Monday, August 19, 1991
The train was rocking so hard this morning that it woke me. I had a sore throat, dry mouth, and blisters on my lips. I didn’t feel very good. I couldn’t brush my teeth because the bathrooms were really gross and the water did not look clean. Thank God I brought Evian, Tylenol, Sucrets, and Anbesol. They saved my life. The train arrived in Leningrad at 0800. As soon as the train stopped, a man from GTC Corp came and met us on the train. I was surprised they were right there waiting for us. I thought we were going to have to wait a while. Off the bat, I felt the people were more talkative and open.
We arrived at the Grand Palace Hotel (Palace of Youth). The rooms were awesome. There was a living room, spacious bathrooms with big showers, and a working refrigerator. We had breakfast (fried eggs, bread, and cold cuts). After breakfast, we were told they were going to take us on a tour at 1000. We went upstairs to change and unpack. We had not realized a tour was included so we were pleasantly surprised.
NOTE: Before arriving at the hotel, we passed through the city and it was beautiful. We passed by the Winter Palace, where the Hermitage is, cathedrals, and other buildings. The city has over 300 bridges and beautiful architecture.
While I was getting ready, I heard some people outside the room talking to Ralph. He called me to hear what they were saying. I opened the door and a woman called Helen and two drivers were standing there saying the tour was postponed until after lunch because they did not know how safe the streets were. They had just heard that Gorbachev was overthrown in a coup attempt and the military was taking over. I thought...wait a minute, can’t they wait until Friday afternoon... They said Gorbachev had no power and the military was saying he was ill. It was scary and bad news, but they assured us we were safe in the hotel and not to worry. Helen took our passports to register us (whatever that means). We trusted her because she looked decent and she spoke perfect English.
The first thing I thought about was our family members. They probably knew by now and they were probably extremely worried. I wanted to use the phone, but the government cut all phone lines even the ones in MOW. We were also worried about Leo and company because they were supposed to arrive two days from now. We knew from before that it was difficult to call out of Leningrad, but this situation made it even more difficult.
We all sat in one room saying how adventurous, dangerous, exciting, and scary the situation was. I was a little skeptical because even the employees of the hotel didn’t know exactly what was happening. Either they were left in the dark, or they did not want to worry us. We decided to take a nap until lunch. After lunch (at about 1430), Helen said they had confirmed it was a successful military coup and that Gorbachev was no longer in power. Some guy named Nievev or something was the leader. Yeltsin was even ousted.
We were tired of being in the hotel so we asked them to take us around the city. They dropped us off at a flea market. The people were more aggressive. Boys came up to us asking for gum. I guess they saw us chewing some. They were surprised we shared the gum with them without asking for some of the dingy postcards in their hands. People were selling old religious icons. Ralph wanted to buy a $250 one, but we all doubted its authenticity and he felt they would confiscate it at the airport. Another thing we were worried about was that there is only one flight per week out of Leningrad so we were stuck here. The only way out, if anything would happen, would be to take a train to Helsinki, Finland and fly from there, but we didn’t even want to think about it.
After the market, we asked them to take us to the U.S. consulate so we could register and try to call home. We got there and there was a crowd of Soviet citizens waiting for visas and applying for them. We walked passed them up to the guard and advised him we were U.S. citizens so he let us right in. Once inside, it felt safer. Outside, the people looked tense. Not happy and not sad, just tense. I guess they were just waiting for something to happen.
It was funny because earlier in the market there were some guys saying “Gorby is dead! Gorby is dead! and that there was a special sale because it was the last day of capitalism. We laughed, but it was weird because I didn’t know what to think. Was this a good thing or a bad thing? I knew it was bad, but they were laughing about it and almost taunting us. Another strange thing was that I asked Helen about rock concerts and she said “no more.”
Anyway, we talked to the employees at the consulate and they assured us it was safe in Leningrad. They confirmed again that Gorbachev was out, but that’s all they knew. An American girl told us that there was a curfew in the Baltic States and that in MOW there were some peaceful demonstrations. After we registered with the consulate, I had to go outside and ask Helen for the address and phone number of hotel in case of an evacuation emergency. When I stepped outside, I heard a woman say that there were tanks in the streets of MOW so it kind of freaked me out a little. After I got the information from Helen, I went back inside.
The consulate was full of more Americans. I felt safer knowing there were other Americans in the city because I hadn’t seem them at the hotel or in the streets. They also told us the phone lines were out so we definitely couldn’t call home. Although that was bad, we felt good about registering with them and we left our home contact information in case anything would happen. We left the consulate and they took us to the mall.
