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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Sep 26, 2006 02:00 PM Last day in Moscow...
Sunny morning... I still have a day to explore Moscow. The tickets to Kremlin are difficult to obtain for individuals - there is the presserure to go with the excursion group, but they of course charge more money. I visited the Kremlin years ago so it is not a big loss... I took the subway to Vorobiove Gory station and after 20 min climbing through the park I reached the view point in front of Moscow State University. Great panorama! Then is was the time to see Danilowsky Monastery - the present residence of the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. There are nice icons to see in the two-level cathedral church. The nuns sell piroshki and honey at the gate and you can drink the water from the holy source... Wow! They do not allow to take pictures even in the monastery courtyard (but I took some, I am sorry).
Little off the center of Moscow (east of subway station Taganskaya) is the huge church of Old Believers. They are very strict - you are allowed to see the impressive icons in the interior only from the entrance area...
That's the end of Moscow program. In the late evening I am flying to Bishkek-Kyrgyzstan with the intention to proceed overland to Kashgar in West China. It is not easy route, so keep your fingers crossed, please. I do not know where and when I'll have next access to the internet... New adventure awaits there!
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Sep 25, 2006 02:00 PM Out of the beaten track...
Today I decided to visit Yuriev-Polski - little village mentioned in the Lonely Planet book. "Polskij" means "Polish" so it was interesting to me if they have any connection with Poland. In the morning I took a bus from Vladimir (60 roubles) and we drove through picturesque forests and the countryside almost two hours. Yuriev was founded in 1152! Now it is sleepy little township with traditional market in the centre facing St Michael monastery. No tourists at all! I asked locals about Poland connection - sorry, the response was: Polski comes from "polye" - the field - they said.
They have also nice stone carved St George church...
I had a problem how to get off the town - there is railway station but do not rely on trains - only two per day. Finally I took the bus to Alexandrov (66 roubles) and the train to Moscow (108 roubles). At 7pm I landed at Yaroslavski Station in the capital. Then I wanted to take the subway to my hostel. Surprise! My multi-ride ticket is not valid! Check the deadline date printed on your ticket so you will know when will be the last day you can use it!
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Sep 24, 2006 02:00 PM Vladimir on the Golden Ring
Vladimir is located just 35 km from Suzdal. It was a short ride on a junk bus - the driver collected 30 roubles fare without issuing any tickets... Vladimir Hotel is the best place for backpackers: if you know Russian jest ask for "samaya dyeshovaya komnata" (last expensive room) - they will find for you the clean room with a sink for 350 roubles - it is real bargain! And bring your tea/coffee bags with you - it is nice rule in russian low range hotels that they offer free hot water (kipyatok) and you can use the cups...
Vladimir has world heritage site - it is famous Golden Gate - now the museum with interesting diorama. The cathedral is also worth to see but interior is closed on Mondays.
Bus 18 from Khimzawod took me to Boyolyubovo - just 11 km away where interesting monastery is located. Is is also worth to walk 2km from the monastery through the meadows to the little and very old Pokrova church - the location is exceptional...
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Sep 23, 2006 02:00 PM Russia: Hitchhiking to Suzdal
There are two transport directions on the Golden Ring: one Sergiey Posad to Yaroslavl, and the other Vladimir to Suzdal and onward to Kostroma. If you want to move from one direction tho the other this will be a problem: no public transport. Early: at 8.30 in the morning I stayed on the road Rostov-Ivanovo trying to stop private cars. Bad luck! 20 min... 30 min. Finally I decided to flag with the 100 roubles note... It works!
I reached Ivanovo and took public bus to Suzdal. The town is famous for its churches and monasteries and for "medvedukha" - honey-made light alcohol...
Do not go to the pricey "Sokol" hotel! I again found a room in the monastery - Rizopolozhensky Monastery. Single room with bath for 660 roubles. Not as charmind as the night befor but silent - with nice view... The golden and black spires of Suzdal from the great landscape. I was listening to the bells concert and tasting Medvedukha... Another great day!
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Sep 22, 2006 02:00 PM Another great Kremlin...
River Volga in Yaroslavl is wide and quite large commercial boats and barges sail upstream and down the river. I expected to take little excursion boat to sail to the little villages but it looks theat after perestroyka this business collapsed - there were one boat and the say - you can rent whole boat and we can go! The monuments in Yaroslavl are mostly under restoration so I moved fastly to Rostov Veliky - another charming town on the Golden Ring. Bus cost just 45 roubles - less then 2 USD.
Rostov seems to be no.1 attraction on the Golden Ring - there is beautiful Kremlin - the castle (but much smaller then the one in Moscow) with the churches and museums. I found accommodation inside the Kremlin - there is old-style wooden Dom na Pogriebach. (In Polish it means Funeral House but in Russian - House on the Callars), I got the room for 500 roubles and walked 2 km to the Monastery of St Jacob - also beutifully located on the Lake Nero. Views from the tower are just great! But the attraction not to be missed is the steamboat sail on the lake - the view of the Rostov Kremlin from the lake is unforgettable!
