Tripping With Toby: Moscow

Oct. 10, 2018-Moscow

Yes, I noticed I dated yesterday’s email as “2918.” No, I’m not prescient.

The nine of the group going to Moscow travelled 4 hours on a high-speed train going up to 125 mph. It was clean and modern. There was even a bistro car. Carts were wheeled up and down the aisles offering drink and shopping opportunities. A wrapped apple was on each seat to welcome passengers. The train was packed as was the one for Moscow that left 15 minutes earlier. There were five quick stops to onload and offload passengers in towns along the way. When I say quick, I mean one minute. We timed it. We slept on and off, read, and watched clusters of unpainted weathered wood houses go by.

Moscow is shabby compared to St. Petersburg. It was built without a plan and is quite the hodge-podge. We’re staying at the old Metropole Hotel where David stayed in 1985, while visiting refuseniks. It was familiar to him, but there are many changes. The wall behind the front desk is now black granite. In 1985, it held banks of tape recorders each displaying the room number being recorded. The second floor has guest rooms. It used to be off limits and dedicated to the KGB. There are no more “key ladies” on each floor tracking who is in their room and who is not. This hotel was built in 1905, during the time of the czars and we’re staying here. Amazing.

After dinner we walked past the original GUMS Dept. Store and took a quick walk around Red Square. I really didn’t like the Russian red stucco fortification wall along one perimeter. The area of the square is huge. We entered at the far end from St. Basil’s Cathedral, the iconic colorful domed representative of Moscow. Unfortunately, the church seemed dwarfed by distance. But then the evening lights went on and all glory broke loose.

We had a special activity for four of us who chose to go. We had our own 40 passenger bus take us to an overlook of the city at night. It twinkled and almost made me forget the suffering that has taken place here. We then proceeded to the Moscow Circus performance at its modern single ring home arena. I know there are some of you who don’t approve of the circus, but let me tell you that these are stunningly healthy animals. They were all well rounded and had shining fur. They live off site out of the city. There were no elephants. There were lions and tigers, dogs, and magnificent horses. The usual aerial acts were performed and lighting and costuming was top rate. Two bands alternated providing live music, and the clowns were so riveting we didn’t even notice paraphernalia being erected for the next act. The theme was the World Cup. They can’t get away from the pride they feel in having hosted it. There were a lot of countries represented, even the US. I cracked up when they had performers in Hawaiian costumes and the music was Latin American. Then there were the Indians (from India) with hip hop moves. Flash photography was forbidden to the extent the ushers had laser pointers and would nail anyone who used flash. It was very conspicuous, and we all turned to look at the culprit.

Security is tight in Moscow. We’ve gone through metal detectors to enter our hotel and the circus. So far, no tests for poison.

Tomorrow we do the usual drive around photo op tour.

Toby