The mall was depressing. Helen told Ralph and Vivian that 80% of the people were poor and alcoholic. Leningrad seemed to be more real than MOW. The people seemed more honest and less stuffy. They weren’t afraid to say things are bad and that they too are scared. The mall had little to offer. People stood in line to buy the strangest things: hairspray, barrettes, and buttons. Things were quiet. We left after 20 minutes and went back to the hotel because dinner was at 1830. We got back to the hotel and took a nap.
Dinner was good. We had bread, potatoes, steak, and Pepsi. Thank God we didn’t have to drink another seltzer water. After dinner, we went back to the room and just hung out. It was funny because I made Ana pack everything. All of us showered and had everything ready in case anything happened in the middle of the night. We stayed up late writing in our journals and doing Russian adventure and Greek Island word searches.
Essay written about this day:
I woke up as the train pulled into the Leningrad train station at about 0800. I remember waiting five days before the trip to tell my parents where I was headed. I had told them I was going to Europe and when they would ask me where, I would say I was flying into London and out of God knows where. In that time of my life, I worked for Pan Am and they were used to me just picking up and flying off somewhere on a moments notice. But, this time I felt really guilty because I knew how strongly they felt about me visiting a Communist country.
“We left Cuba to get away from a political situation you’re going to admire as a tourist,” they said.
“The situation is a little bit different. It’s not about politics. It’s not about me wanting to hurt you. It’s about me having this learning opportunity to see a part of the world now and I’m not going to pass it up. There are many places I want to go to see for myself, and Russia is one of them," I responded.
“You can stay here, finish your last semester of college, and learn all you want. Please don’t go.”
For a moment after we arrived in Leningrad, I thought of myself stuck in traffic trying to make it to an Economics class. Then, as the hotel driver knocked on our door calling out our names, I knew I was exactly where I was suppose to be.
After checking into the hotel, we ate breakfast. The hotel’s tour desk had advised us we were going on a tour of the city. They suggested we go to our rooms, unpack, and be ready within the hour. Not even 20 minutes had passed, when we heard a loud conversation in the hallway. At the same time, we all opened our doors to find Helen our tour guide and two of her drivers giving us a message.
“The tour is postponed until after lunch because they didn’t know how safe the streets were. They had just heard that Gorbachev was missing and the military was taking over. Gorbachev no longer has power and they are saying he is ill. Don’t worry about anything. We will keep you posted.”
We were all stunned. As we gathered in one of the rooms, all we thought about was our family. We wanted to use the phone, but the government had cut all phone lines. There was no way to communicate with our loves ones. At lunch time, Helen came to give us an update.
“They had confirmed that it was a successful military coup and that Gorbachev was no longer in power.”
“So, what do we do know. We need to call home. We need to call Pan Am to see when they are going to re-instate the flights,” we all said in unison.
“Don’t worry. Leningrad is surrounded by tanks and it’s own military police. They will fight to their deaths before letting anyone destroy this city. What are you so worried about? At least you will have the option of leaving. What about the people that are here? What are we going to do? I know Gorbachev is not perfect, but we were finally getting the freedoms people deserve. We were finally seeing a future. What about us?”
For the first time in my life, a government was controlling me. We could not call home. We could go out, but had to be back by a certain time due to a curfew. I felt I was stuck in a situation where I did not know how to react. For the first time, I realized how within my life, I thought I knew everything. I made my own decisions and did what I wanted to do. But now, I was just another being on this planet in a situation beyond my control. For the first time, I felt trapped and helpless. These people we met in Moscow, Helen, and her guides, must have felt like that all the time. I thought of my parents and how this is what they never wanted me to feel.
Alex
Showing posts with label Moscow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Moscow. Show all posts
Real-life carriages and Lenin laying in a glass casket - Sunday, August 18, 1991
Sunday, August 18, 1991
We woke up and had omelet, bread and porridge of some kind. The omelet was good. We took a cab to the Intourist hotel office to meet the tour group. The tour started at 0930. We went to the Armoury Chamber Museum. It was a museum you could only visit with a tour group. It costs like $18 USD, and worth every penny,. The entrance was a big vault, like you see in bank robbery movies. This place contained clothes, costumes, carriages, thrones, crowns, and gifts of the Czars and Czarinas. There were jewels galore and everything laced with gold and diamonds. The opulence and affluence was everywhere, It makes you wonder why they don’t sell some of these treasures to make enough money to get the country out of its economic hell-hole, but I guess they can’t just do that. After the Armoury, we went through the Kremlin grounds and saw everything again.
