My husband arranged the travel of 60 heads, including us, to Moscow, Minsk, Riga and Tallin. I had no idea about the exact itineraries, so, I went with the flow. We arrived in Moscow, or Moskva as the Russians call it, and got stuck in the serpentine immigration queue at the airport for more than an hour before experiencing the pleasant weather and beauty outside. We followed our tour guide obediently because she was blunt and to the point.

If people say that I am a little too straightforward, they should meet most of the civilians in Russia. Even their ice-cream is as stiff and cold as they are. Some are courteous but some seem to have woken up from the wrong side of the bed.

READY FOR SOME DISCOMFORT

Loo time for pretty stressful for me. Every time we had to use it, I felt burdened. Yes, because the loos had no hand faucet or a tap. When I visited the toilet at the airport, I almost fainted with the awful stink because (be ready for this) the lady before me pooped and probably cleaned up with only a tissue as water is very expensive there. To my luck, at least in our hotel room, the bidet saved the day. Phew!

MOSKVA RIVER

It was a long tiring journey, from Bangalore, with two kids, but it had to be done. As soon as we reached the hotel- National Hotel, we went on a short tour and then headed to lunch on the Radisson Cruise. It was amazing and worth the deprived sleep. We were taken along the beautiful river Moskva.

We got back to the hotel and took a nap. The sun sets at around 2130 hours, so, when I opened my eyes, I assumed it was late at night. Later, I got to know that all of us slept at 1900 hours the previous day and woke up at 0730 hours the next day. Little did I know that the sun had set and was rising back while I was still sleeping. Haha!

The hotel’s complimentary breakfast was delicious. It included some sashimi that I did not fancy much.

MOSCOW KREMLIN

Our hotel was right opposite the Red Square inside the Kremlin. The place was stunning, even at night. Inside the Square, there is a big golden coin on the floor on which you had to stand and throw a coin behind you for luck. My daughter and I love doing crazy things like these, so, up we threw the coin and made our wish.

St. Basil’s Cathedral built by Ivan the Terrible in 1950s was a gorgeous sight! The architecture was out of this world. The paint colour combinations were bright and emitted positive vibes. This was the prettiest structure I had seen till date.

A huge bell with a piece of it on the ground was captivating, too. I climbed the wall to take a picture before the guards came whistling after me.

The art inside the biggest Cathedral was mesmerizing with chandeliers made of bronze or silver. It was quite a strict tour (with no photographs) but the views were worth a million sacrifices.

METRO TRAIN STATION

The metro train station, built in the 1930s, had a revolutionary theme to it. They said if you touched the dog in one of the statues, it is supposed to bring you good luck. That was the second thing I had done for luck, so, am keeping my fingers crossed and waiting for a million dollars to fall in my lap.

Despite the old structures all over Moscow, what amazed me was the cleanliness, traffic discipline, pedestrian discipline and passenger discipline. We were ‘forbidden’ from standing in the bus like we all do back home in India. We were ‘forbidden’ from putting our foot on any part of the road unless we had to cross it, ONLY at a zebra crossing. It was overwhelming when the drivers waited for us to cross because in India we have to dodge our way to the other side because of the several types of vehicles that could hit us.

The buildings look professional because no one has the guts to hang their clothes in the balcony. I also noticed that even Indians there didn’t dare to throw a chocolate wrapper on the streets. One of our mates even picked up their chocolate wrapper and walked all the way to throw it in a bin making me wonder if he would do the same in his own country.

GORKY PARK

The Gorky Park was something that made me feel that India had the potential, as well as the resources, to have one of these but alas none seem to have a vision for the future. The park was a gigantic area of several activities for all ages (toddlers up till the elderly). They had a green area for the new walkers to fool around with their feet and if your bones allowed you to jump on the trampoline, who is anyone to stop you from doing that, right? Why can’t we implement all this here in India?

My husband and I take turns to party at night when on a holiday, so, off I went, leaving my loved ones behind and ready to enjoy the night. I had a blast. After a long time, I left a party at sunrise. I felt I was still alive and living not just surviving to bring up my kids. We mothers need to have fun, too. Sometimes, we also need a break from the family and routine, don’t you agree?

Despite the strict discipline in Moscow, I loved the place. You could stand anywhere on the street and be mesmerized at the beauty of how it is maintained. Even the lights are concealed. At night, the Cathedrals are lit up but the bulb of the light will never hit your eyes; you actually have to search for it. Splendid!

Have you visited Moscow yet? What was your experience there? Do tell us in the comments below!

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Photo by Julius Silver