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Published: August 1st 2006
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Heat Seeking Lada
Ekaterinburg is full of Ladas. And Missiles. A marriage made in heaven? Hello folks,
It's cold in russia. Ok so technically we don't have any gloves, but there have been a few occassions when we might have appreciated them. I'm fairly sure the only reason Carolyn can carry her bag at the moment is because she's wearing most of the clothes that should be in it!
Moscow started well, with no record of our accommodation booking. A little test for us on our first night. All worked out well in the end with the help of a few american dollars and maybe it was a handy little wake up call that it's not going to be all plain sailing for the next year.
The city itself seems interesting, if a little daunting at the start of this trip. Dealing with a different language is always a challenge, but a different alphabet just confuses the issue.
With very little time to spare after we got through the bureaucratic process of collecting our trans siberian tickets we decided to nail down the main sites. So off to the Kremlin it was.
It's a trip that may have brought some more interesting tales had the little man with the audio guides
St Basil's 2
Midget Gem anyone? not given us ours in Russian. Unfortunately we didn't realise until we were through the security gates so there was no going back.
Inside the 2.5km walls are a variety of buildings that make up the heart of the Russian Government. And it's still as you might expect it to look in a 70s spy movie. All black sedans and security men with big hats and bigger guns. Although the most enthusiastic guards seemed to be those with the batons that directed the traffic and whistled at any tourists who dared to stray from the zebra crossings.
We left Moscow on train 56 bound for Yekaterinburg or Sverdlovsk as it's also known (one of many remnants of soviet times). We seemed to be the only tourists on our train and were sharing our cabin with a military cadet and another russian guy. The cadet seemed extremely nervous when he put on his uniform on reaching his destination.
It was a bizarre feeling on the train moving over such a vast distance and seeing mostly trees and the odd group of wooden houses and occasional Lada.
Our arrival at Yekaterinburg proved somewhat smoother than the Moscow experience. We
St Basil's
St Basil's Cathedral took things at a slightly more leisurely pace although we have walked distances that at times have seemed further than the train covered in the 25 hours we spent on it. The boots are thoroughly broken in.
The city itself has lots of tree lined streets but I certainly wouldn't call it pretty. Most of the buildings seem to be in various stages of decay and tourists are few and far between. Although I'm not sure we stand out because several people have asked us what I assume were directions in Russian.
The site where the Romanovs were murdered is marked by both a little wooden church and a much more austere marble affair.
It seems to have been a theme of Russia in general so far. They don't like to do things by halves. It may not be a particularly picturesque nation, but it isn't shy. The architecture, the people and even the manner the language is spoken are all bold. Quite a shock for a couple of shy and retiring youngsters from the prim and proper UK.
It certainly appears that they had their fill of queues at the height of communism, so it's
pretty much every man, woman or stray dog for themselves when it comes to acquiring tickets, food or even just a couple of inches of personal space to cross the road.
I think we're reserving judgement on Russia until we've seen a little more of it, and have spent a little longer on the road. There's a nagging feeling that it would be a different experience for a couple of seasoned travellers at the end of a trip. It's certainly been interesting, eye opening and appetite whetting for the rest of the year ahead.
Now we must go and jump aboard a train that will carry us for three days across another chunk of this huge behemoth of a nation. Hopefully you'll hear from us again once we're out of Russia and had time to gather our thoughts.
Carolyn + David
ps. no pics i'm afraid folks. not a facility that's available here in yekaterinburg. we'll upload some at the earliest opportunity. In the meantime you'll need to make do with our ramblings.
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John Lindie
non-member comment
Hello...
...if it's any consolation it's raining and bloody freezing here also. Your missing nothing! Have a good'un :o)