OBSERVATION NOTE: The people are great, but they are hesitant to talk. I thought they would be more talkative, but they are tentative. Their clothes do not match and they stare at our clothes (not that we dress nicely or anything, we are pretty ordinary). The only people who talk to us are hustlers, they all sell the same exact postcards, watches and t-shirts. The city is clean and less muggy and gray than I had imagined it.
After the tour, we went back to Intourist and had chips and coke.
Later we wanted to go inside Lenin’s tomb/mausoleum. We stood in line for about 40 minutes. The time went by quickly because people aren't allowed to stand in front of the casket gawking and taking pictures. The line continues moving as hundreds of people walk by and catch a glimpse. We were inside in no time. Cameras and video recorders were not allowed and there were guards every two feet watching and keeping order. I had my sweater wrapped around my waist and they made me carry it. Also, they stopped me inside to examine the bump in my t-shirt. It was my money belt containing my passport and wallet. I felt so secure and at the same time so frightened.
As soon as we walked into the mausoleum, we saw Lenin lying in a glass casket. I was told by Svetlana that his face was a mask, but his hands are real. I guess the face fell apart. He just lies there and he appears to have been overweight. All the guards stood around the casket. The room was freezing and it was made of black and red marble. It was actually an incredible site. It was communism at its best. It was the first time I felt unsafe because we were the only Americans inside. We had gone during non-tourist hours. The waiting in line, seeing the people, hearing them interact, watching the kids run around, looking at the wedding couples lay flowers outside the tomb for good luck, and seeing this guy in a glass casket was so worth it. It seems, the Russian people see Lenin and the tomb as their God. He is the ultimate symbol of the Soviet Union and Communism. It is amazing, in a weird way to see so many people respecting this man. Of course, we do not care for him or his views, but to these people he is somebody grand.
When you leave the tomb, the line continues outside behind the mausoleum. Other important Soviet figures are buried around the outside of the mausoleum. I think John Reed (the American Journalist. I.e. Reds) is also buried there. I didn’t see his name because all the plaques were in Russian, but I read it somewhere.
After the tomb, Ralph and I went to make reservations at Savinsky’s Bazaar while everyone else went back to the Intourist hotel to use the bathroom and eat chips. Ralph and I found the restaurant and we were automatically let in when they found out we were American, a party of seven, and had USD. We entered the place and were escorted to the back of the building. I heard music and we entered the main dining room. It was incredible and it surprised me because from the outside the place looked like a dump.
There was a stage and the restaurant had a large dome with high ceilings, intricate architectural detail, and statues everywhere. We walked up stairs and met a waiter named Andres. He said we had to pay him up front, but of course we balked and didn’t. He said fine and that it was going to be $10 USD per person. The fee included the meal, drinks, show, etc. We made the reservations for 1900. We walked back to the Intourist hotel and met up with everyone else.
At 1430, the city tour was to begin. It was raining and we did not feel like going and we wanted our money back, but it was too late. We got there late with Ralph and Vivian the last to arrive. Everyone else on the bus was complaining. The tour was boring. We saw everything we had seen again! I was already kind of sick of Red Square. Instead of getting off the bus, I stayed on and slept during the stops. We passed by KGB headquarters, the U.S. embassy, 6,000-room hotel (largest in Europe), Bolshoi Theatre, Kremlin, film studios, etc. The tour dragged on for 2.5 hours. What made it worse was that our tour guide was rude and pessimistic. She talked about the poor and state of living of all the Soviets. It was like we were deaf, blind, and mute. It is sad, but you do not go on a tour to hear this information which is very apparent by just looking around. We saw the long lines, lack of goods in stores, mothers on the subway floors holding dirty, small children begging for money. I did not think it was necessary for her to talk about it on a bus full of tourists. What are we going to do about it? We’re here to visit a new land and experience a different culture. If anything, we were stimulating their economy. I got upset and wanted to say something, but I didn’t .
After the tour, the bus dropped us off in front of the Intourist hotel. Ana, Leo, and I wanted to see Gorky Park. I was actually obsessed with it because how can we come to MOW and not see it. We took a 50 ruble (just over $1 USD) cab ride and it was awesome. The entrance reminded me of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, but not as grand. I think there was going to be a festival because there were stages and food stands set up around the park. In the rear of the park, we could see an amusement park. It was a young crowd and all of them seemed inebriated. We were there about 15 minutes because we had that 1900 reservation and everyone was waiting for us. When we were leaving the park, some people were pulling strings tied to balloons and this one guy fell and the rest of them dragged him on the floor until he hit his head and back on the bottom of some stairs. It seemed painful, but we felt he was a bit foolish for not letting go. We took a cab back to the Intourist hotel and met up with the group.
