful that
I’d layered to the max!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We spent about ten minutes drinking tea until Ivan, the
other group member, decided he wanted to go to the beach after all. So Ivan got
up and started hopping effortlessly over all the rocks, snow and ice making his
way toward the beach. As I sat there huddled on a rock with a teacup in my hand
trying to stay warm I wished that I’d have had that type of energy. I guess
having been born and raised in Seattle I just wasn’t cut out for Russian
winters. Yuri eventually got up and told me to wait on the rock and that he was
going somewhere, where I didn’t know! He said he’d be back and left his stuff.
I really did not question thinking he was just going out for a bathroom break
or somewhere. Looking back on it, I should’ve asked him!! </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
About ten minutes went by and I started to wonder where he’d
gone, so I climbed up to the top of one of the mounds to take a look at the
scenery around. No sign of Yuri! I thought it was odd, but figured he’d
eventually come back. Another few minutes went by and still no sign of Yuri.
Ivan was down at the beach playing around, so I was alone, not a soul for
miles!!! I started to get worried, calling for him thinking maybe he was just
over the next rock. Nothing!! Eventually my worry turned to all out panic. I
had no idea how to get back to the van! I yelled some more and still nothing
but howling wind. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What now? I did not want to leave my place in case he came
back, but the weather was starting to get even worse and visibility was
shrinking rapidly. I looked at my phone and by some miracle I actually had
decent mobile coverage out there in the middle of nowhere!! Yuri had called me
earlier that morning to make sure I was coming so I quickly dialed his phone
number. But no luck! I then realized the tour organizer had written me on Facebook,
so I quickly wrote him a message that Yuri was nowhere to be seen and that I
was panicked. Within about a minute Yaroslav, the tour organizer called me on
Facebook to tell me not to worry that Yuri is extremely trustworthy and you can
trust him like your brother. He told me that if he did not show up to find a
place that was not windy and to start following my footprints back to the van.
The only problem with that advice was that this was wide-open tundra!! There
were no trees or places I could find that would shield me from the cruel Arctic
wind! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just as I was ready to give up and try to maybe walk back to
the van, I spotted someone!!! At first I thought my eyes were deceiving me. I
thought maybe it was just a rock that looked like a person, but sure enough out
there on the snowy tundra it was indeed Yuri. I waved profusely and he waved
back. I was relieved to know that he was on his way. I wrote Yaroslav telling
him that I’d found Yuri. He was relieved and said it was easy to get lost out
there. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HH8pRXXnKU4/WEWtc1wEsYI/AAAAAAAABEk/MxoA1VAvv2o0A_Ofp1rwTkdwWXyreBz0ACLcB/s1600/20161203_124655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HH8pRXXnKU4/WEWtc1wEsYI/AAAAAAAABEk/MxoA1VAvv2o0A_Ofp1rwTkdwWXyreBz0ACLcB/s320/20161203_124655.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yuri eventually made his way back to my rock. I frantically
asked him where he had been. I said to him that he’d been gone for what seemed
like at least a half an hour. He looked at his watch and said, “I was gone just
about 15 minutes”! 15 minutes………no way! Maybe Arctic time is longer than back
home, but there was no chance he was gone only 15 minutes. After my story about
how I was worried he’d abandoned me out in The Arctic he told me he’d gone back
to the van to retrieve some boots that I could slip over my tennis shoes. These
would help me walk through the snow easier. I slipped them on and they did
help, but there was no taking away from the fact the wind still was brutal and
the conditions were rough at best. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PKlphTOkmq4/WEWtMKPxUhI/AAAAAAAABEg/akfVYNBOirQFAIIY6Ta_Yumj-UriMpClgCLcB/s1600/20161203_124605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PKlphTOkmq4/WEWtMKPxUhI/AAAAAAAABEg/akfVYNBOirQFAIIY6Ta_Yumj-UriMpClgCLcB/s320/20161203_124605.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eventually Ivan returned from his side trip to the beach and
we were ready to continue our adventure. We walked over some more terrain then
hooked up with what was the road, albeit totally covered in snow. We continued
walking for about another 15 minutes until I got to the point where I had to
ask Yuri how much longer we would be going for. After all we’d been out there a long time, plus conditions after getting better for a bit were again
rapidly starting to deteriorate. Yuri stated we’d be hiking for another half
an hour. No way was I going to continue to brave these conditions for another half hour. By that time Ivan had already raced out ahead of us by about a kilometer.
Yuri said he’d run ahead to try to catch up with Ivan to tell him we were
heading back and to return with us. He told me to head back on the road and
that I’d eventually find the van. He said he’d catch up with me once he found
Ivan. I was a bit skeptical but I figured if I kept walking I’d find it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bx3-H_6bJq0/WEWsjz7ZF1I/AAAAAAAABEY/ipo0adOSxtQ9cOB4XpyCWhpEzpvA3YFPACLcB/s1600/20161203_122438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bx3-H_6bJq0/WEWsjz7ZF1I/AAAAAAAABEY/ipo0adOSxtQ9cOB4XpyCWhpEzpvA3YFPACLcB/s320/20161203_122438.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After about 15 minutes of hiking Yuri caught up with me but
he was missing Ivan. Where was Ivan I asked? He said he refused to come back
and wanted to walk out the full half hour. We got returned to the van despite the
harsh conditions of blowing snow, ice and hail. It was good to be back in the
van and be warm especially after about 2 or so hours of hiking in the frigid
conditions. Although I was happy to be back in the van, I was a bit worried as
I had train to make to St. Petersburg at 7pm and we were leaving rather late.
Who knew what type of conditions lay before us on our way back. After a good
half an hour of sitting in the van huddling around the van’s heater Ivan
finally returned! We were finally ready to go back to Murmansk!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eqej3f037X0/WEWsz6KheDI/AAAAAAAABEc/cTewdx0AKysxWmLucn1VVI6yJOy1omR5wCLcB/s1600/20161203_134844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eqej3f037X0/WEWsz6KheDI/AAAAAAAABEc/cTewdx0AKysxWmLucn1VVI6yJOy1omR5wCLcB/s320/20161203_134844.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My guide, Yuri, forging ahead despite the white out conditions</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The conditions on our return trip were nasty at best,
blowing snow, times of near zero visibility and very bumpy conditions. It was a
good thing we had a <span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">UAZ- 220<span style="font-size: small;">6</span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;">, a cross between a VW van, </span>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XtK7JwIqj2Q/WEWr2tRN8VI/AAAAAAAABEU/4TXxBevJ3dshqpM0TM-ffcHl6excawp5gCLcB/s1600/20161203_135443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XtK7JwIqj2Q/WEWr2tRN8VI/AAAAAAAABEU/4TXxBevJ3dshqpM0TM-ffcHl6excawp5gCLcB/s320/20161203_135443.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our trusty UAZ-2206</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
a cross between a VW van and a huge 4x4 truck or we’d’ve
never made out of Murmansk. We arrived into town about 5:30pm with just enough
time for me to pack my bags, go to the grocery store below to pick up some Coke
for the road and check out of my hotel. I made the train with no problem but
was sad to leave The Arctic and all its adventure behind. I may have left the
Arctic behind, but the memories and impressions of my three days in the Arctic
will never ever leave me!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-15MW9sxn0dk/WEWwV54kRcI/AAAAAAAABE4/RGFtUw3BoFg1OvlZxZ2hG8OgGNCrCu3jwCLcB/s1600/15219523_10209354076901987_1037587188790264158_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-15MW9sxn0dk/WEWwV54kRcI/AAAAAAAABE4/RGFtUw3BoFg1OvlZxZ2hG8OgGNCrCu3jwCLcB/s320/15219523_10209354076901987_1037587188790264158_n.jpeg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue dot marks the spot! My location at my furthest point north!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-43229744376164738372016-12-01T13:08:00.000-08:002016-12-01T14:17:51.533-08:00Should I Stay or Should I Go? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Shortly after I completed my abandoned buildings tour I came
down to reception to talk to Vanda about staying a few extra hours at The
Pushkin Hotel until my train left that evening to the legendary city of Kazan, Tatarstan. She told me the other
day that we’d try to think up some solutions so I did not have to pay too much
to stay till that evening. When I came down she did not look like her usual
happy self. I asked her “how are things”……..she paused and said “bad”. I asked
her what the matter was. She said I would kill her when I heard the news. She
said The Pushkin was all full up for several days and that I’d have to leave at
checkout, which would mean I’d have about 10 hours of time without a place to
stay. She was quite disturbed, worried and did not want me homeless for ten
hours. Vanda frantically tried to think up all types of different scenarios but
to no avail. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was a bit panicked too, but luckily I had a solution in
case there were no cancelations and I was forced out of The Pushkin. For my
return trip from Kazan, Tatarstan through Moscow I had a 15 hour layover between trains
and I had booked a hotel at the train station called “Gorod Otel’” or “City
Hotel”. Their check in and check out time was pretty flexible, so I suggested
that I stay there in case I needed a place to rest. Vanda quickly called them
and indeed they had room, so we made a reservation. She said she’d try her best
to get me a room at The Pushkin so I did not have to move. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next morning came, but there were still no cancelations,
but she still was hopeful she could pull something off. An hour or two later
after breakfast there was a knock at my door it was Vanda. She said she had
found me a room but that I’d have to move from my nice suite to a much smaller
room. I was open. We went upstairs and she showed me two different rooms and
indeed they were small…………no bigger than a nice coat closet. Plus, they would
cost a lot more than “CityHotel” over at Kazan Railway Station. I said I’d give
it a thought. At that point her shift was over and she was leaving which meant
it was time for one final goodbye. I gave her a big hug and kissed her
goodbye………feeling sad that I wouldn’t see her for another few months.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After a fair amount of time weighing my options I figured I
may as well save the money and move across town to the Kazan Railway Station.
