The Russian adventure should start with the final departure meeting the Wednesday before we left. I was not the only person surprised that we were actually staying in Godzilla hostel in Moscow. We were given a great 20 min Emas story about how we should not lose our passports but if we do Emas can get us out of it like the time he was in China and a girl lost her passport and... Well, it was entertaining but I'll save you the details. We were also briefed on what to take, what not to take, our itinerary, and our comrade groups. I was in Maksat's group which consisted of Rheanna, Kirk, Brittany, Melanie, Kelly, Mango, and myself. It's okay if those names mean nothing to you, they mean something to me.
Saturday morning saw us all up early and ready to go... except for Kelly who ended up being the token sleep-in girl being pulled out of bed as everyone waits on the bus. Day one was all travel except for a short break at the Hill of Crosses. The description is in the name. It is a hill filled with approximately one million crosses and I believe that number. There are crosses on crosses on crosses. One cross may hold 100 rosaries on it. Huge crosses and tiny crosses. Crosses with Lithuania, Russian, Japanese, English, Spanish. Wood, metal, plastic, stone. It is a sight to behold and it was amazing. It was also freezing which kept our stay to a minimum and then back to the bus. In Riga, Latvia we caught the overnight train to Moscow. The train ride was mainly uneventful except for the border crossing when a Russian border guard decided she was going to start stroking my hair and then made a joke about cutting it all off. I, however, did not find it amusing, to say the least. To be fair, I do have odd hair compared to the general public. Straight hair is everywhere and mine is clearly not.
Our three day in Moscow can be summed up in four words: Metro, Escalators, Red Square. A nice fifth word would be FREEZING!! I have never been so cold in my life, 20 min outside and you were so cold you lips were numb. Talking with numb lips is an odd experience I would rather not repeat... ever. On to the positives; the metro system is beautiful. It's like they put a subway system in an art gallery. It is also complicated as anything and there are escalators everywhere. Because the city is so big and spread out we were in the metro alot.
Red Square is not what I expected, it is much bigger for one thing. I also didn't expect to see actors dressed up as Lenin and Stalin taking pictures with people and a giant Sponge Bob Square Pants (yes, I couldn't believe it either) in the center of the outside square. Currently, there is an ice rink in the center but that is of little consequence. Starting in a circle you have one of the most beautiful and expensive malls in the world (we walked into one shop to find a $200 scarf). Then you have St. Basil's which, in my opinion, is much more amazing on the outside. Moving on we have Lenin's tomb, walking through was the most creepy thing I have ever done. And finally, a museum that looks like a cathedral.
Other than Red Square, we also went to the circus, took a walking tour, saw lots of cathedrals, ate (the food in Russia is delicious), went to a modern art museum, and walked alot. The 2 1/2 days we spent there passed quickly enough and then onward we went to St. Petersburg...
No comments:
Post a Comment