Da svidaniya Russia, hello sunshine

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Left Moscow, in the rain and cold...par for the Russian summer if the last week is anything to go by. Their weather may be unreliable, but the metro and rail network are as efficient as you could want. And getting a train to the Airport was a doddle compared to the 45 minute frustrations with the automatic machine in St Petersburg.

Never got to see blokes dancing round with their Nutcrackers out, the Balshoi was a bit too expensive for our budget (cheap seats had sold out) but did see St. Basil, Lenin (ok, just the outside of the mausoleum - who wants to queue for an hour to see a man dead for 85 years and who hasn't changed his underwear for 2 years?) and Putin and Stalin (alright, they were lookie-likies, but good ones).

First impressions of Uzbekistan - queues. The only check in queue in Domodedovo was for Uzbek Airlines...and getting through passport control and customs was a nightmare even fast-tracked as tourists. Heaven knows what happens when two planes arrive in a day!

But...we'll let them off, they have sunshine here. 35 degrees of the stuff...oh yes!

Khiva is magnificent. Mosques, medressas and minarets. The Silk Road at it's best, until we reach Bukhara that is.

Ability to download photos in Uzbekistan is painful - more to follow, we promise.

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Photos

St Basils
A rare moment of sunshine in the Kremlin

Khiva
You aren't coming in here without a fight

Khiva
In the Toshdor Palace (or something like that)

Comments

[Kan Kan]

Hi ya
Hi you two, glad to hear all is well on your travels. Paul you write such intelligent comments about your travels while all I see is you in a Mr Men T'shirt by the Kremlin. Nice. Nicola is he driving you nuts yet?