So after a week of being at The Pushkin I somehow gathered up all my stuff
cluttered around the room and headed to the railway station. I got to the
railway station and after going around and around trying to find the hotel
entrance I finally found it tucked away in a remote corner of the station. I
was glad I found it………..the bad news though………it was up at least several
flights of stairs and my bag weighed at least a ton! They had a little ramp on
the side of the stairs to help you, but that did little good just made my bag
tipsy and fall over. So like the famous Greek legend of syphisis, who kept
rolling the rock up the hill only for it to fall down, I kept rolling my bag up
the stairs and the small ramp only for it to fall over and for me to try it
again. After several attempts I finally made it up the stairs to the hotel! The
staff there was very welcoming and I was glad I spoke Russian because without
that skill, I’d be in deep trouble, as they spoke zero English! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I checked in and they escorted me to my deluxe room. It was a
nice room and would do well for my 9-hour stay. It had a view over the train
station, which was ok since I was only going to be spending a few hours there
anyways. I actually enjoyed my view, as it was entertaining to observe from
above all the people scurrying around the station and listening to the non-stop
announcements on which trains were arriving and which ones were departing. I’ve
been to a lot of different train stations in Russia in my life, but for some
reason Kazan Station just felt a bit different. It was more frantic and had a unique
atmosphere to it. It may have been due to the fact that all the trains from the
south come into Kazan Station, i.e. Chechnya, Dagestan and Ossetia, three
places that fair or unfair have a reputation as being bad places. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s6H1uLhCJ2U/WECQMF_jgQI/AAAAAAAABDk/nOu1xlsnPugUsRCqyc46WVlLzryBeg4_ACLcB/s1600/20161123_163955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s6H1uLhCJ2U/WECQMF_jgQI/AAAAAAAABDk/nOu1xlsnPugUsRCqyc46WVlLzryBeg4_ACLcB/s320/20161123_163955.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kazan Station</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HOtB6pKnq-c/WECQWiVUDmI/AAAAAAAABDo/EmUdHp3EjuQzAFKMzdZjgfsJ9CE1TGSCACLcB/s1600/20160503_121912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HOtB6pKnq-c/WECQWiVUDmI/AAAAAAAABDo/EmUdHp3EjuQzAFKMzdZjgfsJ9CE1TGSCACLcB/s320/20160503_121912.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">VDNKH Fountains in summer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once I got settled into my room I went out to one of my most
favorite places in all of Moscow, VDNKH. VDNKH is a type of Soviet world’s fair
like park with all types of buildings, exhibits, statues and relics to remind
one of bygone times. There you have different pavilions from the ex-Soviet
republics, which profile the republic’s native culture. Some of the other
highlights include a fountain with 15 golden statues in a circle to represent
the ex 15 republics. During summer months when the fountains are on it is quite
the sight to see.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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Unfortunately, the fountains were off and they were
constructing an ice skating rink around it, so I only caught a glimpse of them
from afar. But the other buildings were still there in all their glory.
However, it wasn’t always so glorious. Shortly after the USSR collapsed in the
early 90s the park began to decay and many buildings were left to rot. Only
recently did the government start to take an interest in revitalizing the park
and bringing it back to its former glory days. To me this park holds a certain
nostalgic value, as it was the first place I ever visited when I first came to
the Soviet Union in the summer of 1991. Today I can safely say VDNKH is back to
its past glory days and serves as a favorite place for Muscovites to visit
during their free time and during summer when its jammed with people! </div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pcUuRcYcjxg/WECQkzvQioI/AAAAAAAABDs/sGnPaLs987wtGS98xLcCrFcigz0VZbKMQCLcB/s1600/20161123_150807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pcUuRcYcjxg/WECQkzvQioI/AAAAAAAABDs/sGnPaLs987wtGS98xLcCrFcigz0VZbKMQCLcB/s320/20161123_150807.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I returned to my hotel room tired from all my walking around
and freezing from the chilly weather. After coming back so cold I learned that
it’s better to air on the safe side and layer than under layer. What seemed
like a century’s worth of time quickly evaporated to no time and before I knew
it, it was time to pack up my bags and hop aboard the new double decker train
to Kazan that would take overnight. I looked forward to my next adventure! My
journey was just starting!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FfKPKZldsCY/WECQ7XAidjI/AAAAAAAABD0/RG2Y5SQYO_ICOBlwd8FtyXgWMtVzo3bkgCLcB/s1600/20161123_163856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FfKPKZldsCY/WECQ7XAidjI/AAAAAAAABD0/RG2Y5SQYO_ICOBlwd8FtyXgWMtVzo3bkgCLcB/s320/20161123_163856.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kazan Station entry</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-58976632278169086122016-11-30T12:34:00.001-08:002016-11-30T12:36:23.351-08:00Abandoned buildings and a new ring line<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="RU" style="mso-ansi-language: RU;">Moscow for years
has been trying to improve its traffic problem , which is awful, with little to
no success! They've tried a few different things like built countless new
metro stations and also started charging for parking in the center, but for
what it's worth it all has failed to solve some of the world's worst traffic.
The newest weapon Moscow has rolled out to get people off the roads and onto
trains and buses is the new metro system called МЦК or for those who do not
read Russian, the Moscow Central Ring line. It just opened in September. </span>Unlike
the first ring line, which opened in the 1930s and uses regular metro subway
wagons, the new Moscow Central Ring line has actual nice brand new state of the
art rail cars by RZD/РЖД (Russian Railway company) with comfortable seats to accommodate passengers. They even have
cars that are specially made for the handicapped and to bring your bicycle on,
two things that are pretty uncommon in Russia. </div>
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The new line dwarfs the old line weighing in with over 35
stations as compared to 12 for the old one. So, being the lover of public
transportation and especially trains I figured I’d spend some time out of my
day taking a ride on it. Overall, I was very impressed with the system. The
seats were comfortable, the ride was smooth and there were plenty of
announcements in both English and Russian to let you know what the next station
was and what the interchange was.</div>
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However, the connections to the regular Moscow Metro are
awful!! Many stations are not connected with the overall metro requiring you to
walk sometimes upwards of 15 minutes to get to the next station in the elements
and through the regular grimy streets. It basically feels as if you are
transferring to a whole another metro system even though it is completely owned
and operated by the same company that runs the regular Metro system and all
cards and passes are valid on it. Mind you there are some stations where there
are overpasses and a clear connection, but it’s the ones that are not connected
which make it a bit of a flawed system. Nonetheless despite all of its flaws I
enjoyed my ride on <span lang="RU" style="mso-ansi-language: RU;">МЦК </span>Moscow
Central Ring line. </div>
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That evening I had yet another exciting adventure planned,
an abandoned buildings tour in Moscow. Unlike in the United States where going
into an abandoned building would not only never be advertised as an official
tour, but would probably get you into a lot of legal trouble, in Russia there
seems to be no problem, even if it is a bit dangerous. The plan was to meet my
guide at The Sparrow Hills metro station and from there we would explore an
abandoned escalator shaft followed by an ascent to the top of a building for a
view of all of Moscow. I arrived at the metro station in good time only to get
a message from Maxim, my guide, to say that he was running late due to traffic.
So I waited and waited some more till he called me and told me where to meet
him. Sometimes it can be so maddening as I have studied Russian for 26 years
but many times people say things over the phone and I don’t understand them.
This was one of those cases, but eventually I was able to pinpoint that he was
outside the station waiting for me. I walked out of the station and by a guy
just standing there. I got eye contact with him like to say, “Are you the one
I’m looking for” and he didn’t do anything. I thought that was odd, so I went
back and approached him and asked him if was Maxim. Sure enough it was he. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TQ19r6fEFQg/WD80LYWwN9I/AAAAAAAABCI/LSwHP6Bqulw7bFuKFmOCUf9cP_2GywQWACLcB/s1600/20161122_162510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TQ19r6fEFQg/WD80LYWwN9I/AAAAAAAABCI/LSwHP6Bqulw7bFuKFmOCUf9cP_2GywQWACLcB/s320/20161122_162510.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sparrow Hills Metro station which sits on a bridge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Our first stop would be the abandoned escalator shaft on
Sparrow Hills. The Sparrow Hills or as it once used to be known as Lenin Hills
station is located at the bottom of the hills. In order to get up it you have
to hike up about a kilometer to the top. This can be kind of hard if you’re not
in good shape or are not up for the weather elements that Russia can throw at
you. But back in the Soviet days you did not have to worry about this, as there
was a second option, an enclosed escalator to the top. But in the 1980s the
dirt started to shift and the escalator started to show cracks and signs of
settling. Due to this the shaft was closed and has been abandoned ever since. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xd904hg2Fgc/WD81JFv5rKI/AAAAAAAABCg/qHojKx9nFeU8HFmv-NbhgaEyNYrLy4OvgCK4B/s1600/img_1314_0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xd904hg2Fgc/WD81JFv5rKI/AAAAAAAABCg/qHojKx9nFeU8HFmv-NbhgaEyNYrLy4OvgCK4B/s320/img_1314_0.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hfwppwfAKLM/WD81EFBQpwI/AAAAAAAABCY/P5cy8r5pI9Epm4l7_cJz-yqlz3HDnI1mgCK4B/s1600/%2B%25D0%25AD%25D1%2581%25D0%25BA%25D0%25B0%25D0%25BB%25D0%25B0%25D1%2582%25D0%25BE%25D1%2580%2B%25D0%25B2%25D0%25BD%25D1%2583%25D1%2582%25D1%2580%25D0%25B8.%2B1969...jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hfwppwfAKLM/WD81EFBQpwI/AAAAAAAABCY/P5cy8r5pI9Epm4l7_cJz-yqlz3HDnI1mgCK4B/s320/%2B%25D0%25AD%25D1%2581%25D0%25BA%25D0%25B0%25D0%25BB%25D0%25B0%25D1%2582%25D0%25BE%25D1%2580%2B%25D0%25B2%25D0%25BD%25D1%2583%25D1%2582%25D1%2580%25D0%25B8.%2B1969...jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Tonight we would explore this now abandoned shaft. I had
seen the shaft many times before while walking around Sparrow Hills and had
heard about it but did not know much about its history, just that it was no
longer in use. Because the sun sets soooo early in Moscow, about 3:30 pm, we’d
be doing this all in the dark, adding an extra layer of suspense. </div>
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We arrived at the shaft and it was pitch black around us,
plus very icy!! I could feel my feet getting a bit shaky but luckily I was
quickly able to stabilize myself. He handed me a flashlight and showed me where
I’d have to step up to in order to get in. It was a bit of a reach to step up
onto the ledge that led into the abandoned shaft but I was up to the challenge.</div>
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Once we got in all I can say was it was very creepy. I guess
what else would you expect when talking about an abandoned building, but this
was not a good feeling. There was trash EVERYWHERE and I mean everywhere, heaps
upon heaps of it making it hard to really walk around. I asked him when we got
in if it was dangerous. Usually when asked this question Russians in their very
cavalier manner will answer with a smile and say “no, not at all, it is no
problem, very safe”…..even if it is highly dangerous. So, when I asked him if
it was dangerous he actually replied by saying “a bit”. I knew if he thought it
was a bit dangerous that it probably was not very safe and therefore not a good
idea! We took a look at the old engine room, which was also just saturated in
trash and I guess a home to bumbs and homeless people. We got back to the main
area where the escalator used to be and now there are just ruins and he asked
if I wanted to climb up to the top. I said at this point I was uncomfortable
and that I’d rather just skip it. </div>
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Our next stop would be an abandoned building 15 minutes away
across town. But of course due to traffic it took us 45 minutes to get there.