After going to the bathroom, we took a cab to Savinsky’s Bazaar. Everyone else loved the place as much as Ralph and I. We even discovered individual party rooms. We sat down and had cold appetizers: cheese, lettuce and cucumber salad, gelled ham, meats, egg salad, Vodka, water, and some awesome white bread. The service was slow because this was a restaurant where you sat and ate with lots of time because there was a show to watch, but our train was leaving at midnight (we thought it was) so we had to go back to our hotel to pack and shower. We asked Andres, our waiter to please hurry. He asked us for the money in the middle of dinner. He seemed to look worried that we were not going to pay him or something. We obliged and paid him. He was content.
The main course was beef and mashed potatoes. It was actually good. For dessert, we had ice cream. The show had singers, dancers, and vaudeville-like acts. It was pretty good. My favorite was this heavy-set lady with a funny hat. At about 2130, Ana, Ralph, Vivian, and I had to leave, but Leo, mom, and aunt stayed. We got to the hotel at about 2140 and were told the train was leaving at 2305 and the ride was picking us up at 2200. We had 20 minutes to shower and pack. Luckily, I had almost everything put away so I took a quick shower and we were all off to the train station.
It was really cold outside, the car kept stalling and to top it off, had no headlights. We finally made it to the station and it was jumping like a mad house. There were people everywhere. Thank God the driver went inside and got tickets and a porter. The porter took us to the train car, but before that we had to walk a ways through the station itself. We passed by the mobs of people. It smelled like urine. It was straight out of a movie and it reminded Anne and I of “Midnight Express.” The place was creepy. We finally got the train and had our bags delivered to the berths. The berths were very comfortable. We each had a bed so it made the trip less exhausting. We got ready to sleep and the train departed at 2305 on the dot! We all said good night and hit the sack.
Alex
We woke up and had omelet, bread and porridge of some kind. The omelet was good. We took a cab to the Intourist hotel office to meet the tour group. The tour started at 0930. We went to the Armoury Chamber Museum. It was a museum you could only visit with a tour group. It costs like $18 USD, and worth every penny,. The entrance was a big vault, like you see in bank robbery movies. This place contained clothes, costumes, carriages, thrones, crowns, and gifts of the Czars and Czarinas. There were jewels galore and everything laced with gold and diamonds. The opulence and affluence was everywhere, It makes you wonder why they don’t sell some of these treasures to make enough money to get the country out of its economic hell-hole, but I guess they can’t just do that. After the Armoury, we went through the Kremlin grounds and saw everything again.
OBSERVATION NOTE: The people are great, but they are hesitant to talk. I thought they would be more talkative, but they are tentative. Their clothes do not match and they stare at our clothes (not that we dress nicely or anything, we are pretty ordinary). The only people who talk to us are hustlers, they all sell the same exact postcards, watches and t-shirts. The city is clean and less muggy and gray than I had imagined it.
After the tour, we went back to Intourist and had chips and coke.
Later we wanted to go inside Lenin’s tomb/mausoleum. We stood in line for about 40 minutes. The time went by quickly because people aren't allowed to stand in front of the casket gawking and taking pictures. The line continues moving as hundreds of people walk by and catch a glimpse. We were inside in no time. Cameras and video recorders were not allowed and there were guards every two feet watching and keeping order. I had my sweater wrapped around my waist and they made me carry it. Also, they stopped me inside to examine the bump in my t-shirt. It was my money belt containing my passport and wallet. I felt so secure and at the same time so frightened.
As soon as we walked into the mausoleum, we saw Lenin lying in a glass casket. I was told by Svetlana that his face was a mask, but his hands are real. I guess the face fell apart. He just lies there and he appears to have been overweight. All the guards stood around the casket. The room was freezing and it was made of black and red marble. It was actually an incredible site. It was communism at its best. It was the first time I felt unsafe because we were the only Americans inside. We had gone during non-tourist hours. The waiting in line, seeing the people, hearing them interact, watching the kids run around, looking at the wedding couples lay flowers outside the tomb for good luck, and seeing this guy in a glass casket was so worth it. It seems, the Russian people see Lenin and the tomb as their God. He is the ultimate symbol of the Soviet Union and Communism. It is amazing, in a weird way to see so many people respecting this man. Of course, we do not care for him or his views, but to these people he is somebody grand.
When you leave the tomb, the line continues outside behind the mausoleum. Other important Soviet figures are buried around the outside of the mausoleum. I think John Reed (the American Journalist. I.e. Reds) is also buried there. I didn’t see his name because all the plaques were in Russian, but I read it somewhere.
