New Years Eve

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To begin with we visited Gorky Park. Already famous, however our reason for visiting was that many of the statues and symbols of the old communist regime had been thrown here once they gave up on the great expeirment. The statue park was quite impressive, old soviet stars and statues of lenin and stalin. We paid 100 roubles each to enter the park, but the entrance we left by didn't even have a ticket lady. A day previous some of friends entered and walked past the ticket lady without being bothered to pay. Like everything in Russia, it was a bit hit and miss.

Back to our food court for lunch and thencely to a shopping street for some, shopping. A little more experienced with the Russian experience, we haggled rather than taking the suggested value. Items on sale varied from russian dolls to mig 29 fighter helmets. Once we were full to the brim with "bargains" we headed back to the hotel.

One thing about having your bags with you, is that you have to pack them up again when you leave. Previously we hadn't really had to worry. After packing our bag ready for tomorrow, we assembled in the lobby with the rest of our tour group. Tonight we had been promised a 3 course meal and New Year's Eve in Red Square.

A short bus trip later we were at our restaurant at 7pm. By 7:30pm all of the champagne and chilli vodka had been drunk and we were all a very merry lot. Due to the arrangement of the tables though, it was necessary for half of the crowd to crawl underneath, in order to get out to the toilet. Much hilarity ensued. Many photos were taken. Many bribes were made to have said photos destroyed.

After a few hours we shambled out the door and weaved our way to Red Square. Red Square was closed, and had been since 8pm. This was news to our guides. Nevertheless, we ended up in a nearby square and waited for midnight. We attempted a call home, but so did the rest of Russia. In the end, we got through to my Dad. We weren't able to make ourselves intelligible though (vodka no doubt the culprit). After a while Grandfather Frost appeared on stage and counted down the new year. Fireworks went off. Russians went off (It's possibly the only time of year they're truly happy).

We took a tube home and bought water and vodka on the way. Coming in to the lobby though, we decided discretion was the better part of valour and went to bed. A lot of people did not however and we were regaled the next day with stories of snow ball fights, wrestling, loud russian arguments and the police turning up. The loud argument took place outside our room, so we didn't need to be told about that one.

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