Once there I noticed the building was surrounded by what seemed to be concrete
panels and was about 14-15 floors high. He must have had some type of
arrangement with the security company who was guarding the building because we
were let right in and they seemed to know him quite well. I suspect that it was
very much an under the table sort of thing, where we did not have official
permission to go up there but nonetheless money does talk, especially in
Russia! </div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EER5YYqhU40/WD81dMTpN7I/AAAAAAAABCo/gYUwuRPVQuE3YbRYXsOdLc1AgomPJ7J0gCLcB/s1600/20161122_181255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EER5YYqhU40/WD81dMTpN7I/AAAAAAAABCo/gYUwuRPVQuE3YbRYXsOdLc1AgomPJ7J0gCLcB/s320/20161122_181255.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Although it was pitch black in the building I had a better
feeling about this one than I did the abandoned escalator shaft. Luckily he
handed me a flashlight so I was able to see pretty easily. He told me that the building
was started in the late 1980s during Soviet times and when the USSR collapsed
in the early 1990s that the building’s funding fell through and it was never
completed. We explored all the different floors of the building, which
contained heaps of debris and dirt. The stairs to the top were all on the
outside, so every time we’d be hiking the stairs he’d tell me to turn off the
flashlight so people did not see us. On our way up he commented that I was brave
for taking this tour in the winter and that he hadn’t had any customers since
summer. That would be me, someone who always does things a little bit differently!</div>
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Eventually when we got up to the top of the building I
noticed the roof was a giant ice-skating rink with ice everywhere. Having
slipped several times last winter on my trip to Iceland I did not want to
repeat this unfortunate incident and proceeded very carefully. We got to a
point where we could see the entire city and the view was incredible! The only problem was I could feel my feet slipping underneath me, but luckily nothing did
happen. He offered to take me further to a higher point on the roof but after
carefully considering everything and seeing how icy it was I said no. </div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ztntmmGnw64/WD812Y_KKeI/AAAAAAAABCs/nxKxXakHa6g7pO1cweedbO7VnayxmWo8gCLcB/s1600/20161122_175633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ztntmmGnw64/WD812Y_KKeI/AAAAAAAABCs/nxKxXakHa6g7pO1cweedbO7VnayxmWo8gCLcB/s320/20161122_175633.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Even though the roof was icy and treacherous in places it
was all worth it for the view. You could see all of Moscow! Just below the
building you could see the metro station, which made for </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sLFmxwnYLB4/WD82AEZ9aBI/AAAAAAAABCw/LsZ8VgZbQcwBOlqEHc8VhxpgltkUEBkVwCLcB/s1600/20161122_175414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sLFmxwnYLB4/WD82AEZ9aBI/AAAAAAAABCw/LsZ8VgZbQcwBOlqEHc8VhxpgltkUEBkVwCLcB/s320/20161122_175414.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Metro station below</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
interesting viewing to
watch all the rush hour commuters moving like a wave below toward the metro
station. And, if you squinted very carefully you could even make out Red Square
somewhere in the distance. Sitting right next to our abandoned building was an
old TV tower, which has in recent decades been put of service by the larger
than life huge Ostankino TV tower which could be made out to the north of us.
Several years ago the tower was going to be destroyed but there was a huge
outcry to preserve this as a Soviet monument. Luckily, the government listened
and it still sits there today, a reminder of the bygone days of Soviet
television. Although Russia can be a little rough on the edges with burnt out
buildings, strange rules and kind of odd Soviet like architecture I think this
is what keeps me coming back for more! That of course and the girls!! <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fiTkCU_VAOw/WD82JVwkxQI/AAAAAAAABC0/oJUhFtZ_6wABGhCAVn7hqYxnN94ExvxywCLcB/s1600/20161122_180501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fiTkCU_VAOw/WD82JVwkxQI/AAAAAAAABC0/oJUhFtZ_6wABGhCAVn7hqYxnN94ExvxywCLcB/s320/20161122_180501.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old TV tower</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-46428825381697671602016-11-30T10:38:00.004-08:002016-11-30T13:16:42.071-08:00Friends<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Following my awesome tour of The Bolshoi I returned to the
hotel for a bit of rest before my first of two social engagements that day. The
first meeting was with my Russian teacher, Ekaterina. The second one would be
with my student Sasha. Ekaterina is the niece of two of my students, Nikolai
and Marina and has been most helpful in trying to help me improve my Russian beyond
its current boundaries. Sasha has been my student for about a year and always
is fun and interesting to talk with. </div>
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I arrived a bit late to lunch with Ekaterina, which I felt
bad about, but once again I underestimated how long it would take to get ready
in this cold, snowy weather. Luckily she was very understanding and told me it
was no big deal. She took me to a great Georgian restaurant, which served my
utmost favorite Georgian dish if not one of my most favorite foods, Hachapuri, a
kind of pizza but without sauce stuffed with cheeses inside. I so wished there
was somewhere, anywhere in Seattle or nearby that served this wonderful food,
but alas I’ll just have to keep coming back to Russia!!</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>It was wonderful to
meet with her again (I’d met with her in person on my last trip in May). Over
lunch we discussed her current PhD thesis, which was based around the creation
of a new computer program for Russian language learners to better improve their
reading skills, writing skills and listening skills. It was still a work in
progress and was being tailored for all types of different levels of Russian. I
look forward to testing the program myself and especially liked the fact that
it would tell the learner why they made a mistake. So many online tests I’ve taken
in Russian or exercises that I do don’t tell you why you made the mistake
leading to frustration on the part of the language learner. </div>
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Ekaterina and I also were lamenting about how so many unique
and individual cafes in Russia and especially St. Petersburg have gone out of
business in favor of chain restaurants like Coffee House (a Russian café that
is literally on every single corner!!) and others. And here I thought my
hometown of Bellevue and Seattle were the only place where unique local restaurants
were being replaced by global mega chains! Goes to show you there is nowhere immune
to the evil tentacles of globalization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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After discussing a wide range of other things including her
recent trip to the Spanish city of Grenada, which sounded absolutely fabulous
and a place that if I ever can break my addiction to travel in Russia that I’d
like to visit, we said goodbye. I promised that I’d definitely continue my
lessons with her. Unfortunately my mother’s recent health problems and my
unhealthy obsession with the past election (which I’m still mourning) left
little time to do lessons. But hopefully this time around I’ll do better
at time management and find a place for lessons. </div>
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I returned to my hotel room a bit tired due to the last
remaining remnants of jet lag trying to exert their power over me. I laid down
for a bit and then got ready for my second social engagement, dinner with my
student, Alex or Sasha. He was going to meet me at Pushkin Square about three
blocks away from my place, where we would take the metro to his place. Meeting
at Pushkin Square under the Pushkin statue is a common place for people to meet
in Moscow. And why not, it’s a great landmark and you really can’t go wrong!
Although I am very proficient on how to navigate the metro, which I’ve been
doing successfully since 1991 when I was a freshman or 9<sup>th</sup> grade and
sneaked out of my hotel room at 6 am to ride the then Leningrad Metro blue line,
Sasha insisted that he meet me in the city center so he could personally escort
me to his apartment, an hour away by metro. I hated to put him out but since he
was so insistent I gladly agreed. </div>
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The metro ride was a long one, nearly to the end of the
orange line in the southern part of the city. Although we had reached his home
metro station that didn’t mean we were there, we still had to walk 15 minutes to
his apartment. We arrived without any drama, but his mother had been expecting
us and wondered why we had been so long. She introduced herself as Svetlana and
proceeded to give me a tour of their apartment. Russian apartments are amazing!
The hallways and entrances to the buildings themselves are not very pretty.
Often they are dark, foreboding and the elevators can look as if they’re ready
to go out at any moment. HOWEVER, once you step inside you are in a whole new
drastically different world! The apartments are always nicely furnished, very
airy and definitely tastefully decorated. Sasha/Aleks’ apartment was no
exception! It was very nice inside, very airy and definitely very welcoming. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--j2qI8qs3Ds/WD8bpstC5EI/AAAAAAAABBk/BXyBV4Xu2Z0Hcw1JE23C4I1VW7fMyXkTACLcB/s1600/20161121_173056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--j2qI8qs3Ds/WD8bpstC5EI/AAAAAAAABBk/BXyBV4Xu2Z0Hcw1JE23C4I1VW7fMyXkTACLcB/s320/20161121_173056.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sasha and me at the dinner table</td></tr>
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Following the grand tour we sat down to dinner. Russians
always make sure you are well fed and this visit was no exception. Our
discussions at the dinner table were all very interesting. Sasha/Alex had a
huge passion for Great Britain and when it came to British history he could
talk about it till as they say, “the cows came home”. If anyone ever needs an
expert to explain Churchill’s reign and what it meant to the UK and/or the
world Sasha is your man! He’s a genius!! His mother actually used to work in
England and spoke about the stark differences between the UK and Russia. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6b_a6d5fqgE/WD8cLAcxhOI/AAAAAAAABBo/QfsjnDUAQY0w9VVhjmt2mgn5gxIiCY-3QCLcB/s1600/20161121_173114%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6b_a6d5fqgE/WD8cLAcxhOI/AAAAAAAABBo/QfsjnDUAQY0w9VVhjmt2mgn5gxIiCY-3QCLcB/s320/20161121_173114%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sasha's mom, Svetlana and myself</td></tr>
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One difference she noted was how in the UK and of course as
I noted in the United States people will often smile at complete strangers and
even say hi or engage in polite conversation. Whereas in Russia you generally
absolutely do not smile at strangers or really make conversation. This may be
part of the reason Russia gets a bad wrap about being unfriendly. Russians are
very much to themselves and believe that smiling at someone is quite weird and
in one Russian’s words indicates there must be something really wrong with you!
I try to remember this when I’m on the streets of Russia, but sometimes being
from Seattle where people are super friendly and will always smile and go out
of their way to be nice, it can be hard. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KjOBQywj1zg/WD8cSWsjuiI/AAAAAAAABBs/8lqlyBQG0gcZKLNEKx81_sZInRC9l6deACLcB/s1600/20161121_181938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KjOBQywj1zg/WD8cSWsjuiI/AAAAAAAABBs/8lqlyBQG0gcZKLNEKx81_sZInRC9l6deACLcB/s320/20161121_181938.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Moscow from Sasha's apartment. </td></tr>
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After hours of chatting about everything, we wrapped it up.
