Thursday, July 05, 2007

Russia, part one of many to catch you all up!

Hello there from heat and mosquitoe ridden Moldova!

I know I have been a little less than prompt with this whole BLOG thing, but better late than never right. So this is how I am planning the updates on my blog. This part will consist of what went down in Russia, and a few of my favorite pics to go along with it. The next part will cover Scandinavia, and some cool stories there, and then the final piece will cover whats been going on in Moldova...and how crappy the 4th of July was in comparison to the last many years I have been in DC. OK so without further a due, I will paint the pictures through black and white letters on a PC monitor.

So it was a balmy 41 C and 95% humidity when I walked to the train station at 11am on Wednesday June 30. As I approached the green circa 1967 Russian model train I realized that I was in for a real treat. So promptly 15 minutes late the train began to move, and I began to get really really hot. As did the other 64 people on my wagon, so they all took their shirts off. Now I love me some shirtless moments, but on a beach, not in a public train! Oh well, one American and 64 moldovans...they would have won. Plus they had the advantage that i couldn't hold on to them if we got in a fight due to the fine layer of sweat all over. But I digress. The train ride was 29 hours of me sweating like crazy, no one opening a single window for fear of the current, no one talking to me except in Moldovan...so I read and slept alot!

As I arrived in Moscow, everything went great! I met Mike Schwirtz without a problem at the train station and we went to his flat right near the center of the city.(thanks Jackson for putting us in touch again) He dropped me off and went into work and left me for a little exploring time. His apartment was awesome, and his neighborhood was the coolest. Artsy, relaxed, and 4 BLOCKS FROM RED SQUARE! I turned the corner and there perfectly framed across the river and between buildings was St. Basil's! Talk about awesome! The rest of the time in Moscow was great. Meeting his friends, the two of us wandering the streets for hours, going to a few Ex-Pat bars, seeing Lenin lying in state, etc. Then my last night there we had a few beers at the train station, watched the moon fly (so fast) across the sky, and I geared up for Peter and the white nights while he geared down for another week at the NY times.

Peter was interesting. As I arrived my hurt foot (which I hurt while in Moscow the first day) really acted up. I was laid up for three days unable to walk, or relay stand on it. Luckily I had the company of a 2 year old and his 9 year old sister all day in the apartment I was staying it. And you all know how much I LOVE kids! I was staying with my Host mother in Moldova's sister and her family. This was actually great because I stayed and ate for free throughout almost all of Russia. Plus I got an inside look at how home life was in Russia. The second to last night I got out and we took a drive around the city to watch the ancient draw bridges rise, and check out the White nights. Peter is so far north that the sun was setting around 1:30am and rising around 5:00 am. This would get shorter and shorter as my trip moved along. Each night I could not believe the phenomena and just stared for hours out the window.

The last full day in Peter, I took 1200 Mg of Motrin and set out to see the city...I HAD TO! I saw the hermitage, some churches, had some tea in outdoor cafe's and did the whole "peter" thing in a day. It was a great day, but my foot really hurt at the end. The next morning I took of for the Finland Train station and caught my bullet train to Helsinki. Foot hurting, fear of not being able to hike in Norway...All I could do was carry on and see what happened. However, that is for a different day and a different story!

So without a due, check out the pics below and enjoy a little glimpse into Russia!

Me in Moldova, and my home for the next 29 Hours!















Awesome Church in Moscow















Gates to Red Square


























Armory in Red Square















Lenin's Vacation Resort Tomb















St Basils, All I could think was "This is Peter Jennings reporting from Red Square, Moscow"


























St. Basils again


























The Kremlin, What does go on behind those walls















Best Church in St. Pete















Bridge over Neva in Peter...Also famous in Crime and Punishment















Same Bridge, 1:30 am... Go White Nights (The sun is just about to set)















2 Yr old friend at home in St Pete















Obligatory Statue of Lenin and Finland Train Station

5 Comments:

At 6:23 AM, Blogger mary Meloy said...

Hi Charles,
Glad you had a great time on your trip! Great pics! Dan and I also did the Ukraine trains..when it was 95 degrees in May..no shirts to say the least!
Good to meet you. Keep bloggin. Hope you had a nice 4th of July. Meloys

 
At 11:33 PM, Blogger felbeth said...

Foot injuries = the worst. I'm glad you were able to power through at least a little. Stay out of the heat. Its pretty bad here in Egypt as well, but at least ours is pretty dry.

I miss you oodles. *muah*

 
At 4:37 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

Get a haircut you bum

 
At 3:19 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

Part one sounded pretty sweet. 2 months later and still no part 2 or any others. I demand an update!

 
At 3:20 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

Part one sounded pretty sweet. 2 months later and still no part 2 or any others. I demand an update!

 

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