After the tomb, Ralph and I went to make reservations at Savinsky’s Bazaar while everyone else went back to the Intourist hotel to use the bathroom and eat chips. Ralph and I found the restaurant and we were automatically let in when they found out we were American, a party of seven, and had USD. We entered the place and were escorted to the back of the building. I heard music and we entered the main dining room. It was incredible and it surprised me because from the outside the place looked like a dump.
There was a stage and the restaurant had a large dome with high ceilings, intricate architectural detail, and statues everywhere. We walked up stairs and met a waiter named Andres. He said we had to pay him up front, but of course we balked and didn’t. He said fine and that it was going to be $10 USD per person. The fee included the meal, drinks, show, etc. We made the reservations for 1900. We walked back to the Intourist hotel and met up with everyone else.
At 1430, the city tour was to begin. It was raining and we did not feel like going and we wanted our money back, but it was too late. We got there late with Ralph and Vivian the last to arrive. Everyone else on the bus was complaining. The tour was boring. We saw everything we had seen again! I was already kind of sick of Red Square. Instead of getting off the bus, I stayed on and slept during the stops. We passed by KGB headquarters, the U.S. embassy, 6,000-room hotel (largest in Europe), Bolshoi Theatre, Kremlin, film studios, etc. The tour dragged on for 2.5 hours. What made it worse was that our tour guide was rude and pessimistic. She talked about the poor and state of living of all the Soviets. It was like we were deaf, blind, and mute. It is sad, but you do not go on a tour to hear this information which is very apparent by just looking around. We saw the long lines, lack of goods in stores, mothers on the subway floors holding dirty, small children begging for money. I did not think it was necessary for her to talk about it on a bus full of tourists. What are we going to do about it? We’re here to visit a new land and experience a different culture. If anything, we were stimulating their economy. I got upset and wanted to say something, but I didn’t .
After the tour, the bus dropped us off in front of the Intourist hotel. Ana, Leo, and I wanted to see Gorky Park. I was actually obsessed with it because how can we come to MOW and not see it. We took a 50 ruble (just over $1 USD) cab ride and it was awesome. The entrance reminded me of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, but not as grand. I think there was going to be a festival because there were stages and food stands set up around the park. In the rear of the park, we could see an amusement park. It was a young crowd and all of them seemed inebriated. We were there about 15 minutes because we had that 1900 reservation and everyone was waiting for us. When we were leaving the park, some people were pulling strings tied to balloons and this one guy fell and the rest of them dragged him on the floor until he hit his head and back on the bottom of some stairs. It seemed painful, but we felt he was a bit foolish for not letting go. We took a cab back to the Intourist hotel and met up with the group.
After going to the bathroom, we took a cab to Savinsky’s Bazaar. Everyone else loved the place as much as Ralph and I. We even discovered individual party rooms. We sat down and had cold appetizers: cheese, lettuce and cucumber salad, gelled ham, meats, egg salad, Vodka, water, and some awesome white bread. The service was slow because this was a restaurant where you sat and ate with lots of time because there was a show to watch, but our train was leaving at midnight (we thought it was) so we had to go back to our hotel to pack and shower. We asked Andres, our waiter to please hurry. He asked us for the money in the middle of dinner. He seemed to look worried that we were not going to pay him or something. We obliged and paid him. He was content.
The main course was beef and mashed potatoes. It was actually good. For dessert, we had ice cream. The show had singers, dancers, and vaudeville-like acts. It was pretty good. My favorite was this heavy-set lady with a funny hat. At about 2130, Ana, Ralph, Vivian, and I had to leave, but Leo, mom, and aunt stayed. We got to the hotel at about 2140 and were told the train was leaving at 2305 and the ride was picking us up at 2200. We had 20 minutes to shower and pack. Luckily, I had almost everything put away so I took a quick shower and we were all off to the train station.
It was really cold outside, the car kept stalling and to top it off, had no headlights. We finally made it to the station and it was jumping like a mad house. There were people everywhere. Thank God the driver went inside and got tickets and a porter. The porter took us to the train car, but before that we had to walk a ways through the station itself. We passed by the mobs of people. It smelled like urine. It was straight out of a movie and it reminded Anne and I of “Midnight Express.” The place was creepy. We finally got the train and had our bags delivered to the berths. The berths were very comfortable. We each had a bed so it made the trip less exhausting. We got ready to sleep and the train departed at 2305 on the dot! We all said good night and hit the sack.