I couldn’t believe it, but Sasha wanted to personally escort me home. I told
him all he had to do was take me to the metro and I’d be good from there, but
he insisted. So, we got ready and headed to the metro eventually reaching my
place in what seemed like record breaking time of one hour, which meant Sasha
would have to ride the metro home one hour. I felt bad, but there was no way he
was going to let his honored guest ride home by themselves! Parting ways with
Sasha made me feel very grateful for the awesome friends I have across this
gigantic nation! </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m67SC35WEZk/WD8cZVXQyfI/AAAAAAAABBw/F_ivNL6Y7y06G5kmW8b5xqh2F2Y6xQy-QCLcB/s1600/20161121_204252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m67SC35WEZk/WD8cZVXQyfI/AAAAAAAABBw/F_ivNL6Y7y06G5kmW8b5xqh2F2Y6xQy-QCLcB/s320/20161121_204252.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sasha and me at my hotel, The Pushkin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-90014845793083950572016-11-28T04:02:00.000-08:002016-11-28T04:02:48.994-08:00The Bolshoi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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For many years I passed by it, stood in front of it, seen it
on TV, heard about it and was always interested in it but never had the chance
to go in……until now! You can’t get much bigger and more legendary than The
Bolshoi! Ballerinas, and opera singers spend their whole lives dreaming and
working for that one opportunity to be a part of this incredible theater and
production company. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6ndLo9qU9wc/WDvZZGkoq0I/AAAAAAAABAw/mk87UzikY08ArZ8G2J9OlGW4DRLxfg7PwCK4B/s1600/20161121_125914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6ndLo9qU9wc/WDvZZGkoq0I/AAAAAAAABAw/mk87UzikY08ArZ8G2J9OlGW4DRLxfg7PwCK4B/s320/20161121_125914.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Now mind you I had not worked my entire life to get in
there, but it had been a dream of mine to go inside. Not one who is into ballet
and opera (I’m much more of a sport’s guy than anything else), I really did not
want to shell out the big bucks for a ticket. Yet, how else would I be able to
see The Bolshoi?? Luckily before I came to Russia a friend from Australia
(thank you Mel Smith) posted a link on Facebook to tours of The Bolshoi. I knew
instantly this was literally my ticket in!
<br />
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So…when I arrived in Russia I researched how, when and where
to get tickets. The process was pretty easy! Tours were conducted several days
a week twice a day with tours in Russian and English. When I got to The Bolshoi
there was a line outside, not that long a line, but definitely a line. I knew I
better get in it. A man would emerge every few minutes from the gigantic wooden
doors of The Bolshoi and call in people about ten at a time. Meanwhile the rest
of us were left to freeze our asses out in the 30° F or -2 C weather with a
mean wind chill. I had dressed warmly but I guess not warm enough, as I was
pretty cold. </div>
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As we stood there an old guy, an employee, went down the
line and asked people in Russian whether they’d be taking the tour in Russian.
Everyone said Russian and since I do speak Russian I said Russian. He paused
and said only citizens of The Russian Federation could take tours in Russian!
WTF I thought…….not only do I have to pay more than a Russian citizen for a
tour but I can’t even take it in Russian? Who the hell were they to say which
language I could take the tour in?! Finally after freezing for a good half hour
it was my turn to go through those doors. </div>
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When I got in and paid I asked what tour I could take and
they said English! I was pretty mad inside. Eventually though the English tour
guide said I was more than free to join the Russian tour. So after slipping on
the little plastic slippers over my shoes that protect the floor from whatever
your shoes may bring in I wandered over to the Russian group. Being inside The
Bolshoi was so elegant and unbelievable! I could hardly believe that I’d
finally gotten in! Everything about it just oozed with culture and glamour and I
hadn’t even seen a fraction of the theater. </div>
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Our first stop was a small performance room, which was built
right above the metro station “Teatralnaya”. The room is soundproof and so well
built that there is no hint of arriving trains below! Our next stop would be
the viewing hall, which was what I was looking forward to most. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AsJlzhBRsTk/WDwbnYIVWSI/AAAAAAAABBA/V7DdhAHmILM-Mue8E4XiHjw1UNlH7eqRgCLcB/s1600/20161121_115345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AsJlzhBRsTk/WDwbnYIVWSI/AAAAAAAABBA/V7DdhAHmILM-Mue8E4XiHjw1UNlH7eqRgCLcB/s320/20161121_115345.jpg" width="320" /></a>After walking through the elegantly decorated hallways and
on the beautiful perfectly shined marble floors we had at last arrived in the
main viewing hall!! I’d seen it so many times on TV, in pictures, in books,
etc. that it was hard to believe I was standing right there in the middle of
this elegant hall. From what our guide told us the theater had been closed from
2006 to 2011 for a multi-million dollar renovation, which I guess from what I
read went way over budget. Over budget, under budget, whatever, the place
looked stunning as if the spared no detail in the restoration of this beauty. </div>
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<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p4gAUDUZHCA/WDwbcQBeVqI/AAAAAAAABA8/uksOLRvBr-gpSkwJUNNX7Gs_3w01s6k3wCLcB/s1600/20161121_113507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p4gAUDUZHCA/WDwbcQBeVqI/AAAAAAAABA8/uksOLRvBr-gpSkwJUNNX7Gs_3w01s6k3wCLcB/s320/20161121_113507.jpg" width="320" /></a>While we were there they were doing all types of audiovisual tests for upcoming
performances. Although I had been standing there looking around for a good five
minutes I still was just in awe that I was finally in The Bolshoi. One of the
features I loved the most was the VIP government box. There it sat in the
center in the back of the theater with the two-headed eagle proudly atop of the
box in gold with velvet red curtains with gold trim on both ends. </div>
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Our tour continued upstairs to the top of The Bolshoi. There
according to our guide was what you would call the student section. For a
discounted price eligible students could receive a discount. I’m not sure
exactly when tickets went on sale, but from what I could understand it was
usually a few days in advance of a performance. It was pretty amazing just how
high the seats were. Although they were pretty high up (at the very top) I
still felt you could see a lot.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iTsUDIXM_to/WDwcRQZuCfI/AAAAAAAABBE/CPBBKRh1WrcapBoQqQTp0qZLc6HxI4RtQCLcB/s1600/20161121_115915%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iTsUDIXM_to/WDwcRQZuCfI/AAAAAAAABBE/CPBBKRh1WrcapBoQqQTp0qZLc6HxI4RtQCLcB/s320/20161121_115915%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bolshoi viewing hall from the top deck</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our tour continued, this time to a different room, a room
that had a very unique feature. It was built so that the person standing in the
middle of the room’s voice would echo off the ceiling so everyone could hear.
It was said that this was done especially for Tsar Nicholas II who was known to
have a very quiet voice. So our guide demonstrated to us and sure enough when
she clapped you could hear it echo throughout the room. It was amazing! </div>
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The tour continued to a number of different rooms. It was
truly like visiting a museum. Although I had enjoyed the tour my feet were
starting to drag and my interest level wane a bit due to fatigue. Museum
/indoor tours seem to do something to my feet, making them feel as if I am
wearing shoes made of rocks. Eventually the tour concluded with a few more
rooms, which were all stunning. After thanking our tour guide and dispatching
of my little plastic booties that went over my shoes I felt a great sense of
accomplishment. Yet another item to check off my Russia To See List! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JotTS2O_RZk/WDwcrIpTV8I/AAAAAAAABBI/-ls1yclKr5sRLlmcVpzFZ4qrb1pV70kzgCLcB/s1600/20161121_113525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JotTS2O_RZk/WDwcrIpTV8I/AAAAAAAABBI/-ls1yclKr5sRLlmcVpzFZ4qrb1pV70kzgCLcB/s320/20161121_113525.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-8190775026099672202016-11-26T05:39:00.002-08:002016-11-26T10:23:57.367-08:00Do or Die!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Having mustered up the energy to go to Red Square and attend
my friend Zhenya’s performance I really truly believed that jet lag was on its
last leg, no pun intended! No way was I going to succumb to another day of jet
lag…………that was…..until I did!! And this time it was even worse. Instead of
losing just a few hours here and there I spent the entire day in my hotel room
sleeping! The day ended like the rest of them with a dish of beef stroganoff
from room service. After the third day of beef stroganoff and sleep I was not
only sick of stroganoff but also was sick of wasting my time sleeping!! I had
to conquer jet lag!</div>
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The next day was “do or die” in my opinion. Either do
something other than sleeping or I’d start to feel like the trip was all for
naught! Luckily I did get myself together and got out the door first thing in
the morning. The weather was a touch warmer, by no means balmy but it felt just
a tad bit more doable. My first stop would be back to Red Square. As I entered
Red Square I noticed a long line as you enter the square. It looked as if they
were in line to see the only full time inhabitant of Red Square…..the man
himself……..the father of the Soviet Union, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin!!! After
looking around Red Square a bit more I decided it’d been too long since I’d
seen dear father Lenin, so I jumped in the queue and slowly inched toward
security. Unlike in the old days when you had to buy tickets at the History
Museum </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ddDVUAodGxY/WDmM2xaISYI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/S9LeBnARjRw-IQzBJ0rpACSp4tJHeOvYgCLcB/s1600/20161120_120152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ddDVUAodGxY/WDmM2xaISYI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/S9LeBnARjRw-IQzBJ0rpACSp4tJHeOvYgCLcB/s320/20161120_120152.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">History Museum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
(the big burgundy red building that sits opposite of St. Basil’s) and
check your bags and cameras, there was no such process anymore. However, that
did not exactly mean you were free to take pics of old Vlad himself. <br />
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After passing through security I got the chance to look
around the Kremlin wall where the remains of Soviet heroes and others are
placed. One of the remains in this garden includes the first man in space, Yuri
Gagarin. A short walk later I’d come to the tomb. As we entered they made sure
everyone understood there was no photography with signs everywhere saying this
was not allowed. Once in I descended several sets of marble stairs into a very
dark, cold and barely lit large room where Lenin laid. Several guards stood by
making sure nobody said a word or do something like sneak a shot of Lenin
himself. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OSRKJn9I2NY/WDmNFo-yzhI/AAAAAAAAA_c/QwfR_pLSJyEEX32LDecAD3uDq3k9OE0FQCLcB/s1600/20161118_103940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OSRKJn9I2NY/WDmNFo-yzhI/AAAAAAAAA_c/QwfR_pLSJyEEX32LDecAD3uDq3k9OE0FQCLcB/s320/20161118_103940.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lenin's Tomb</td></tr>
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I slowly moved toward Lenin and walked up a few stairs to
get a look at him from the side and the front. Unlike in previous visits where
they didn’t let you stand around for longer than 3 seconds, this time they
seemed to allow people to take their time looking. From what I could see Lenin
looked pretty good for being nearly 100! He looked just like I had remembered
him………a wax figure. There are rumors that the real Lenin was buried long ago
and that this is just a wax. Seemed pretty legit to me. Whatever the truth may be
I don’t know if we’ll ever really know. Interestingly enough Lenin requested
not to be kept like this but to be buried next to his mother. I guess Soviet
bureaucrats had other ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rnAKu5O5scc/WDmOPWp6brI/AAAAAAAAA_k/Uyuir92Hn9oteJIzxUGxlNgtEsL9tLy1gCLcB/s1600/20161120_120839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rnAKu5O5scc/WDmOPWp6brI/AAAAAAAAA_k/Uyuir92Hn9oteJIzxUGxlNgtEsL9tLy1gCLcB/s320/20161120_120839.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Having looked over Lenin, it was time to walk around the
Kremlin burial grounds a bit more and see the statues and plaques devoted to the
remains of other Soviet heroes and Soviet leaders. Amongst the most well known
leaders buried in the garden is Uncle Joe aka Josef Stalin. Stalin much to the
dismay of many others, and myself seems to be making a comeback in Russian
society. Who the hell cares he killed millions and imprisoned countless others,
after all industrialization comes with a price and furthermore he won the war,
so goes the philosophy of those who see him as a hero. Stalin used to lie next
to Lenin until Khrushchev started his campaign of de-Stalinization and ordered
him buried. My grandfather actually got to see Stalin back in the 50s when he
visited Russia. Oh how I wished I could’ve also seen Stalin! </div>
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<br /></div>
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Speaking of heroes and controversial figures, there’s a new
fight brewing these days over another man by the name of Vladimir, no we’re not
talking about Vladimir Lenin, nor are we talking about Vladimir Putin (although
he does sort of come into the equation), but St. Vladimir. St. Vladimir was the
ruler of Kievan Rus (the mother to the modern Russian state) and is credited as
being the one who introduced orthodoxy to Russia. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W0I-u6_xOkQ/WDmOwx9mWVI/AAAAAAAAA_o/ytt6rFhap8MHpykOqELuJCzIGHk2IyTYACLcB/s1600/20161120_124045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W0I-u6_xOkQ/WDmOwx9mWVI/AAAAAAAAA_o/ytt6rFhap8MHpykOqELuJCzIGHk2IyTYACLcB/s320/20161120_124045.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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To Ukraine St. Vladimir they feel belongs to them and not
Russia, hence Kiev in the name Kievan Rus. They even have their own St.
