it was a scary place. Definitely worth the trip – an experience of a lifetime – but made me all the happier to live in the United States. The U.S. is by no means perfect, but I feel a heck of a lot safer here.
We took a train from Moscow to Yalta and had to make a run for it and jump onto moving train – with luggage in tow – as Russian Mafia had paid the conductor to leave 15 minutes early in an effort to strong-arm and inconvenience us passengers. Crazy. Seriously, felt like I was in a Cold War movie.
The Bolshoi Circus made me angry and I did not enjoy it at all – the animals were very mistreated during the show (I guess you could say at least they weren’t pretending to treat them well…).
Red Square was beautiful at night. People were somewhat welcoming, but still very guarded toward us. The museums were incredible – and got to wear fun booties over my shoes so as not to scuff up the floors. Had the best McDonald’s apple pie ever in Moscow.
Don’t go in February unless you like to freeze your butt off. Don’t mail anything you can’t live without. Still haven’t received the postcards I sent home in 1996 (yet we received the postcards I sent from Kenya and Zimbabwe in 1995). Hmmm… Definitely an experience to remember.