Alex
Standing in many lines and discovering TrenMos (a little bit of Trenton, NJ in Moscow, USSR) - Saturday, August 17, 1991
Saturday, August 17, 1991
We woke up early and had breakfast. It consisted of cheese, bread, and this disgusting cottage cheese/cheesecake/pudding thing. It tasted like garbage, but I had to eat some of it because I was starving. After breakfast, we went back to Red Square to see it during the morning and when it wasn’t cloudy. The day was warmer than yesterday, but the weather here is schizo. It changes a lot. Oh..I forgot to write that we took the metro to Red Square and it costs us 15 kopek which is like less than a penny. We then went to the Intourist hotel and had coke and chips. Intourist has a monopoly on all the country’s tourism and the hotel costs about $100 USD a night. After that we went to the post office to call home and send postcards. The postcards were easy, but the phone call was difficult because I could not understand the operator. So we went back to the Intourist hotel and I called with my Visa card.
After that, we walked down Gorky street and entered a store. I’ll start with this fact: one has to make three different lines just to buy one thing. One line for a sales rep to help you. The other to actually pay for the item, and the last one to pick up your purchased goods. Ana, Ralph, and Vivian bought like 1,000 wooden dolls. I bought one. These are the nesting dolls that stack into each other. We also bought some really cool pins. It was all very cheap. After we walked to McDonalds. The line went around the park. It was incredible. It seemed like the thing to do so we stood in line with the rest of the folks. Vivian had tried to rig getting ahead of everyone, but that doesn’t work in the U.S.S.R. We met a nice employee who spoke English and she tried to get us in, just to see it, but she couldn’t help us so we left and saw some man playing around with a monkey for money.
Soon after that, Ana discovered her USD was missing. We (frantically) went back to hotel and money was tucked safely in her wallet. She sighed relief and we all went to the dining cabin for lunch. Lunch was good today. We had tomato soup and pork with potatoes. Then, I went to the check-in center to see what was for dinner (the food was exciting me) and ran into Leo, mom, and aunt. They had just arrived after their flight being delayed for hours. They were glad to be in MOW. I met her mom and aunt for the first time and they were nice/cool people. After they unpacked and got ready, we all went back to the Kremlin and Red Square.
We walked around and went to the Intourist hotel to book some tours of the Armoury Chamber, Kremlin grounds, and the city sights. After, we walked to the GUM. It’s a State Department mall. It had Benetton. We were about to buy the whole store when we realized the prices were in New Rubles which made it a lot more expensive than we thought. We soon left. We met some Soviet computer students who tried to sell us watches, military hats, and sweatshirts. They spoke English well and we talked for a while. After GUM, we all went to TrenMos. It is a restaurant that was suggested by a flight attendant and that they gave Pan Amers discounts. It was about $5 USD per person to eat a good meal. We were supposed to go to some Peking restaurant, but the people were not very nice so we took a cab to TrenMos.
TrenMos is a restaurant owned by Jeffrey Ziegler who was originally from Trenton, New Jersey. He opened this American restaurant in MOW, thus the name TrenMos. We ran into the same flight attendants who were on Leo’s flight and we talked for a while. The food, service, and atmosphere were awesome. The bill which included meals and champagne was only $16.00 USD for five people. It was incredible. I had pasta. We toasted to things Russian and to the whole trip. We even bought bottles of Champagne. A flight attendant also suggested this place called Savinsky’s Bazaar. It served great Russian food with a traditional Russian show. We took a cab back to hotel and talked to Leo’s aunt and mom. It was funny because we spoke loud and we woke up this vieja who was on the flight with Leo and all she did was complain about the food, hotel, and us talking loudly. It was only about 23:00 and she was having a coronary. So, we talked louder, she was so annoying!!! We soon stopped, went back to our rooms, fell asleep, and had good dreams.
Alex
We woke up early and had breakfast. It consisted of cheese, bread, and this disgusting cottage cheese/cheesecake/pudding thing. It tasted like garbage, but I had to eat some of it because I was starving. After breakfast, we went back to Red Square to see it during the morning and when it wasn’t cloudy. The day was warmer than yesterday, but the weather here is schizo. It changes a lot. Oh..I forgot to write that we took the metro to Red Square and it costs us 15 kopek which is like less than a penny. We then went to the Intourist hotel and had coke and chips. Intourist has a monopoly on all the country’s tourism and the hotel costs about $100 USD a night. After that we went to the post office to call home and send postcards. The postcards were easy, but the phone call was difficult because I could not understand the operator. So we went back to the Intourist hotel and I called with my Visa card.