Vladimir statue in Kiev built in the 19<sup>th</sup> century. So when Russia
unveiled its own statue, Ukraine saw it as a provocative gesture. For those not
keeping track ever since the Maidan Revolution in Ukraine several years ago
that saw a Kremlin friendly president overthrown in favor of a western friendly
figure, Russia has been in a conflict with Ukraine which includes the
annexation of Crimea and two provinces of Ukraine, Donetsk and Lugansk, who
declared themselves independent of Ukraine and aligned themselves with Russia. This move is sure to
cause even more friction between the two nemeses. It’s also been said that the
statue in a way is a monument to the modern day Vlad, Vladimir Putin. </div>
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The statue sits right next to the Kremlin and is towering!
Many say it is ugly, but I found it to be ok and nothing that horrible. But I
can understand peoples’ concerns when schools are crap, roads are crumbling, wages
are stagnant and many other problems that plague Russia! Plus, it just
reinforces the Russian government’s close, close alliance with the ultra conservative
wing of the Russian Orthodox Church. </div>
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My next stop on my walk around Moscow would be The Kremlin.
Although there are a few museums on The Kremlin grounds, including the world
famous Armory I much prefer to simply be outdoors and walk around than stuck in
a museum. I feel embarrassed writing this, but I haven’t been in The Armory
since I was a freshman in high school and here I’m a Russian language and lit
major, plus a lover of Russian culture. Oh well one of these days….at least
that’s what I keep telling myself. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u-zO4OCwaPE/WDmPWMufCYI/AAAAAAAAA_w/RU6u19wpoT0w3KU_EhlTxvIXVdqUxNTFACLcB/s1600/20161120_131006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u-zO4OCwaPE/WDmPWMufCYI/AAAAAAAAA_w/RU6u19wpoT0w3KU_EhlTxvIXVdqUxNTFACLcB/s320/20161120_131006.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kremlin churches</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The Kremlin grounds were fabulous, it never gets old being
inside looking at The Kremlin itself, the different churches and beautiful
grounds. And as an added bonus, Putin just opened up a brand new pathway
through The Kremlin that allows visitors to exit via The Savior Tower
(Spasskaya Bashnya). Only a few months ago this was impossible and used to be
the main exit for government officials in Soviet days. Back then you used to
see black Ladas speeding out of The Kremlin onto Red Square. Now all you see is
wide eyed tourists looking around amazed by the beauty of The Kremlin. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ohnOSeRE3UE/WDmPwg3iIPI/AAAAAAAAA_8/bNX1TjJUN2AJ78gvW-Co1bQ9NB1TY1yagCLcB/s1600/20161120_135839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ohnOSeRE3UE/WDmPwg3iIPI/AAAAAAAAA_8/bNX1TjJUN2AJ78gvW-Co1bQ9NB1TY1yagCLcB/s320/20161120_135839.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Later that night I would take my dearest friend Vanda out to
dinner. I was quite excited for our date as I was presenting her with a special
gift, a bracelet from Tiffany’s. A few months earlier she had asked me to buy
the bracelet for her offering to pay me back for the purchase. But as luck
would have it she had an unexpected cost come up (don’t we all) and she had
told me not to bother. I felt bad for her as she said it was her dream to have
the bracelet. So being the nice guy I am and to show a little bit of love
toward her I bought her the bracelet.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was heartbroken back in October when I had to cancel my
trip and was unable to give her the bracelet. But it was well worth the wait
when I presented it to her and saw her light up like a child who had just
gotten their most desired present on Christmas day! She was so shocked and told
me she couldn’t take it. But I insisted and eventually I convinced her that she
deserved it and that I wanted her to have it. Hell….I was not going to leave
the restaurant and for that matter Russia without her taking the bracelet!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZSEbfpK7rw/WDmQEvfYvDI/AAAAAAAABAA/ZPTceUHTVfQsVprjus6mW1AOKD6v41G1ACLcB/s1600/20161120_220828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZSEbfpK7rw/WDmQEvfYvDI/AAAAAAAABAA/ZPTceUHTVfQsVprjus6mW1AOKD6v41G1ACLcB/s400/20161120_220828.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">We eventually finished up our dinner, a kind of pizza like
meal from the nation of Georgia without the sauce and with cheese stuffed
inside called Hachapuri. Soooo delicious! After several days of spinning my
wheels like a 2 wheel drive car stuck in a blizzard, I finally felt like I was
back on track and making some traction!
</span><br />
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</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-69934241570002693912016-11-25T09:13:00.001-08:002016-11-25T09:38:17.642-08:00Lagged<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
After a day in Helsinki plus having slept some on the train
I had thought I had a pretty good grip on jet lag……….so I thought! Nothing
could be further from the truth….. I arrived at my home away from home in
Russia, The Pushkin Hotel feeling pretty good, especially since waiting for me
there was my beloved friend, Vanda who decided to stay a full half hour after
her shift in order to see me!! It was great to see her smiling beautiful face
after what seemed like a couple years, but in reality was only six months! She
checked me in in record time and personally escorted me to my room. I felt like
such VIP! </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once Vanda left me I went straight to my bed and crashed! I
figured I’d just take a small 30-60 so minute nap, but the next thing I knew it
that little 30-60 minute nap had stretched into more or less a six-hour nap! I
woke up, the sun had already gone down, the hotel kitchen was closed and the
only option for dinner was to either brave the cold to find something on the
streets or call for room service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since
I was in no mood to test my thermal ware, I opted instead to order some beef
stroganoff. When I called down to the reception I heard no ring on the other
end. I tried several other times and nothing. Eventually a girl came upstairs
to ask me if I needed anything. Luckily she was able to take my order and after
about 30 minutes the front desk beauty showed up with a dish of beef stroganoff
in her hands wishing me a “good appetite”. Had she only stuck around to have dinner with me, that would have been a dream come true, but oh well, luckily the beef stroganoff was good!</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kLUjY7DUbwk/WDhws_Sk8LI/AAAAAAAAA-8/e8_PTdVu5Xkk9MuFcBKSpIDY5C2v6HdjQCLcB/s1600/20161118_104209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kLUjY7DUbwk/WDhws_Sk8LI/AAAAAAAAA-8/e8_PTdVu5Xkk9MuFcBKSpIDY5C2v6HdjQCLcB/s320/20161118_104209.jpg" width="320" /></a>Having wasted an entire day on jet lag I was determined to
make the next day better. So after breakfast I got dressed up in all my thermal
wear and layers and headed out the door to Red Square. The wind was brutal and
the temps were at least several degrees below freezing making for a tough walk
down to see St. Basil’s. I thought getting down to Red Square and seeing St.
Basil’s would jump start me, but unfortunately the wow factor, the buzz just
wasn’t there, killed by the extreme fatigue from jet lag and the cold! </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I returned home and subsequently crashed until middle of the
afternoon I got a phone call. On the other end was a very calm voice saying in
Russian, “hello, Steve, how are you”? I started going through my mind thinking
who this could be. I said ok and eventually they identified themselves. It was
Zhenya Altudin, my good friend who plays the accordion and performs at a local
theater located not far from the center. He invited me to his performance that
night. Luckily I really did not have anything pressing that night, plus I badly
needed to get out! </div>
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<br /></div>
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After a little more rest, I pulled myself out of bed to get
ready for Zhenya’s performance that night. No way was jet lag gonna deprive me
of attending!! Back in Seattle getting ready to go out during winter is pretty
easy thing, put on a layer, maybe at most two and you’re ready. In Russia’s
winter it’s a bit more complicated and time consuming, making me pressed for
time once I’d stuffed myself full of layers. I eventually opted to take a taxi
rather than getting out in the cold and then pushing and shoving through the
crowds to squeeze into a metro wagon. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Luckily traffic was not too horrible, just average Moscow
bad, so I arrived in good time to the theater. Once there I was to go up to the
ticket window and say the magic word “Altudin”, my friend's last name, and pay
the $5 or so dollars and I’d be in. Sure enough it worked and I was in! The
theater was tiny, the size of what you’d expect from a local high school.
