Russia – Day 10 – Back to Moscow!

This is a church in St. Petersburg that we saw the day before we left to go back to Moscow.

Trains are great for sleeping. You rock gently back and forth lulled to sleep by the clackity clack. Seriously I sleep better here than in the hotel sometimes. If you get a 2nd class cabin with 4 bunks and a locking door, you’re golden. Don’t ask about those stains on the “mattress”. Look away. They give you clean sheets though!

When you use the bathroom, the toilet flushes directly onto the tracks. How practical! No messy toilets to clean. If you happen to be a hiker that lives anywhere between St. Petersburg and Moscow, avoid the tracks my friend! Little wads of pink tissue everywhere. Now I understand why they don’t open the bathrooms for a half hour after we start moving. Wouldn’t want the stations to be filled with human waste, now would we?

Last night I Skyped with Jack again. Yayyyy! Let me just say that Skype on this iPad is an amazing thing. Simple, clear, fast. Ahhhh. Oh, the conductor just said we have an hour til Moscow, and I partially understood him! I totally heard the words “good morning” and “Moscow” clear as day. But the rest…eh… So where was I? Skype, ya. I swooped the iPad around the hotel room and Jack got to see the bed, TV and out our window to the street. It’s a nice view. Was. We aren’t going back anytime soon.

Jack: 3 more days until you’re home!
Me: Yep! I have so many presents for you!
Jack: (clapping) What time are you home on Friday?
Me: Around 2:30pm…
Dennis: Ha, you won’t be home until 7pm!
Me: Yeah, traffic…
Jack: Then you better start driving now!!

I’m eating some sort of snack from a bag that we loosely call chocolate donuts. They taste like stale devil dogs, but in a good way.

Last night we massacred the Night Train song again by inserting all of the Russian phrases we know. We didn’t even have vodka. Just loopy from lack of sleep. It was 2a.m. and we were going strong. Here’s a snippet…sing it loud people.

I’m on a night train!
Catoree Chass! (what time is it)
I’m on a night train!
Skolka Stoit! (how much is it)
I’m on a night train!
PoosheeMU (why)
I’m on a night train!
PaashLEE (let’s go)
I’m on a night train!
Ya hatchoo (I want)
I’m on a night train!
Die manYA (give it to me)
I’m on a night train!
Never to returrrrrnnnnnn!

(repeat chorus)

During our serenade the conductor came by for tickets and John’s friend says electronica something something and he says okay and moves on. Then we were all “if you weren’t here, we’d try to say e-ticket and he’d slap the cuffs on us and take us to jail”!! We love Russian police stories the best. Even though they’ve been very helpful and didn’t once stop us on the street for some phony infraction expecting a bribe, like all the guidebooks say.

More later, plus photos. We’re now off to the tallest tower in Europe… Ostankino tower! Paka, bye!

Russia Day 6 – Kremlin Armory

Jar Jar?

Yesterday we visited the Armory museum in Moscow, in the Kremlin, which houses some amazing collections of armor and costumes, jewelry, carriages and tons of gold and silver from the 16th and 17th century. We weren’t allowed to take many photos, well none actually, but I stole a few hee hee.

Security was tripled and they really don’t give Americans a hard time here. We’ve been very lucky. Everyone is helpful and tries to speak English even if they have no business doing so.

We saw our first car accident last night walking back to the metro from dinner. Screech! Bang … right into a light pole. The Russian got out and yelled at the pole! LOL!

Whenever we walk we have to watch our step because there are steps up and down where you wouldn’t expect them like between doorways and in the middle of the sidewalk. We keep saying UGH!!! And then we go cartwheeling down the street for awhile.

I’ll have to post photos when I get back because I’m having a hard time juggling the charging schedule with our electronics.

Last night we took a night train (I’ll wait while you sing Guns n Roses…go ahead…) from Moscow to St. Petersburg. I slept like a baby for about nine hours. Got up around 11am. ahhhh. Right now were in the hotel in the center of town and Despicable Me is on in russian. Cookie Robots is a difficult phrase to translate apparently. So we will take a boat tour on the river Neva. Cool! Haraschol!! And now we will take a quick tour by foot. I’m even speaking English like a foreigner, no?

I did get to skype with Jack for a few minutes at 7:30 his time. he is very excited for Russian presents and we got him some bad ass stuff! Swears also don’t translate well so we just yell DOG, Sabaka, a lot. Sighhhh. Shitsky.