After that, we walked down Gorky street and entered a store. I’ll start with this fact: one has to make three different lines just to buy one thing. One line for a sales rep to help you. The other to actually pay for the item, and the last one to pick up your purchased goods. Ana, Ralph, and Vivian bought like 1,000 wooden dolls. I bought one. These are the nesting dolls that stack into each other. We also bought some really cool pins. It was all very cheap. After we walked to McDonalds. The line went around the park. It was incredible. It seemed like the thing to do so we stood in line with the rest of the folks. Vivian had tried to rig getting ahead of everyone, but that doesn’t work in the U.S.S.R. We met a nice employee who spoke English and she tried to get us in, just to see it, but she couldn’t help us so we left and saw some man playing around with a monkey for money.
Soon after that, Ana discovered her USD was missing. We (frantically) went back to hotel and money was tucked safely in her wallet. She sighed relief and we all went to the dining cabin for lunch. Lunch was good today. We had tomato soup and pork with potatoes. Then, I went to the check-in center to see what was for dinner (the food was exciting me) and ran into Leo, mom, and aunt. They had just arrived after their flight being delayed for hours. They were glad to be in MOW. I met her mom and aunt for the first time and they were nice/cool people. After they unpacked and got ready, we all went back to the Kremlin and Red Square.
We walked around and went to the Intourist hotel to book some tours of the Armoury Chamber, Kremlin grounds, and the city sights. After, we walked to the GUM. It’s a State Department mall. It had Benetton. We were about to buy the whole store when we realized the prices were in New Rubles which made it a lot more expensive than we thought. We soon left. We met some Soviet computer students who tried to sell us watches, military hats, and sweatshirts. They spoke English well and we talked for a while. After GUM, we all went to TrenMos. It is a restaurant that was suggested by a flight attendant and that they gave Pan Amers discounts. It was about $5 USD per person to eat a good meal. We were supposed to go to some Peking restaurant, but the people were not very nice so we took a cab to TrenMos.
TrenMos is a restaurant owned by Jeffrey Ziegler who was originally from Trenton, New Jersey. He opened this American restaurant in MOW, thus the name TrenMos. We ran into the same flight attendants who were on Leo’s flight and we talked for a while. The food, service, and atmosphere were awesome. The bill which included meals and champagne was only $16.00 USD for five people. It was incredible. I had pasta. We toasted to things Russian and to the whole trip. We even bought bottles of Champagne. A flight attendant also suggested this place called Savinsky’s Bazaar. It served great Russian food with a traditional Russian show. We took a cab back to hotel and talked to Leo’s aunt and mom. It was funny because we spoke loud and we woke up this vieja who was on the flight with Leo and all she did was complain about the food, hotel, and us talking loudly. It was only about 23:00 and she was having a coronary. So, we talked louder, she was so annoying!!! We soon stopped, went back to our rooms, fell asleep, and had good dreams.
Alex
Moscow's Cow Tongue and that Red Square - Friday, August 16, 1991
Friday, August 16, 1991
We unpacked and went to have lunch in the dining room as lunch was included in the package. All I could say about lunch is that the bread and butter were awesome. We were served some kind of meat that looked pretty bad. Ana kept saying it had “hair.” Later, we discovered the hair was actually taste buds and the meat was garnished tongue. Really, great?
After lunch, we asked for information about the city. Svetlana, an Intourist rep (InTourist is the largest tour operator in the country), who spoke perfect English, got us a ride into the center of MOW (Kremlin, Red Square) for $10 USD. On the way, the taxi driver crashed. We sat speechless. It was a minor accident, but he almost lost control of the car. It was also raining, so that didn’t help. A cop stopped him, but the other driver didn’t care so everyone went their separate ways. The driver dropped us off in Red Square at about 2 p.m. and it was chilly and drizzling rain.
Red Square was impressive, but not that impressive. St. Basil’s Cathedral (designed by Brama and Postnick) for Ivan the Terrible was awesome. Note: The story about the eye gauging incident is only legend, not fact. It was in the distance and it looked like a cardboard cut-out. It looked so Communist and real and I couldn’t believe I was standing there. We passed by Lenin’s tomb. It is made of black/gray granite and it sits to the side of the square against the Kremlin wall. We walked by it because there was a large crowd waiting for something. We went into St. Basil’s for about 20 kopeks (like nothing cents) and it was no big deal. It houses several churches and glass cases with Faberge eggs. When we walked outside again, we saw three guards marching toward Lenin’s tomb. We figured it was the changing of the guards, so I ran after them with a video camera. It was incredible. Everything is timed to the second and every hour on the hour, they change guards. We wanted to go inside, but it was closed. We then saw the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (the one with flames) and the garden area to both sides of the tombs.