Although I was a friend of one of the cast members that did not necessarily
mean I would get good seats. Each ticket had a number on it and row, but mine
was missing that. Eventually I had to settle for a big wooden block seat in the
top row in the walkway area. Oh well……not like the other seats were exactly
lazy boy leather recliners, so it was no worries. As I sat there on my hard
wooden block seat I wished I could just skip the performance all together and
go home. But no way in hell was I going to miss the show and let my friend
Zhenya down!!!</div>
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I really did not know how I would react to the show since I
am not one who just loves the arts. I figured I’d tolerate it and then see
Zhenya afterwards and go home. But….a funny thing happened on my way to
tolerating and going home…….I actually REALLY liked the show! The show’s name
was “Times of the Year” and was a show with no words, just four absolutely drop
dead gorgeous I’d do anything to just have one of those as a girlfriend/partner
singing the words “la la la la” in all types of different tones in all
different types of costumes and times of the year. It was a very, very
different show, but was very, very well produced and had a very artsy feeling
to it. The music was incredible and my friend Zhenya who plays the accordion is
not only an exceptionally gifted accordionist, but also a great actor! </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2QeQBqz4dBY/WDhw6EtYqmI/AAAAAAAAA_A/nB8RPvWh_6gEeMVTufnt0oUTey4i_3crQCLcB/s1600/20161118_203905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2QeQBqz4dBY/WDhw6EtYqmI/AAAAAAAAA_A/nB8RPvWh_6gEeMVTufnt0oUTey4i_3crQCLcB/s320/20161118_203905.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cast taking of "Times of the Year" taking a bow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Eventually after the show was over I got to see Zhenya in
the lobby for a short time and congratulate him and the cast on their great
performance. Unfortunately Zhenya couldn’t stick around and talk because the
cast was having a post-show discussion. I eventually arrived home dead tired,
but so happy that I attended the show! </div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-76784393941511601222016-11-24T07:22:00.000-08:002016-11-24T09:47:33.127-08:00The Lev Tolstoy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QnkK53nezMg/WDcEV-sOZXI/AAAAAAAAA-Y/L2L7Jn1KLvsm5DdQF2x1K3AjJTiuY0iqgCLcB/s1600/20161116_173623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QnkK53nezMg/WDcEV-sOZXI/AAAAAAAAA-Y/L2L7Jn1KLvsm5DdQF2x1K3AjJTiuY0iqgCLcB/s320/20161116_173623.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On my way to Russia!</td></tr>
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As I boarded the Lev Tolstoy train I couldn’t believe this
would be my 11<sup>th</sup> trip to Russia. It was hard to even grasp all the
stuff Russia and I had been through during our eleven times together. Most of
it was all love, but there’d been some rocky times together, like the time it
betrayed me and endorsed Trump, or the time I was told I couldn’t leave the
nation because my visa had expired. But this was all behind me; it was time to
move ahead into Russia. </div>
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Although I was still in Finland when I boarded the train it
felt like I had entered Russia! So, what constitutes feeling like Russia you
may ask? It’s hard to really explain, but probably the number one thing that
stands out is the definite smell of cigarette smoke. Although Russian trains
are supposed to all be no smoking it seems somehow the train attendants must
find a way to smoke in their rooms because there’s always that hint of smoke on
board. </div>
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Usually for all my Russia to Finland needs I take the high
speed Allegro train from St. Petersburg to Helsinki. The Allegro makes the trip
back and forth in a mere 3.5 hours. But this time I’d be going a lot further,
to Moscow, plus The Lev Tolstoy was a lot slower than the joint VR (Finland
Rail)/RZD (Russian Railways) Allegro, so instead of the usual 3.5 hours just to
Petersburg it’d be a whopping 17 hours!! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily I had booked a really nice cabin so
I’d get a good night’s sleep before I arrived in Russia. </div>
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As we slowly made our way toward the Finnish-Russian border,
it dawned on me that unlike during summer and spring where there is no time
difference between Russia and Helsinki, there was definitely one this time.
Oddly enough because Russia has gone permanently to daylight saving time they
are one hour behind Helsinki even though they are further east! Strange how
time zones work isn’t it?! </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H8_jg27HGIQ/WDcE4o5yBhI/AAAAAAAAA-c/WdffGeXsUMEY4iJSpaM1TLs7hB2RYgTJQCLcB/s1600/20161116_210003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H8_jg27HGIQ/WDcE4o5yBhI/AAAAAAAAA-c/WdffGeXsUMEY4iJSpaM1TLs7hB2RYgTJQCLcB/s320/20161116_210003.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Russia-Finland border</td></tr>
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Once we got to the Russian/Finnish border the train lurched
to a stop. First up on board would be the Finnish passport control people. They
came by my cabin and looked over my passport a few times looking for my EU entry
stamp. My passport has so many pages (the Icelandic passport control agent
referred to as a bible) that it can be rather tough to find what you’re looking
for, especially when it’s not exactly very bright on board. Eventually they
found it and stamped me out of the EU. About a half hour later the train
lurched a few more kilometers into Russian territory!! At last I was back in
Russia!! The Russians boarded the train and looked at my passport. Luckily
besides a few minor errors I’d made filling out my entry and exit card things
went down pretty smoothly. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8ZAcxopE49k/WDcFDlnfvxI/AAAAAAAAA-g/ASzpwECJ2YoLAUZIrnX5hyAmWiaWNAIdQCLcB/s1600/20161117_072458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8ZAcxopE49k/WDcFDlnfvxI/AAAAAAAAA-g/ASzpwECJ2YoLAUZIrnX5hyAmWiaWNAIdQCLcB/s320/20161117_072458.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My cabin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eventually the Russian passport agents finished their work
and we were off to Moscow. The train stewardess stopped by my cabin to give me
a bit of a tutorial on how to pull my bed down and to make sure my small little
dining table next to it did not fall into me while I was sleeping. I listened
carefully in Russian and pretty much understood everything………at least I
thought….. Eventually when it was time for me to go bed I went to push the
table next to me over to the side, only for it to swing back toward me every
time the train made the slightest jerky movement. Eventually after trying
several times unsuccessfully I figured I needed some intervention, so I called
for an attendant to help me. The guy showed up and wasn’t exactly friendly
about helping, but got it anchored in place so that it wouldn’t hit me while
sleeping in the middle of the night. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The night went by fairly quickly, but due to jet lag I woke
up at about 4:30 am and basically cat napped here and there until we arrived in
Moscow. As the sun rose I was treated to a winter wonderland of nothing but
snow and ice for as far as the eye could see. Although the calendar said it was
still technically autumn, it appeared as if fall had left Russia loooooong ago!
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-StX133E61pg/WDcFaD70JHI/AAAAAAAAA-k/E5MBM0-LQ1kTEUpr0bQWgEjXcrEsOK61ACLcB/s1600/20161117_082504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-StX133E61pg/WDcFaD70JHI/AAAAAAAAA-k/E5MBM0-LQ1kTEUpr0bQWgEjXcrEsOK61ACLcB/s320/20161117_082504.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After 17 hours on board “The Lev Tolstoy” train we arrived
in Moscow. Luckily my beloved friend, Vanda, who is the front desk girl at the
hotel I stay at in Moscow had arranged for a taxi to pick me up. I exited the
train and expected to see my name somewhere on a name board (after all the
driver had been given my wagon number and train number), but there was nothing
except for some guy standing around with a name written “Sive”. I once again
looked around but did not see anyone else holding a name board. So I figured that
“Sive”, must mean “Steve” and approached the man. And sure enough he was here
for Steve and had just misheard the name and written it down incorrectly when told it by the dispatcher. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When I started walking reality really hit me, it
was cold….not just cold, REALLY cold!!! It was not as if Helsinki had been
balmy either, but this was a whole another level of cold. I quickly did a
mental assortment of all the winter clothes I brought with me and started to worry that I had underestimated the Russian winter! Never underestimate the Russian winter! After all Napoleon and Hitler did this and it did not turn out too well for them!</span>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-7152393021581824992016-11-20T06:33:00.000-08:002016-11-20T06:33:27.409-08:00Helsinki!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Although I had just arrived in Helsinki less than 24 hours
earlier, I was able to shake the initial effects of jet lag and get my day got
off to a quick start. I began the day with a delicious buffet breakfast served in
the hotel’s beautiful classic old school dining room. The food was good and
portion sizes were generous, but one thing I have yet to understand about
Finland is their love for non-lactose and skim dairy products! For the second
visit in a row I could not find any cream for my coffee, only skim milk and
lactose free milk. When I asked the woman who was tending the coffee area where
they kept the regular milk she barely understood me and said “milk” and pointed
to the skim crap. I said thanks and filled my coffee with skim milk. According
to the hotel food management at the last hotel I stayed at, The Scandic Marsk,
the skim milk, lactose free way of life is pretty popular in Finland. Why…I
will never understand. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My train did not leave until 5:47pm that evening so I had a
lot of time on my hands, which gave me a great opportunity to explore Helsinki.
Although I’d been there only a few months ago on my way back to Seattle, I
really was happy to have another chance to explore this great city! The last
time I was in Helsinki I had managed to take in most of the sights except for
one, The Rock Church. So, this would be my first destination. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
I set out for the Rock Church all bundled up, layers upon
layers in an effort to stave off the late Autumn Finnish cold. Luckily though
it was not as cold as I had thought it would be making for a semi pleasant
walk. On my way I stopped in at the <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Kamppi Chapel a Lutheran church,
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-raVbWYYgB88/WDGwpPa1HhI/AAAAAAAAA9s/FNRaAPLpTjYmiVNlZ3WxpSzBekwcky73wCLcB/s1600/20161116_092635.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-raVbWYYgB88/WDGwpPa1HhI/AAAAAAAAA9s/FNRaAPLpTjYmiVNlZ3WxpSzBekwcky73wCLcB/s320/20161116_092635.jpeg" width="320" /></a>otherwise known as the “Chapel of Silence”. The church is a giant wooden
rounded building, sound proof and a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle
of the city that surrounds it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After spending a few moments looking
around and taking time for a somber reflection on my journey ahead I continued
to The Rock Church. </span>The church was quite cool and worth the walk! It was
such a beautiful, calm place shaped like a big dome with granite walls and a beautiful
360° skylight above it. I spent some time peacefully meditating on the long
church benches trying to envision a trip filled with little drama and great
success. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AqVrpLTeGX4/WDGxDJ7pr6I/AAAAAAAAA9w/GRST7TY1JRIKN8bA30dQiZLxjrKULrVvACLcB/s1600/20161116_100245.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AqVrpLTeGX4/WDGxDJ7pr6I/AAAAAAAAA9w/GRST7TY1JRIKN8bA30dQiZLxjrKULrVvACLcB/s320/20161116_100245.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Following my tour of local churches, I headed back to the
hotel to put the finishing touches on packing for my trip to Moscow that
evening. Having packed everything up I checked out and took my bag down to the
lobby where I’d have it stored till later that afternoon when I returned for
it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wBU8iE1CaIs/WDGxiCCYAgI/AAAAAAAAA90/jHnaspgf0JIedMmWFex2rxQRL1FmGgBHwCLcB/s1600/20161116_143155.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wBU8iE1CaIs/WDGxiCCYAgI/AAAAAAAAA90/jHnaspgf0JIedMmWFex2rxQRL1FmGgBHwCLcB/s320/20161116_143155.jpeg" width="179" /></a>The smorgasbord/buffet had worn off and I was hungry, so my
next stop was to find something to eat. I didn’t need a huge three-course meal,
just something to hold me over till dinner. I stopped by Starbucks and it was
packed, not a single seat available! I was disappointed and frustrated. Surely
I could find a better place, but I really wanted a good cup of coffee and a
pastry. After wandering down the Espelandi (a narrow park/green space where
people gather in summer and spring to enjoy picnics and the nice weather) I
spotted a nice quaint restaurant with big sun room type glass windows. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I looked at the menu and prices were
outrageous for food that I’d never pay half the price for. But over to the left
of the fancy restaurant in the same building was a cafeteria type café with
pastries, cakes, sandwiches, etc. I figured I might as well try it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I ordered my pastries and coffee and found a nice cozy
corner of the restaurant in a space that stuck out from the rest of the
restaurant. If you are in Helsinki, I highly recommend stopping at Kappeli. Try
their pastries (which are absolutely heavenly) and the coffee (the coffee on
the left side is the best). You will not be sorry!!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Having finished my divine pastries I was off to look around
the rest of the city. One of my favorite parts of the city is Senate Square
where you can find one of the most well known landmarks in Helsinki, Helsinki
Cathedral. Helsinki Cathedral is perched atop a mountain of stairs and affords
great views of the entire city! This is a must stop when in Helsinki! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uxkKvzlAcRo/WDGyBCsGFLI/AAAAAAAAA94/li0ujhZK2tUAZsXZqPw6R-OcAfBrG279gCLcB/s1600/20161116_150157.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uxkKvzlAcRo/WDGyBCsGFLI/AAAAAAAAA94/li0ujhZK2tUAZsXZqPw6R-OcAfBrG279gCLcB/s320/20161116_150157.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
Not far from Senate Square you will find the Russian
Orthodox cathedral, Uspenski Cathedral, a personal favorite of mine. You can’t
miss it as it looms over the city on top of a hill with its beautiful gold
domes and brown trim. This is definitely worth a visit with its stunning
interior that contains a beautiful iconostatus, a wall of icons. And unlike in
Russia where with few exceptions it’s forbidden to take photos it is totally
possible to take photos inside this cathedral. Uspenski Cathedral is definitely
worth at least a half an hour to an hour out of your day. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yKAAMGXJrAg/WDGzaZgtn3I/AAAAAAAAA-A/brBWmiAdebww1sivkAvfrgwoIIOxJ5RTQCLcB/s1600/20161116_152123.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yKAAMGXJrAg/WDGzaZgtn3I/AAAAAAAAA-A/brBWmiAdebww1sivkAvfrgwoIIOxJ5RTQCLcB/s320/20161116_152123.jpeg" width="180" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I continued my sightseeing by looking around the waterfront
and taking in all the sights. There’s something about Helsinki!! It’s such a
calm and peaceful city that draws you back again and again. Eventually it was
time to head back to the hotel and grab my bag for my onward trip to Moscow
aboard the legendary “Lev Tolstoy” train!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-26195249582794460372016-11-17T22:20:00.002-08:002016-11-17T22:28:18.616-08:00In the beginning.....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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After picking myself up off the floor from a devastating
loss by my presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton to Agent Orange aka Donald
Drumpf, I packed my bags and headed over to Finland via Iceland in order to
reach Russia. I was supposed to take this trip back in September but due to a
serious health issue with my mother I had to delay my trip till now,
mid-November. I’ve had many situations where I postponed trips and they
actually worked out better than expected, so I’m hoping this fits that scenario. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was a bit worried about reaching Helsinki as I had only a 45-minute
connection at Keflavik Airport in Iceland. Normally a 45-minute connection in
any other place is totally not legal, but in Reykjavik I guess this is totally
normal at least that’s what they said. Still I was rather worried. When we
landed I quickly pushed my way to the middle of the airplane in order to get a
running start on that 45-minute transit. My neighbor assured me that I had
plenty of time and that he’s had times when they’re boarding the airplane of
his connecting flight just as he’s deplaning. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Luckily I got to the connecting gate before they’d even
started boarding. I was relieved and felt a sense of accomplishment that I’d
made the connection with zero drama! Keflavik is by far and away one of the
more superior airports I’ve been through, things usually run smooth and it’s
never too far to a gate. It’s kind of the way things operate in Iceland, smooth
and without too much drama………except for the domestic transportation system…….that’s
worthy of an entire blog. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once on board I made myself at home. Luckily there was
nobody sitting in front of me or next to me, which made for a pleasant flight!
