‘Surviving my first 24 hours in Moscow, Russia’

It’s my own fault. I should have researched more thoroughly. I’ll admit I knew very little about Moscow. I didn’t even know it was Москва in Russian. Moskva is the river on which it stands. Actually I knew nothing.

Let me start at the beginning. I arrived by train and had a great experience being driven to my accommodation, which was also wonderful. Around 3:30pm, my tummy started to grumble so I headed in search of food. Teremok had been recommended to me so I went in that direction, but right next door, I found a little restaurant in the basement, which didn’t look too expensive.

I hung my jacket and scarf on the coat-hook just inside the door, and pointed to a table at the far end with a comfortable chair. “Nyet,” said the waitress, glaring at me, I must sit on a kitchen chair at a wonky table.

When she brought the menu, I scanned the prices … Not cheap, but I saw a dinner deal. Choose from a set of five salads and five mains and a beer for 550 rubles (AU$11.60). Sounded good. I tried to order but the waitress said I must wait until 5pm. Fine! I’ll just have a beer.

It was the longest 1.5 hours of my life. I asked for Wi-Fi and she pointed to it but didn’t tell me the password. I sat on the beer until 5pm when I ordered. No, not yet, 10 more minutes. Other people had come in, eaten their meal and gone, so it wasn’t that they didn’t have a chef out the back.

I should have walked out and found somewhere else, but it was a battle of wills and I was not going to give in. At 5:10pm, she took my order. Chicken teriyaki salad and a chicken gyro for mains, brought to the table together. I devoured both. Another beer came with the meal. I was still hungry so ordered the Moscow cake for dessert. It was delicious. I was back in my little room by 6pm and asleep by 7pm. I’d been up since 4am.

Of course I woke up at 3am and was first to breakfast at 7:30am. A boiled egg, a pat of butter, a sachet of jam, a tub of yoghurt, a wedge of cream cheese, a little cake and as much bread as you can eat.

I had chosen the Jolly Hostel because I thought I could walk to Red Square, but was very pleased I didn’t. I would have become hopelessly lost. My driver dropped me off and I walked to an open space beside a long red wall. The square must be on the other side of the wall. I started walking and when I turned around saw St Basil’s, that iconic Russian church in every travel brochure. This open space must be Red Square.

Feeling really stupid, I took photos of it and everything else I could see. I joined the line for Lenin’s Mausoleum. Apparently you don’t visit Red Square without visiting Lenin. It was creepy.

Dimly lit stairs going down. All I could imagine was me falling headfirst down them. But I saw him lying there, a very small neat man. Dimly lit stairs going up and armed men in twos every few steps. I didn’t dare smile at anyone.

I crossed the square to check out the Gum Shopping Mall, (pronounced ‘goom’, a short oo like book), and it was worth the trip to Moscow just to see this. Stuff the history museum, this is what I like. Well I do love history, but you know, this is just shopping mecca.

Of course, all I can do is window shop, but what a place to window shop! There is no Kmart here! I checked out the toilets, as you do, and then found somewhere I could sit for a bite to eat. Truth be told, I wasn’t hungry — I just wanted to sit.

One hot chocolate later, I headed off to see how I could get to the other side of the wall. I could see an exit but no entry. That must be what they call the Kremlin.

I thought the Red Square and the Kremlin were one and the same thing. I had imagined the Kremlin was on one side of Red Square and St Basil’s was on the other. How wrong could I be!

I eventually gave up, bought some souvenirs and walked down the pedestrian street in the opposite direction, decorated ready for Christmas. When I could walk no more, I called a Yandex Taxi who delivered me to my door. I lay down and fell asleep and woke at 6pm starving hungry!

Because of its proximity, I went back to the place next door. I ordered the meal deal again. A different waitress, but not a smile had she! I stuck to the chicken teriyaki salad for entrée, but changed my mains order to chicken alfredo. Pasta is cheap — you’d think they’d give you more than a child’s serve. So I had to have the Moscow cake — again! I had survived my first full day in Moscow!

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