We arrived in MOW about 9:40 a.m. A soon as we left the aircraft, I saw a sign for Cuban cigars from Havana. The sense of irony just overwhelmed me. We went through customs easily and the people from the hotel were right on time. We had to wait because the others on the tour with us still had to go through customs. We stood in line to change dollars. I changed $60. The exchange rate was good: 32 rubles per 1 USD. We got back a wad of money…almost a book. After that, we still had to wait, but the driver decided to not make us wait longer so they took us to the hotel. The ride was about five minutes. The hotel was actually a small cruise ship docked on the river. It was pretty unusual, but cool. The rooms were cabins with two beds and a mini bathroom with the shower head serving as a sink faucet and the shower itself. As you took a shower, the toilet area got wet. At least we had a place to sit while showering.
We unpacked and went to have lunch in the dining room as lunch was included in the package. All I could say about lunch is that the bread and butter were awesome. We were served some kind of meat that looked pretty bad. Ana kept saying it had “hair.” Later, we discovered the hair was actually taste buds and the meat was garnished tongue. Really, great?
Red Square was impressive, but not that impressive. St. Basil’s Cathedral (designed by Brama and Postnick) for Ivan the Terrible was awesome. Note: The story about the eye gauging incident is only legend, not fact. It was in the distance and it looked like a cardboard cut-out. It looked so Communist and real and I couldn’t believe I was standing there. We passed by Lenin’s tomb. It is made of black/gray granite and it sits to the side of the square against the Kremlin wall. We walked by it because there was a large crowd waiting for something. We went into St. Basil’s for about 20 kopeks (like nothing cents) and it was no big deal. It houses several churches and glass cases with Faberge eggs. When we walked outside again, we saw three guards marching toward Lenin’s tomb. We figured it was the changing of the guards, so I ran after them with a video camera. It was incredible. Everything is timed to the second and every hour on the hour, they change guards. We wanted to go inside, but it was closed. We then saw the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (the one with flames) and the garden area to both sides of the tombs.After that, we walked inside the Kremlin. We saw several cathedrals from the outside and then we took a taxi back to the hotel. It cost us only 20 rubles (less than one dollar). The hotel lady ripped us off. Well, they have to make money somehow. We got back to the hotel at about 6 p.m. We skipped dinner and went to sleep. The sleep was to last 13 hours!
Alex
Russia when it was still very COLD war-ish! - Thursday, August 15, 1991
Thursday, August 15, 1991
We did it. We booked a GTC GROUP TOUR via Pan Am: Hotels/Meals/Transfers and Train from Moscow to Leningrad for one week: $375 per person. Flights covered by Pan Am flight benefits. To good of a thing to pass up if you asked us. Also, just this morning, I drove to the university and dropped my last semester of classes. This was my opportunity to travel 30 days straight and I was not going to cut this trip short. I can still hear my screaming parents (and my grandmother supporting my decision). What the heck right? It wasn't going to kill me. It would be a trip of a lifetime.
However, the day did not start very well. I hadn’t slept because the day before I told my parents where I was really going and my father was so mad that I would go to Russia, the mother of all Communist countries. He was insulted and did not want me to go. The only one who supported me was Aya, my grandmother.
Mom, Dad, and Pe, my brother, thought that I was crazy. Furthermore, they were tormenting me about school because I was scheduled to start in the next two weeks. That morning I drove to the university and dropped all of my classes for the last semester. I dropped out without even thinking about it twice because I knew I would be gone for some time. I would finish upon my return, it wasn't like I was dropping out of school forever.
Hours before the flight to NYC, I had a car accident on the way to the airport. It was only a fender bender, but it would cost something and I felt bad. I convinced the guy not to call the cops, drive back with me to my house, and make my brother and mother deal with it as I sped off again to pick up Ana. I finally arrived at the airport and boarded the plane. I was tired, hungry, angry, frustrated, and sweaty. I hoped the trip itself would be better.
The flight was great from MIA-NYC. We had Clipper Class seats. We snuck into the JFK First Class lounge and had some soft drinks. The flight to Moscow (MOW) left in 25 minutes (PA30 15AUG out of Gate 12.) The cast of characters on this trip were: Al, Ana, Vivian, Ralph, Leo and her mother, Fab and Carlos. Others will join us.
I rode in first class for the first time in my life. It was on a 747 I might add. The flight attendant served us for like 2.5 hours. It was awesome. Ana and I sat right in front of the bar area. After the meal, we fell asleep for several hours.
Alex
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