The last flight I about went crazy with the guy in front of me as he had his
seat down the entire flight. Just when we were about to pushback, the
stewardesses came around with a treat for passengers. They offered us “morning
shots”. I’ve been around the world and had never heard of “morning shots” until
now. In Seattle “shots” in the morning mean shots of espresso. Europe never ceases
to amaze me with their liberal attitudes toward alcohol. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The flight into Helsinki went by quickly, I mostly slept off
the initial effects of jet lag. Once we landed I grabbed my bag right off the
luggage belt and headed to the city-airport train. The train into the city is
brand new (just opened in late 2015) and probably the most improved aspects of
the city!! The only down part is it takes 28 minutes to get into the city, a
far cry from Shanghai where there’s a super high speed magnetic rail train that whisks you from the airport to the city in less than ten minutes. But compared to
having to squeeze onto a small city bus like before there is NO COMPARISON!!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I got to the hotel I basically just crashed on my bed
and spent the rest of the afternoon/evening sleeping! Although I slept till
late in the evening, I was able to eventually get a partial night sleep on the
new time zone. This was definitely a small victory in the fight against jet
lag. And when it comes to that fight, I’ll take all the victories I can get!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-39526601892161269102016-09-27T00:05:00.000-07:002016-09-27T00:05:22.794-07:00All dressed up and nowhere to go.......<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Due to a family emergency I unfortunately have had to postpone my trip. It kills me as Russia and Russian is my lifeblood. But I am holding out hope that when this giant wildfire in my life calms down and the smoke clears I can start thinking about going back to Russia. In the meantime I'll be picking up the pieces. Watch this space!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-85660866929218345862016-09-24T13:16:00.001-07:002016-09-24T13:35:50.333-07:00Icelandic Explosion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Iceland! The first thing you may think of is a bitter cold
place devoid of any life where only a handful of brave souls may live. But
contrary to popular belief, Iceland is not devoid of life and enjoys a high
standard of living. It also is not that cold thanks to the Gulf Stream, which
makes the nation surprisingly warm during winter considering its far northern
latitude. </div>
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<br /></div>
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So, wait a minute you’re thinking, why is Steve writing
about Iceland when he’s going to Russia? Good question. My route to Helsinki
takes me through Iceland and since I’m of Icelandic descent and been there
several times I thought I’d weigh in on this suddenly fashionably cool nation
with a blog post. </div>
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<br /></div>
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I’ve visited Iceland now four times excluding a stop over I
made from Helsinki on my way back from Russia. Since I first visited in 1995
I’ve noticed Iceland evolve from an off the beaten track exotic tourist
destination to a beaten down popular tourist destination. Back in the 1990s in
order to reach Iceland you had to fly via New York JFK Airport and then onto
Reykjavik. Now it is possible from Seattle where Icelandair operates up to two
flights per day during high season. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Back even as late as 2009 you could visit the nation’s
number one tourist attraction, The Blue Lagoon, and have a relatively pleasant
experience. How the times have changed!! Now unless you have pre-booked a
reservation you may as well forget about visiting this tourist trap. Just two
years ago you could show up whenever you like and get in. In fact just this
year it was closed for several weeks as they expanded and made it even bigger
and better. When I visited in 1995 it was a small place devoid of all the fancy
extras like a 5 star hotel, super VIP entrance, spa package, swim up bar.
Instead you had a modest building, which served as the changing place and
admission wouldn’t cost you your daily trip budget. And the amounts of tourists
were only a tiny, tiny fraction of what it is today! If you have to visit then
go on ahead, but instead avoid the crowds and go to <a href="http://secretlagoon.is/" target="_blank">“The Secret Lagoon”</a> outside
of Reykjavik. </div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-orSHGUDSb04/V-berGotDdI/AAAAAAAAA9Q/RXq58_oGoXASKt9O53m73qzngqSf-2aqQCK4B/s1600/IMG_1049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-orSHGUDSb04/V-berGotDdI/AAAAAAAAA9Q/RXq58_oGoXASKt9O53m73qzngqSf-2aqQCK4B/s320/IMG_1049.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing my Seahawk pride </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Iceland has become so popular tourist wise that the locals
are having a hard time keeping up with the demand. According to locals I spoke
with, they cannot train guides fast enough. They’ve even had to look to other
nations to hire guides to handle the explosion of tourists. One tour operator
explained to me that she booked a several day off the beaten path relaxing tour
for a man to the Icelandic highlands (a very remote and difficult place to get
to) and upon his arrival he was absolutely freaked to find the place swarming
with tourists. This now has become the norm in Iceland, a once peaceful places now
swarming with tourists. Twenty-one years ago when I visited the world’s oldest
parliament Thingviller, an outdoor amphitheater and Geyser, crowds were light
and there was only one small tourist facility. Now it has turned into a giant mass
production that would make the most popular US National Park Service even
blush. </div>
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Iceland has survived famine, war, bitter cold winters, and
an economic meltdown that spread throughout the world, volcano eruptions, mass
emigration and a tyrannical government ruling them. To their credit they’ve
survived it all and lived to tell the story coming out even stronger each time.
But I sometimes wonder if they really can survive this mass tourist explosion.
Will they become a victim of their own success? I guess only time will tell. Being
Icelandic and knowing the history I would say it’s safe to bet on Iceland
weathering this storm and becoming better for it. But I still have to wonder if
Iceland may just become a victim of its own success!!</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-20463388744080073422016-09-23T01:05:00.000-07:002016-09-23T14:44:24.176-07:00It Is Happening Again!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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After a four month hiatus I am back and ready to hit the
road again!! This time my journey is not quite as ambitious or as time consuming
as my last one! You could call it Russia Lite! Last time I started my travels in Shanghai and then flew via
Seoul to Vladivostok where I spent time teaching, sightseeing and meeting with friends eventually boarding the Trans-Siberian railway on a loooong
journey that took me all through Russia! After countless cities and a detour to the lovely college town of Tomsk topped off with many deep fried piroshkies and borsch along the way I made it to Moscow in fine shape. </div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZszltoRZIos/V-TgUnyv0FI/AAAAAAAAA9A/7BzfLAlSWBMX1oUZrzhpFXx_n3lmWlxSgCK4B/s1600/IMG_2664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZszltoRZIos/V-TgUnyv0FI/AAAAAAAAA9A/7BzfLAlSWBMX1oUZrzhpFXx_n3lmWlxSgCK4B/s320/IMG_2664.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="st"> Qolsharif Mosque inside Kazan Kremlin from 2011</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This trip will take me by train through Western Russia starting in the Finnish capital of Helsinki,
then to the cities of: Moscow, the city of Yoshkar Ola in the republic of Mary-El, Kazan’, Tatarstan
(a city that is known as the Istanbul of Russia due to its mix of Islamic and
Christian traditions), then up to the most populist city north of the Arctic
Circle, Murmansk, which also serves as the home to Russia’s northern fleet.
