Day 2

Today was a free day due to a holiday in Moscow.  I hired Vladamir to give me a tour.  Since I was traveling solo I figured safer to go with someone who  spoke the language.  (Note I'm using my blog like a journal so I am giving play by play documentation.)  


We set up to leave at 10:00 well the night before I said 10 or 11 LOL  I figured I would be dragging due to lack of sleep and jet lag.  So when I finally went to bed the night before somewhere around midnight I set my alarm for 9am.  I got right up and took a bath and had some breakfast.  I bought yogurt the night before.  Yummy


I still had some time so that is when I wrote Day 1 and Day 1 continued's post.  Then it was after 10 and I started to think maybe he forgot... nope he came at 10:40.  His building has a locked door that you buzz someone in.  So I went downstairs to meet him.  I tried to open the door, no luck it will not budge.  I push I try to turn the knob...nothing.  I see what looks like a lock on the top and tried that...nope still nothing I start to get a little concerned just shy of panic really LOL  then I remembered someone said there was a button that needed to be pushed in order to open the door.  Oh you mean this small silver button on the side... BINGO!

That little silver dot on the right about 1/2 way down push that you can get out!  Phew.

So now that I accomplished getting out of the building it's off to see the sights.  Today was Russia Day like independence day.  I knew it was a holiday but didn't know what until just know (I googled it).  So there was a demonstration scheduled in the streets around the Kremlin and Red Square. So those are on my list for another trip.  Vladamir took me around and showed my his favorite spot in front of the University.  It was a nice view of the Olympic stadium and other buildings (government type)  He recommended I take the boat tour around Moscow so I did.  He dropped me off and told me where to meet him.  The tour was about an hour and a half.  It was a non narrated tour which was good 'cause I do not understand Russian no matter how hard I try!  On our way to the tour it was pouring rain, but I figured it is just rain so what, I have a rain coat and an umbrella (both left at the apartment, yes I knew the forecast said rain but it was so sunny when I got up.  Oh well again just water.  When we got to the start of the tour totally stopped raining.  

While on the boat my camera battery ran out. :(  but thank Heavens if I shut it off and turned it back on there was always enough juice to take the photo I wanted! There was a darling little girl named Alona on board with her family.  She looked to be about the same age as Sophia she was so animated and you could tell she was enjoying the sights with her family.  There was also a photographer on board.  He snapped candid shots and proceeded to try and sell them to me in Russian....nope sorry can't understand a word. He did speak some English so it was 400 rubles (roughly $12 for the photo.  I said sure.  He left to print it when I realized I didn't have 400 rubles I had a larger bill but only 300 rubles.  So I (which I never do) tried to have him give it to me for 300 rubles it didn't work LOL  So I said sorry.  Waited a while then tracked him down and said I found a larger bill if he still had the photo...he did.  Here is a pic of the pic.   You can see the head of little Alona behind me with her dad.

I also took a self portrait   I took lots of picture of the intricate and beautiful buildings.

There was one man on the boat that was literally staggering drunk, so much so that the captain made him sit down and stay there.  He was quite boisterous.  He had looked like he was with maybe his daughter and young toddler son with him.  :(  He didn't bother me but you could see everyone watching him closely.

When the tour was over Vladimir took me to Old Arbat street. It had a lot of shops and street vendors and artists.  We stopped for lunch at MY MY (pronouced Moo Moo yes like a cow) 

This Vladimir standing next to MY MY's mascot.  It was a buffet styled place there was sushi, shrimp, different meat and sausages and borsch (a traditional soup with beets and beef)  I tired borsch and had a shrimp skewer and bread and a bottle of water.  It was very humid today.  The borsch was pretty good I admit I was surprised.  Those that know me I'm picky but I didn't want to offend Vladimir and thought I should try some traditional something.  So I decided it was either borsch or vodka, I decided on the borsch ( I don't drink at all LOL)  That was the end of my tour.  We returned to the apartment and he dropped me off.  I came up stairs and realized I think the time and lack of sleep was catching up with me.  I had to take a nap so I took an hour and a half nap.  I'm pretty sure I will be able to sleep though tonight.  I still feel a little off tired and dizzy.  Yuck.  But so full of excitement for tomorrow.  

There isn't any american TV that I can find.  I found out two things one anything remotely scary in a movie is 10x scarier when you don't speak the language LOL and the festivities for Russian Day were aired so lots of what I am assuming are pop stars concert all aired live.  I wish I could tape this and bring it home.  

:)  

I also for the first time understand how all the tourists who came to Disneyland while I was working merchandise felt not speaking English or knowing our money.  I am lost half the time.  But I'm working it out slowly.  :)

I don't know what kind of access I will have in the Hotel in region so I hope to continue to post if I can't I will when I get home. xoxo