So I should probably expand on previous comments on Moscow, otherwise it sounds like I'm having a pretty disaster-ridden time!
I arrived late, very late, and the cash point was out of order, and the currency exchange place was closed for the night. So after 11pm at night, on my own, speaking barely a few words of the language and NO local currency. Hmmmm.... One thing I have discovered here is that if in doubt a friendly babushka (have I spelt that right?) will always mother everyone. I was taken under the wing by a lovely old lady who marched me to a hidden door behind which was a currency exchange desk, where she stood beside me berating the cashier in Russian the whole time. Seems I got a pretty good exchange rate! She then delivered me to the metro and pointed me at a cashier! As such I arrived at the hostel in one piece and sane(ish).
First day, well, I met vodka-trainers and an accidental lenin lookalike. We visited the real Lenin (seriously, go to Madam Tussauds or something - the guards are less scary...) and generally hung out round Red Square (getting cursed by gypsys en route...).
The evening consisted of vodka (yes I was careful, but Russian vodka does not seem to disagree with me the same way as British vodka!). Many entertaining photos (not of me) helped everyone piece together the night.
Today the Kremlin, freezing our arses off, and tomorrow the museum of the revolution. At some point I will learn cyrillic. As it stands I'm very glad I learnt a few words of Russian! Tomorrow we head off to the border of Europe and Asia on another long train journey. I'm wondering whether I should pack a fire extinguisher?
I arrived late, very late, and the cash point was out of order, and the currency exchange place was closed for the night. So after 11pm at night, on my own, speaking barely a few words of the language and NO local currency. Hmmmm.... One thing I have discovered here is that if in doubt a friendly babushka (have I spelt that right?) will always mother everyone. I was taken under the wing by a lovely old lady who marched me to a hidden door behind which was a currency exchange desk, where she stood beside me berating the cashier in Russian the whole time. Seems I got a pretty good exchange rate! She then delivered me to the metro and pointed me at a cashier! As such I arrived at the hostel in one piece and sane(ish).
First day, well, I met vodka-trainers and an accidental lenin lookalike. We visited the real Lenin (seriously, go to Madam Tussauds or something - the guards are less scary...) and generally hung out round Red Square (getting cursed by gypsys en route...).
The evening consisted of vodka (yes I was careful, but Russian vodka does not seem to disagree with me the same way as British vodka!). Many entertaining photos (not of me) helped everyone piece together the night.
Today the Kremlin, freezing our arses off, and tomorrow the museum of the revolution. At some point I will learn cyrillic. As it stands I'm very glad I learnt a few words of Russian! Tomorrow we head off to the border of Europe and Asia on another long train journey. I'm wondering whether I should pack a fire extinguisher?
1 comment:
God bless crazy old people: their benevolence shines like a beacon - when they aren't shouting at squirrels
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