After all that is said and done I will wind up in one of my favorite cities on
the planet, St. Petersburg. Overall, it should take me about three and a half
weeks to complete the journey. </div>
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<br /></div>
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So…….I look forward to keeping everyone up to date about my
latest travels and impressions throughout Russia! Watch this space!!</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-50173502334619650882016-06-26T13:09:00.001-07:002016-06-26T13:27:06.770-07:00End Of The Line<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RZlxt8vbl_8/V3AyN7G3LHI/AAAAAAAAA6w/DkJDpUn_ZxoIZULeMxv3KOr0LVgvVi33QCLcB/s1600/birchtrees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RZlxt8vbl_8/V3AyN7G3LHI/AAAAAAAAA6w/DkJDpUn_ZxoIZULeMxv3KOr0LVgvVi33QCLcB/s320/birchtrees.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The most common sight along the road, birch trees</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although I had been sweet talked into buying a $25 bottle of
champagne by the two service girls, Tatyana and Natasha I eventually got over
it and chalked it up as the price to pay for a cheap date with two good looking
Russian girls. The rest of the day went by without incident, I generally
passed the time watching the scenery go by, which generally consisted of
endless birch trees intermixed with small villages. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Later that evening I ventured into the “lioness den” aka the
restaurant car where the girls basically lived and worked. As I walked toward
the dining car I passed by a small sign that said no smoking and who should be
under that sign but Natasha sucking away at a cigarette. Eventually after
finishing her cigarette she came back into the dining room appearing a bit
drunk and embracing me as if I was some long lost friend. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The dining car is a great place to get acquainted with all
types of different people. Case in point the year before I got to know two guys
from 3<sup>rd</sup> class who were involved in a no-holds-barred take down arm
wrestling match. They saw me sitting across from them and asked me to cheer one
of them on while they were arm wrestling. So, basically I was a cheerleader
saying “<span lang="RU" style="mso-ansi-language: RU;">я за Вадим</span>” “I’m for
Vadim”. Their arm wrestling matches continued for a good hour only to stop
every few moments for a beer break. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aBRSWPmb7Jo/V3AyswkSSVI/AAAAAAAAA64/EzEuQfR3CecqHbgQpchRMuW02JUj8Fc0QCLcB/s1600/Sashiandme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aBRSWPmb7Jo/V3AyswkSSVI/AAAAAAAAA64/EzEuQfR3CecqHbgQpchRMuW02JUj8Fc0QCLcB/s320/Sashiandme.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sasha and myself</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This year I got acquainted with three other people, a
Russian guy, Sasha, a Central Asian guy and a cute Ukrainian girl who was
studying political science in Russia’s third largest city, Novosibirsk. They
all were involved in playing the Russian card game “durak” which means fool in
Russian. They introduced themselves to me and when the Ukrainian girl introduced
herself the Russian guy quickly interjected and said “she’s from Maidan”,
referring to Ukraine and the Maidan “revolution” or really a coup that swept a
democratically elected pro-Kremlin president from power in favor of a puppet
government of the US and EU. The Ukrainian girl turned to me and said “don’t
ever get into politics with Russians”!</div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1y8mFYX2vg0/V3Ay50qwDuI/AAAAAAAAA7E/jepoImf27R09FYlLDOgMRa7Uq_gO2QkTQCLcB/s1600/goldenringchurch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1y8mFYX2vg0/V3Ay50qwDuI/AAAAAAAAA7E/jepoImf27R09FYlLDOgMRa7Uq_gO2QkTQCLcB/s320/goldenringchurch.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many beautiful churches along The Golden Ring</td></tr>
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The next day was Russian Orthodox Easter and my final day
aboard the train, The Tomich. About mid-morning we pulled into our very last
stop before Moscow, the Golden Ring city of Vladimir, which also served as the
nation’s capital back in ancient times. For those not familiar with Russian
culture, The Golden Ring is a group of eight ancient Russian cities consisting
of countless beautiful churches, monasteries and spectacular architecture. Once
I stepped off the train I noticed the city was alive with the sound of church
bells ringing………I thought what a way to cap off a great journey across the nation!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QMYUuamLJGY/V3AzBtqLDuI/AAAAAAAAA7M/ESgdjgaojfMcLlSwJFuxSm8ZIZgT2uAqQCLcB/s1600/vladimir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QMYUuamLJGY/V3AzBtqLDuI/AAAAAAAAA7M/ESgdjgaojfMcLlSwJFuxSm8ZIZgT2uAqQCLcB/s320/vladimir.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vladimir churches</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8L0KXFO_x34/V3Aza3k7wLI/AAAAAAAAA7c/iP1H9C85WZ4e3lOiOc9WnSRPMXJoLmtaQCLcB/s1600/tanya%2Bsleeping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8L0KXFO_x34/V3Aza3k7wLI/AAAAAAAAA7c/iP1H9C85WZ4e3lOiOc9WnSRPMXJoLmtaQCLcB/s200/tanya%2Bsleeping.jpg" width="197" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tatyana sleeping after a very long day </td></tr>
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As our trained lurched toward Moscow Tanya, one of the
servers who sweet talked me into buying a bottle of champagne (see <a href="http://notravelworries.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-honey-trap.html" target="_blank">The Honey Trap part I</a> and <a href="http://notravelworries.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-honey-trap-part-ii.html" target="_blank">II</a>) came to my compartment one last time to chat with me. She
said her dream was to visit Red Square telling me that she had a six-hour
layover in Moscow till she had to be on the next train back to Tomsk. Since I’m
a veteran of the Moscow Metro I told her it would be super easy to get there
and that all she had to do was go to the nearest metro station <span lang="RU" style="mso-ansi-language: RU;">Комсомольская/Komsomolskaya and ride several stops
to Охотный Ряд/Okhotiny Ryad and basically just follow the people. Yet, even
with my advice she still seemed hesitant and told me she'd see. It felt a bit
odd that here I was from the United States telling a native Russian how to get
around Moscow. </span>But for me Moscow is like a second home, I know the Metro
system quite well and feel 100% comfortable using
it. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eEsiLj1mClc/V3AzumOcQ4I/AAAAAAAAA7o/cRsxMxECXdEId-zaAnN9s4fd_6syh9bwQCLcB/s1600/20160501_162432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eEsiLj1mClc/V3AzumOcQ4I/AAAAAAAAA7o/cRsxMxECXdEId-zaAnN9s4fd_6syh9bwQCLcB/s320/20160501_162432.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to Moscow!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At last we pulled into Moscow and with that my
10,000 km (6,000+ mile) journey was finally over, one that I’ll never forget! But
that hardly meant the excitement, the fun and intensity of Russia was
over……….far from it! Stay tuned for more exciting adventures during my last few weeks in Russia!<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-__HUzJBpp2M/V3Az2e4qR0I/AAAAAAAAA7w/gDfelnho5KMj4Jd5sqz0rQgG86h0eLiBwCLcB/s1600/20160501_163339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-__HUzJBpp2M/V3Az2e4qR0I/AAAAAAAAA7w/gDfelnho5KMj4Jd5sqz0rQgG86h0eLiBwCLcB/s320/20160501_163339.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the monument to the end of the Trans-Siberian railway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01392327335656915697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155520751406803755.post-11730710228114729992016-05-29T13:32:00.001-07:002016-05-29T13:37:02.841-07:00The Honey Trap Part II<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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No way could this be Natasha, she wouldn’t waste any more of
her time, plus didn’t she have a job to do??? This time it was ANOTHER food
services girl by the name of Tatyana! Tanya was about eight years younger than
Natasha and was prettier in my eyes. She had no real reason to come to my cabin
except she probably had heard from her colleague about the American in Cabin
number 2 who spoke really great Russian and was traveling alone. </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QO3No3lObI4/V0tLL3BJF2I/AAAAAAAAA5s/ilWXHgte2uo7zA1KtB9Gwzn9NvpW0nAlQCLcB/s1600/20160501_132653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QO3No3lObI4/V0tLL3BJF2I/AAAAAAAAA5s/ilWXHgte2uo7zA1KtB9Gwzn9NvpW0nAlQCLcB/s320/20160501_132653.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tanya and me</td></tr>
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We talked some and after about ten minutes she started
asking the same question Natasha did, “can you buy us some champagne”? She
said it’d be fun, we could talk and get to know one another and besides what
else was there to do, we had two more days on the road. She explained that life
on board the train for them was very boring. They worked a few hours during the
day but the rest of the day was spent watching the scenery go by and sleeping.
So, what better entertainments than try to swindle a nice American guy like me
into buying champagne? I politely declined, but she kept pushing and pushing
hard. Finally her beauty and charm broke me wide open and I agreed! She was
overjoyed, so she went back to get Natasha. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K8XmjdE-MvU/V0tLuk7vTZI/AAAAAAAAA5w/dUVWAoec2Is8m3yJP8ZzGYgKJh94s34PACLcB/s1600/20160501_130844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K8XmjdE-MvU/V0tLuk7vTZI/AAAAAAAAA5w/dUVWAoec2Is8m3yJP8ZzGYgKJh94s34PACLcB/s320/20160501_130844.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Natasha</td></tr>
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A few minutes went by and who should walk into my cabin but
Natasha looking pretty smug as if she’d just pulled a huge coup,
she’d gotten the “foreigner” to buy them champagne!! I gave her my credit card
knowing in my heart I should’ve just kept saying no. You’d’ve thought I’d’ve
learned my lesson after being swindled out of $60 or 400 Chinese RMB back in Shanghai
for a “tea festival”, see <a href="http://notravelworries.blogspot.com/2016/04/teacheable-moments.html" target="_blank">“Teachable Moments”</a>.<br />
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I opened the bottle and pop, the party in my cabin had begun!!
The girls loved every moment of it, toasting to our "friendship" and talking
about all types of different things. Their Russian sometimes was hard to
understand as they spoke very fast. I was pretty disappointed in the alcohol, I
thought it was going to either make my Russian perfect or get some type of
romantic action from one of the girls, neither of which happened. Tanya asked
what I would be doing once we arrived in Novosibirsk, a 45-minute stop (the
longest of our two-day stops and Russia’s third largest city). I said nothing
really! She proposed we go walking together around the city. I was super
excited!!</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h_T4KhVdx4Q/V0tOPQu7OqI/AAAAAAAAA6M/_OKJgk1ZooQlwjIJt2pExCdxHAx68tNDgCK4B/s1600/20160429_170624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h_T4KhVdx4Q/V0tOPQu7OqI/AAAAAAAAA6M/_OKJgk1ZooQlwjIJt2pExCdxHAx68tNDgCK4B/s320/20160429_170624.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Novosibirsk railway station</td></tr>
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Eventually after swindling me out of about <span lang="RU" style="mso-ansi-language: RU;">1,300 </span>rubles or $20 worth of champagne the
girls went back to the restaurant car. Once the train pulled up to Novosibirsk
I disembarked and saw Natasha on the platform smoking. She said Tanya was doing
something and it was best for me to go walking by myself. What little result of our champagne party in my cabin quickly melted away like
snow flurries in the middle of April!</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8aEoi9U2-KE/V0tOcl9IeNI/AAAAAAAAA6U/Mf9FDZlPKoIcrDZJRZ-EUzB2xtdjBwfeACK4B/s1600/20160501_131026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8aEoi9U2-KE/V0tOcl9IeNI/AAAAAAAAA6U/Mf9FDZlPKoIcrDZJRZ-EUzB2xtdjBwfeACK4B/s320/20160501_131026.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left to right: Natasha, me and Tatyana</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Eventually I saw Tanya in the dining room that night and she
made up the excuse that suddenly out of nowhere she met up with her aunt on the
platform of Novosibirsk station. Who knows……..maybe she did, but it sounded
like a bit of a lame excuse to me. If I hadn’t already felt taken advantage of I
really felt it after that. Hopefully as the saying goes, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” will hold true! Only
time will tell! </div>
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