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Sep 21, 2006 02:00 PM Visiting Russian monasteries...
There are few churches in a little Pereslavl where Russian national hero - prince Alexander Nevski was born. But the real highlights of this town are old monasteries spread -out around the town. There are 5 of them. Some have museum status - the other are working - you will find there the monks, people praying. You are expected to pay for entry to the museums and there are different prices for the locals and foreigners. Foreign tourists pay more - like 120 roubles each place. It is very profitable to know the Russian to pay less - I use this way to save some money... I visited 3 monasteries walking about 8 kilometers and the nice 40 Saints church on the lake... Lovely, sunny weather and very few tourists - good time to enjoy the serenity, the landscape of old russian wooden houses along the dusty roads. They officialy do not allow to take pictures in the working monasteries. But is you are the only person in the church - who cares?
In the afternoon I took a bus to Yaroslavl on a Volga river - just 100 m down from the bus station there is inexpensive Kolos Hotel where they charge 450 roubles for single room with shared facilities...
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Sep 20, 2006 02:00 PM Russia: to the Golden Ring
Did you hear about Golden Ring? It is the area northeast of Moscow where the old Russia was born. There is a chain of old once-fortified towns with churches, castles and monasteries...
It is fantastic escape from the crowded and noisy Moscow...
I started from the capital to Sergiev Posad. You can get there by train or the bus as I did. There are frequent buses from "Vystavka" subway station - the ride cost 70 roubles.
After 1,5 hours I landed at the Sergiev Posad station and soon I enjoyed the view of the onion domes and golden spires of the famous monastery where the holy patron of all Russia - St Sergius was buried. There is a lot of pilgrims coming to his tomb. Lighting candles, thaking the water from the holy spring... Something very authentic and very new on my trail...
Sorry, accomodation in SP is limited and expensive for backpacker - I went in the evening to the Pereslavl Zalesski - the next town on the Golden Ring (bus cost 70 roubles) and stayed at Pereslavl Hotel.
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Sep 19, 2006 02:00 PM Dollars on a sidewalk...
Old Arbat where I live is famous of the the poet and the singer Bulat Okudzhawa. I like his lovely ballads so it is the time to walk around old Arbat quarter and to feel the atmosphere of his childhood... There is his monument and in the evenings young people with guitars sit there plaing. Old Arbat is pedestrian zone now: a lot of painters, souvenir-vendors, fortune-tellers... I took a long walk along Moscow River. I saw new, huge cathedral Christ the Saviour and took the best pictures of the Kremlin from other side of the river. There is also huge, ugly monument of Peter I on the river...
Not far from the Kutafaya Tower where they sell tickets to the Kremlin I had excident: rinning person "accidentaly" droped the pack of USD in a plastic bag in front of me. Then another man asked me to pick it up... I did not. I know the trick: Since there is no owner he will offer me to spilit the money or just to count it. Then the owner will come back saying that there was more money in the pack so you must give him the balance or he will take you to the police. Do not pick up the dollars from the sidewalk!
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Sep 18, 2006 02:00 PM Moscow: registration or the bribe...
I stay in the "Sweet Moscow" hostel conveniently located in the center - on the Old Arbat street. It is converted private flat on the 8th floor with 20 bunk beds only in 3 dormitories. You can book them via hostels.com. They charge 25 USD per bed. It is much regarding that there is only one bath and one toilet to share. But I see that Moscow in general is much more expensive then 30 years ago! "Sweet" in the hostel could be Nastya - the recepcionist, the tea and coffee which are free and busy internet stand - also free. Every foreigner within 36 hours from arrival to Russia myst be registered by hotel or private person you live with. Registration is a stamp on your "Migration card" you receive on the border. It is for fee. Paul - my dorm-mate did not register. The police catch him on the Red Square. Took him the police station and ask for 350 roubels... I do not want to have such a problem. The hostel registered me for 550 roubles (like 20 USD) - they are well organized - the clerk is coming with the stamps to the hostel... Am I safe now? Let's walk around sunny Moscow!
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Sep 17, 2006 02:00 PM From Moscow with love...
My bus arrived to Kaliningrad before schedule - there were only 21 passengers - it is off season... Do not change the money at the border - you will get more at the Kaliningrad railway station - 26,20 roubels per USD. Bus no.138 took me from the station to the airport (30 roubles- 45 min).
I boarded old Tu-134 plane (cramped seats, noisy) and after 2 hours landed in Moscow.
Last time I have been to Moscow in the seventies - a lot of changes! Huge shopping centers on the outskirts... A lot of advertising in English... A bus (15 roubles) took me to the nearest subway station. Then I paid another 15 rou for the subway ride. Moscow subway is very fast - not like one in New York... I am in the capital of Russia. Evening. 16 deg centigrades. Love from Moscow to all of you!
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