NOW IT CAN BE TOLD: I’m back from nearly two weeks in Moscow (not the town in Idaho!). This mission should not be interpreted as support for either a.) Putin’s propping up of the Syrian regime; or b.) suppression of freedom of speech for gay people in Russia. I was a spectator at the World Championships of Track & Field. As I’d expected, no World Records broken but very good competition nonetheless. Got to meet Mike Powell, the dude who broke Bob Beamon’s legendary Long Jump record; US pole vaulter Jenn Suhr; legendary Cuban 400- and 800-meter runner Alberto ‘The Horse’ Juantorena (icing on the cake!). Finally put my digital camera to use, two years after having bought it (“D’oh!”). Will be posting many pics of Moscow sites/sights in days to come, and a few from the stadium (my assigned seat was NOT conducive to good photography angles, unfortunately). INITIAL/GENERAL IMPRESSIONS: It was clear from what I saw riding from airport to downtown on arrival day that Moscow (authentic pronunciation: “MUSK-vuh”) is an INCREDIBLE city; population said to be 12 million. Fantastic mix of old and new; seemed like everywhere my travel companion and I went things were being renovated or newly constructed. I have no doubt that Russia (authentic pronunciation: “ROSS [long ‘o’]-ee-yah”) is “a Great Nation” and is justified in demanding respect from the US government. The justly famous Metro (subway) system in Moscow (sorry, I shot no photos down there) handles far more commuters daily than NYC’s system. ‘Uncle Joe’ Stalin demanded this system be built to last: it is deep underground, reached by very long escalator rides. Each of the wooden doors (some stations now have glass, or perhaps plexiglass, doors) at the entrances seems to weigh 50 pounds! We encountered three different models of the trains (there’s a lot of surface public transport available, also). The most modern are closer to what NY has, with relatively smooth acceleration/deceleration. But the oldest trains, with funky dark green cars, seem to be totally under manual control of the Motorperson. Only one mode of acceleration: take off like a bat outta hell!! Deceleration is equally dramatic. The trains come far more frequently than NY, also, even in non-rush-hours. Decoration of the stations still incorporates original “communist” imagery, including hammer & sickle motif, red stars, occasional profile of V.I. Lenin, etc. [FUN FACT: The logo of Aeroflot, the official airline, still incorporates a hammer & sickle!]...THE WOMEN!! OMG, THE WOMEN!!! I have yet to visit Paris and many other famous cities, but I highly, highly doubt that any city can boast more incredibly gorgeous women than Moscow!! I was simply flabbergasted, honestly. Many, many blondes, but THE single most glorious gal I spotted had Asiatic features. Beautiful children, too, and many young men had delicate, very fine features. To be sure, one still sees “frumpy, matronly” women as one would see in a James Bond movie depicting stereotypes of Soviet Union of the 1960s/70s. Indeed, in early morning, as workers sweep and hose down sidewalks and streets, if one put the most modern buildings out of one’s mental picture, one could still imagine it was Moscow 1958....FOOD: I am not “a gourmet” (can’t afford to be!), but I have to say I was very favorably impressed with the restaurant fare. Very high quality ingredients, well prepared. I had what I think was the best Apple Strudel I’ve had in my life! For simplicity, I went 3 times to a Subway outlet near my hotel to get a Veggie Delite. The vegetables were way superior to what I find at Subway here at home!! The tomato slices, for instance, were actually dark red instead of pale imitations. A foot-long Veggie, however, cost close to $10 over there! Very interesting versions of iced tea at many restaurants, with heaps of fruit and fresh mint leaves incorporated. Price tag, unfortunately: $7.50!! Yikes! Well, we were warned that Moscow has become very expensive....THE PEOPLE: Outside the service industry, people tended to wear somewhat grim (serious) faces on the street and down in the tubes. However, when struggling with Metro stop issues--the signage is in Cyrillic alphabet, which takes more than a little getting used to for English speakers/readers--I did find helpful civilians, some of whom had a pretty good grasp of English. We did spot some pretty destitute-looking individuals, primarily older women. Only once did a “panhandler” (a man) approach us, indicating a need for food. Did not see any of these folks being hassled by police, of whom there are a great many. A curious phenomenon: Many cars parked on sidewalks, with men sitting in them. Drivers for gangsters, waiting for their clients?? If so, these guys ride in some pretty beat-down looking vehicles! Perhaps that’s intentional, though. Almost all businesses we went into had security guards in place, and some luxury apartment blocks had guards dressed para-military style. Welcome to Dodge City, Russian capitalist style. [DISCLAIMER: My adventure was strictly confined to greater Moscow. I’m sure greater Russia holds some incredible sights and possibilities, but I can’t make any personal observations on all that.]...To be continued, with pictures, in coming days.... -- J.O. SPAAK
Posted on: Wed, 21 Aug 2013 20:12:21 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015