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Hi (if anyone is still reading?)
So we're in Siberia and to say its chilly would be an understatement. Our 80's ski jackets, that were a last minute inclusions when packing, are getting lots of wear.
Anyway we're getting ahead of ourselves and if it's ok with you we'll go back a few days and blab on a bit more about Moscow. Did quite a bit of sightseeing museums cathedrals etc and of course popped into see Lenin (his body has been preserved for 80 years or so previously as a icon of the Soviet Union, now as a rather sordid tourist attraction) anyway he's looking surprising well, fingernails are a little black but we think a manicure would go against his Marxist principles.
We also came to the conclusion that Moscow is full of either
a) Lots of gangster types or
b) Lots of people who want to be seen as gangster types.
Either way every second parked car you walk past has blacked out back windows and a burley Russian chap sat in the driver's seat smoking away waiting for 'the boss'. Not quite sure where he is but I think having this chap sat in the car waiting for you is quite a status symbol. I suggested to Polly that in order to boost my standing she may like to adopt this role for me, but she's not so keen.
Visited the Kremlin - lots of cathedrals and the biggest bell in the world woooo and the biggest cannon in the world aaahhhh (of course none of these items work or have ever worked but they are 'the biggest in the world' so this fact is largely over looked).
The Kremlin is still the HQ of the Russian gov' and a highlight for me was a seeing, in the distance, a group of well guarded suited men leaving the office buildings climbing into blacked out cars and driving out past us. As they did this all the solider/guards snapped to attention. I like the idea of Putin sitting in his merc' driving away from a high powered meeting smugly surveying his saluting military when what's that he spies but two wrapped up British tourists grinning like maniacs and waving him the jazz hands 'Hi Vladimir'
So once we'd got out of prison...
... We left Moscow for Yekeringburg (wrong spelling there). Although we are now travelling with our 18-30s group we shared a train carriage with two Russians. One of which spoke excellent English had some great shared chat and a rather hairy moment when we asked him about his national service and he told a rather emotional story about when he fought in the Chechen war (94-95) bit surreal as he got quite emotional but thankfully we had some Haribo sweets to make it all ok.
Yekeringburg is on the boarder of Europe and Asia, so we've taken some comedy photos of one of us in Europe and one in Asia. The novelty of bunny hopping from one continent to the next was fantastic (Europe, Asia, Asia Europe) if we hadn't been dragged away we'd still be there now! Ah it's amazing what fun you can have with a line painted on a road!
After Yekeringburg, we headed to Siberia, where we are now sitting in an internet cafe. So far we've done 4 nights on the train (a grand total of approximately 80 hours) and it's been surprisingly relaxing. We've read lots of books, eaten a tone of food and drunk gallons of vodka whilst watching the forest and steep wiz by.
We're off to a place called Ulan Ude tonight, before heading off to Mongolia. All very exciting.
Keep the messages coming
Lots of love Polly and Pete
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