Worked a few hours in the AM. Chris - GW associate from the UK - has been in Moscow for a few weeks. We've been poor hosts and really haven't showed him the city. Today that changed. He and I walked north to the Kremlin, saw the guard, walked up Treverskia st (past the $1000 / night Ritz)... Chris has never been on the metro so we had to ride! Figured I would show him a western style mall so we went to Mega. Everything is uneventful until we catch the bus from the metro to Mega. Russian's have no idea what courtesy in queuing is all about. The bus pulls up and a crowd of 100+ people push and shove to surround the one entrance that the driver opens. Oh yea, that same entrance is where the 100+ people on the bus need to use to get off! It's more pushing and shoving until the bus is packed. You literally can't breath at times. And this is normal!

Watched the final Rugby match @ Rosies. South Africa beat England.

Posted by Justin Hall at 11:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stas's mom is the adviser to minister of Ecology. Inna secured us a visit atop the Moscow State University Stalin tower! What a thrill beyond words that money couldn't buy!

MSU Tower Tour

Stas and I started by going to the science conference. The MSU president spoke followed by Moscow's mayor. There was tons of media and the place was packed. Inna had VIP passes - quite cool. Then to the real event. Just across the street is MSU's Stalin tower. This is one of the Stalin Seven Sisters. Very few get the privilege to see Moscow from the tower's highest rooms. (Today the weather is foggy which precludes long distance views.) Views here are from the highest point in/around Moscow. We take an elevator to the 24th floor. Through one locked entrance we take another elevator to the 32nd floor. As the doors open we walk into a rotunda of columns. The view is from above looking down towards the floor (4 stories below). The room contains some artwork, some statues and figure heads, a workspace or two, some cabinets and other odds-and-ends. We step outside onto the balcony and view Moscow! Please see the photos. When done gazing we go back in and down to the 28nd floor. This is the rotundas ground floor. Gaze up and see a star identical to what's on the Kremlin. Around the room hangs marble slabs with Marcist and Stalin quotes. Down to the 24th floor and we get a tour of their ecology museum. You can tell the artifacts were gathered and presented 20, 30, 40 or more years ago. The host tells us he wants to update but isn't allowed. Everything is hand-drawn or hand-made. Maps, plaster hemispheres noting the artic circle, wood and stone, and stuffed animals abound all around the room. You can see the age but yet realize it is quite a preservation - and tastefully and professional done. I can't help but think how much my grandfather would have loved (died for) the chance to visit this room! (He was a WV forester and adored the outdoors.)

Back downtown for dinner.

Posted by Justin Hall at 11:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's snowing. Yep, this early in the season the snow is falling. We lounge around early then take a local train to the city. Local trains are SO different from the Express! First, it is great because we stop frequently and see the villages. Second, the seats are terrible compared to an Express. And the hawkers! People are hawking everything on the train! You need a kitchen sponge? Food/drink? Maybe office supplies? Bed sheets? A new towel? Ride the train and you could buy it!

Showering is the first thing I do when I reach Moscow.

Dubna at Anna and Nicks Dacha

Posted by Justin Hall at 11:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)