Monday, July 9, 2012

Day 2, Moscow: Fancy

So today's theme is fancy. It all started this morning when Kim decided to wear a skirt, and I put lipstick on. I'll relate our adventures to what is "fancy" and what isn't.

1. The mullet. This one is also a "lesson learned" from yesterday: the mullet is alive and well and quite fancy here in Moscow. They seem to come in many shapes and sizes, on many different types of men and boys (and women too). It's all business in the front and party in the back here in the capital.

2. Russian women. The dress code here is a bit more formal than at home. The average Russian woman, young or old, is wearing a skirt or dress, high heels or fancy flats, makeup and jewelry. Sporty/casual/touristy Cheryl does not fit in. That's ok, I'm walking far too much to kick it up a notch in the fashion department.

3. The Metro. Kim and I spent the morning riding the subway (less than $1 per ride!!). We took one of the main lines that loops around the downtown and got off at every stop. The stations are really quite elegantly decorated and each has its own character. You feel more like you're in a grand palace than riding the subway. Trivia: Over than 9 million people ride the metro in Moscow each day. That's more than NYC and London combined.

4. The State History Museum. The building this museum is in impressed a very tired Kim and an exhausted me more than the actual artifacts inside. Each room is decorated differently and has high beautifully painted ceilings and massive doorways. No photos allowed though. Security was a little tight getting in but our bags contained nothing suspect. We breezed by the ancient tools and fossils, enjoyed the portraits of famous tzars and emperors, loved the collection of icons (in the Russian Orthodox sense), but what really had us in awe was how much the museum contained. Considering the turbulent history of this country, it's perhaps nothing less than a miracle that so many items were kept safe. Ten points for Russia.

5. Our hotel. We checked out of our hostel and checked in to the hotel where our tour group is staying. Although it's not particularly fancy, it's a step up from Godzillas. We have our own bathroom and reliable WiFi. There's a little bar on the main floor, where I'm sitting now enjoying a beer after a long day touring.

6. The paint jobs on some cars. I've noticed what I hope are some interesting ads painted on cars like the one in the photo below. Also in this category would be the car completely covered in skulls and one that looked like it had been painted in chalkboard paint. Funny thing is none of these cars have words on them, so maybe they are just extreme fashion statements?

7. Buskers. We were walking down a pedestrian mall and I guess I was a little too close to this mime-clown busker. He got me good by snapping a Chinese finger yo-yo in my face. I made a spectacle of myself by jumping and letting a little yelp escape. Not fancy, but made it on my list nonetheless.

8. Getting dripped on constantly. Again, this contributes to my un-fanciness. Not sure what the mysterious liquid source is, but Kim and I keep hoping that the falling droplets are just from air conditioners. I've decided I don't want to look up to find out for sure. After all, is ignorance not bliss?

On that note I'll sign off. We were out wandering and relaxing until 11:30; obviously we are beat and tomorrow is a big day.

TTFN

3 comments:

  1. love this 'fancy' post. ps was the hostel REALLY called "godzillas"??

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  2. Indeed! We will be back there in a week or so. The sign in the kitchen read, "Do your dishes or you will be eaten!"

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