Kremlin - 10 May 2009 For the past 3-4 days, I had been viewing the Kremlin from the outside. Its sight of its red walls and green/red towers and the yellow, lofty buildings with golden domes, which peeped from behind the walls, had whetted my curiosity and desire to visit this center of Administrative Power as well as the Temporal Power. The ‘Rough Guide’ calls it the historic and spiritual heart of Mother Russia, and for all practical purposes, the Kremlin IS Russia. Kremlin was to Russia is what the Red Fort in New Delhi was to India during the Mogul [View Full Entry]

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Victory Day - 9 May 2009 Every year Russians celebrate the Victory Day commemorating their victory over the Nazis. They won the victory at a very great cost. 27 Million Russians had lost their lives in the war. Russia parades her military strength in the Red Square on Victory Day. Select troops from her army, navy and aircraft goose-step to the tune of military band and the latest ICBMs and fast planes are exhibited. Since the admittance to Red Square on V-Day is only for VVIPS and we did not fall in that category, we decided to watch it on TV. [View Full Entry]

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Bolshoi Ballet and Pushkin Museum - 7 May 2009 Somewhere, somehow, I had come across a comment about the ‘Three penny Opera’ that it shows the viewers one penny-worth of music, one penny-worth of dance and one penny-worth of Corruption/Black Market/Exploitation. What is true of the Opera is also true about the Ballet and this time I myself unwittingly played a minor role in the ‘three-penny Opera’ that unfolded outside the Bolshoi Theater. No, the Bolshoi was not playing Bertolt Brecht’s classic. It was playing another classic, the ballet ‘Spartacu [View Full Entry]

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Red Square and the St. Basil’s Cathedral - 6 May 2009 We have just returned from Moscow with love brimming up in my heart for this beautiful city. Avi too, underwent a change of heart by the Moscow’s beauty, though 37 years back, he had declared it as the most gloomy, drab city ever. The reason being that this time we visited it in the summer whereas, he had spent a miserable 3 months of bleak winter there 37 years back and during those three months, he had spent 18 days in The Botkina hospital after an emergency appendectomy. I suppose [View Full Entry]

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Kolomenskoye - 8 May 2009 The previous day, I had just glimpsed those fabulous cathedrals on The St. Barbara road. Today, I had planned to walk along the road to see them more clearly and also visit the GUM. Like the previous day, I had expected that the barricades would be opened by 11:30 AM. After all, the major roads were already washed as a build-up towards the ‘Victory Day’ celebrations. The GUM was festooned with light-bulbs, there was a huge backdrop hiding the Lenin Mausoleum, which was temporarily closed, and rows of chairs for the VIPs were fixed on the [View Full Entry]

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Afterword “So, what did you do in Japan?” asked my brother when I informed him that we were back from Japan. “Oh, lots.” I answered breezily. “Did you drink any Sake?” he asked. “No.” I admitted. “Did you eat any sushi?” he obviously was in a mood to tease me. “Nope.” I had to resort to slang here. “Did you see any sumo wrestling?” he was still at it. “Nyet.” This Russian word comes handy sometimes. “Did Avinashrao see a Geisha?” my Inquisition was still not [View Full Entry]

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Sensoji Temple, Tokyo **************************************** My notes for 2nd March : Take flight back to Mumbai. Will have to buy a separate ticket to Narita airport because JR pass is over. Go ‘unreserved’ to save (1660+1660 Yen) because it is ‘point-to-point’. Korean Air operates from Terminal 1 North Wing. Taking the train (unreserved seat) to Narita is cheaper than airport bus. ********************************************** The 2nd March was bright and sunny, as predicted by the weather portals on the internet. Not a single cloud in the sky! Oh, [View Full Entry]

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Odaiba, Tokyo ************************************** My notes for 1 March 2009 consist of the following : 1) Take the subway to Asakusa. 2) Visit Sensoji Temple, shop for kimonos. 3) Take a river-cruise on Sumida River to Hama Rikyu, a landscaped garden and then walk to Shiodome. 4) Take Yurikamome monorail to Odaiba, a futuristic entertainment and shopping district on a man-made island in the Tokyo Bay. 5) From Odaiba, take the Yurikamome to Shimbashi and then the subway to Ningyocho station and walk to the hotel. ******************************************* The First of March d [View Full Entry]

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Mount Fuji (?) **************************************** My notes for 28 Feb 2009 (Optional Fuji Five Lakes Tour) Visit “Fuji five lakes area” i.e. Kawaguchiko and Saiko from Tokyo by taking a bus ride. Ride the ropeway to Mount Tenjo for views of Fuji. ********************************************* Mount Fuji is one of the three Sacred Mountains of Japan and is reverentially referred to as “Fuji-san” by the Japanese. This perfectly-shaped, snow-covered, volcanic cone has influenced Japanese literature, paintings, ceramics, Kimonos for centuries, so much so tha [View Full Entry]

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Himeji Castle, Himeji *************************************************** My notes for 25th Feb, consist of the following : 1) Check out of the hotel and come to Kyoto station 2) Put the luggage in the station locker. 3) Take the train to Nara 4) See Todaiji Temple and Park 5) Come back to Kyoto for luggage. 6) Travel to Tokyo on JR Pass (Might see Fuji on left if you are lucky) 7) Take a taxi to the hotel ******************************************* [View Full Entry]

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