Moscow-Tashkent

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We arrived in Moscow and made our way to Kazanskaya station where we were to catch the train to Tashkent at 11:30pm later that day to leave our backpacks in left luggage. Well what to do with half a day in Moscow? We’d done Moscow last time when we had a whole day. Lunch near the Bolshoi and then acting suspiciously for 20 minutes looking for a geo-cache?
Everybody knows St Basil’s cathedral on Red Square, the one that looks as though it is an advert for pick and mix. This time we looked inside; no big spaces at all; it is series of very high chapels all vividly decorated.
See here for photosynth panorama:
St Basil's Interior

For the late afternoon a lazy time on Moscow River, cruising past the Kremlin, the Moscow parks and the USSR’s answer to the Space Shuttle. We enjoyed an expensive beer whilst admiring Karl Marx statue in Revolution Square, a Turkish meal and back to the station to buy supplies (beer and bread).

We were lucky to get a 4 berth compartment to ourselves in amongst lots of happy Uzbek girls and children and babies. 7 year old Shagzot was the first to befriend us, swapping names in Cyrillic and Latin script. Then we learnt why there were so many pretty girls. It was a family wedding party; a family of 6 sisters and 1 brother, plus husbands and other assorted relatives. You get to know people when on the same train for 3 days. And Clara the "dinner lady" merits a blog entry all for herself.

The line crosses the Steppes, renowned for being flat; they are, although there was one small range of hills at the end of day two. About 3 times a day the train stops for 20 minutes or so and everyone gets out. The platform is lined with stalls that do a lively business in basic supplies such as bread, water, dried fish, and some fruit and veg.

The border crossings were slow. First out of Russia and into Kazakstan and then from Kazakstan into Uzbekistan. No problems most of the crossings, but a lot of friendly interest in us. Customs, Police and the Border guards all wanted to look at our paassports. I even think the man who came to fix the boiler had a peek. I think we were the only tourists on the train based on what the various membeers of staff said. The only problematic crossing was Kazakstan to Uzbekistan, but more on that later from David.

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Photos

Moscow River
Beer & Photos