Russia, Day 9

The space museum was being renovated when we there, and was closed.  However, we could see the rocket from the monorail (I believe) or the hotel, which comes into view at the 16 sec mark (back left).

At the 1:12 mark the big hotel comes into view in the background.  We stopped inside there briefly.

Day Nine 

We were hoping to find Siberian Airlines in order to buy a ticket to Volgograd.  We followed some printout maps and made our way one metro stop north of our hostel stop, Tsestnoy Bulvar.  Where we exited was part of the Garden Ring or slightly north of it.  We were very surprised at how nice the area looked.  It seemed to be an interesting business district - clean and busy.   After trying several minutes to find the building number for Siberian Airlines, we eventually located the small driveway that led to a building that had the lime green sign we were hunting.  We talked with a travel agent.  Tickets for the dates we wanted were sold out.  We considered this a sign that perhaps we just needed to stay in Moscow and forgo the trip to Southern Russia.   

Next, we had lunch.  It was a nice, comfortable place with ample seating and space.  The restaurant was very charming.  Although it took quite a long time for our food to come out, the chicken shashlik, salad and soup were excellent.  We also just enjoyed the rest.

After lunch we got back on the metro and exited a station where Moscow's new monorail is.  I was very interested in seeing how the new system compared to its underground sister.  And, I was excited again about seeing Moscow above ground.  We got our tickets, jumped on the monorail and targeted the All-Russia Exhibition.  Overall, I was impressed with the cleanliness of the monorail and the ease in which to use it.  Still, it's just a small line, basically running through an uninspiring area.  I guess its purpose is simply to link one metro station with a busy station from another line.  We did get to see the tall TV tower that has been the highest structure in Russia. 

The All-Russia Exhibition turned out to be a disappointment.  There were lots of people there, yes.  And, there seemed to a mixture of outdoor markets, indoor markets and festival rides.  On the other hand, it was more rundown than the images I had seen online, plus the layout was difficult to figure out.  In its heyday, during the golden years of the Soviet Union, I am sure the park and fountains dazzled.  One funny thing is that we bumped into one of the backpackers from Godzillas.  After a brief talk with him, we jumped on a small train that took people around the park.  It relieved us from walking, gave us a chance to see a bit more and was perfect for people watching.  As with other crowded venues, women were scantily clad and young people had an interesting edge.

We took the metro back to Pushkin Square and then set out for a treat: the Yeliseyevsky Food Emporium. This is Moscow's Harrod's.  The ornate interior and shiny chandeliers almost overshadowed the variety of fresh produce, imported luxury goods, local wines and vodkas and a big display of fresh ready-to-eat meals.  I was in awe.  We took some foods back to have for dinner. 

Back at Godzilla's, I sat in the TV room and talked with some travelers from England.  They were starting the first part of their travels - next stop would be Mongolia.  Later I watched some funny episodes of the Simpsons.