Where the beer is cheap and plentiful...

This is almost too much to cope with... two entries in such close proximity!

I am now off the train - ok, you could have guessed that - and in the heart of Moscow. It seems wherever we go it turns into a sudden heatwave. Lucky me. Thankfully the vomiting has stopped and I can now eat again - and more importantly, drink again. Although, truth be told, I have as yet to drink any Vodka here. Beer is everywhere, sold on street corners, in 2l plastic bottles no less. If you like self-destructive habits, this is the place to be. Beer and cigarettes are dirt cheap and to be had everywhere, and of course, it is expected to be able to consume them everywhere.

Moscow is both amazing and a massive contradiction to the rest of the country seen thus far. To a far greater extent, than anywhere else I have ever been, the disparity between rich and poor is ludicrously large. The poor areas, which we saw along the Siberian railroad, were like something from the early 20th Century, never mind the 21st. Old women at stalls selling a few humble crops to make a few roubles - in one case, a woman selling a single bowl of mushrooms. Contrast now to Moscow where the Rolls Royce showroom, is around the corner from the other luxury cars shops, and near a multitude of other boutiques, sporting labels that would make many a rich Westerner cry. I have found it *very* easy to not spend money shopping here! (Yes, Subtle, I know you won't believe me!)

Such a bizarre country in so many ways... they overthrew their elitist and corrupt monarchy, to install a corrupt and sinister communist bureaucracy...? What? They preserve the body of a man who set those wheels of bureaucracy in motion, against his own wishes to lie for eternity in a simple cemetary with his Mother.

But still, we are here and soaking up what we can. A few more days here before I head North to St Petersburg, and then even further north back out of the big cities again. I think I look forward to the slower pace of the Gulags up north......

Privyet....

Long time... no blog! But for once I do have excuses that I can give you all. About three weeks ago I had a work conference in Houston for 6 days. I can tell you, in my opinion, Houston has little to recommend itself. Unless of course you are a fan of sweltering heat. Foolishly, I did a fun run at the conference, which started at around 6:30am. Yes, AM. But by 7am, the steam in the air was somewhat like a well functioning sauna. My run was less than stellar, but getting up at sparrow fart and running in heat, deserves some sort of allowances. As a geek, at a Physics conference, in Houston, of course I went out to NASA. Bite me. But if it helps, I followed it up with some more shopping. True to form, I came home with twice as many shoes as I left with. In my defence, one pair is for Subtle....

I was home for a few days. Just enough time to "catch up" with Subtle (is that a covert way of saying, shagged like minks??) and wash my clothes before I left off another trip. But this time it is to Russia. I have been planning this trip since December last year. Well before Subtle was even a blip on my radar. But true to form, plan a holiday... get a boyfriend. Handy thing is, it is something to annoy my travel partner with for the next seven weeks. Yes, SEVEN weeks. About the same length of time that Subtle and I have been together. *sigh*

So, my trip to Russia started a week or so ago, with flying into Vladivostok, and then getting on the Trans-Siberian Railway. For those of you who have visions that this is some sort of luxury rail line... please let me dispel those myths now. Like most Eastern European trains, the quality and hygiene is questionable, and conditions are spartan. But, go me for my ability to slum with the best. Same clothes for days, no makeup, heavy drinking every night and lots of local foods to punctuate my day.

We stopped in Irkutsk, with a side trip to Listvyanka which is on the shore of Lake Baikal. The Lake is the largest and deepest freshwater lake in the world and has about 20% of the world's freshwater. Unfortunately, statistics like this do not extend to the state of the town. No matter, lucky we don't complain. Except when we returned to Irkutsk where we were booked into a hotel with a double bed. For two single straight women. Bozhe Moi! Especially when we made it clear to our (useless) Travel Agent that we wanted twin beds everywhere. And then, the hotel gave me food poisoning from my dinner.

So here I sit in their "Business Centre" using the internet, trying to suppress further urges to vomit, like I had been all night, before I am about to get on the train again for three nights and four days. I am not sure if I need to drink more Vodka to cure this or just keep avoiding it?

It goes without saying that I miss Isabella and Subtle - although it is amazing how much phone coverage one can get in Siberia.....

Next stop Moscow!