Saturday, December 09, 2006
Gen and i are currently using the internet in Siberia. Siberia! My phone won't send ot recieve messages (i think) but i can blog. How strange. Since you last heard from us we've been on a train for 4 nights and in Lake Bakail.
Tonight we will officially leave the Russian Federation. In honour of this i will list the good and the bad of our ex-USSR adventure so far.
Good
Tepemok-Pancake/blini chain. It easily made up 80% of our St Petersburg/Moscow diets.Delicious and nutritious.
Red Square/The Kremlin/The Hermitage
Snow! Going up ski lifts and taking in the beautiful views.
Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world and it's aquarium with two very cute and very rotund seals.
Snorfle. The cardboard toilet roll that was given eyes and named, it provided much hilarity on the train trip. (Incidentally, we discovered that there are two types of funny in the world. Train funny and real funny.)
Watching Gen fall down in the snow. Three times.
A russian banya. A sauna, ice water and jacuzzi combination that involved 20 russian women walking around naked and beating themselves with leaves. We got laughed at for leaving our bikini bottoms on and yelled at for talking. There is to be "silence in the bath".
Bad
Russian couples and their displays of public affection. I don't know whether it's some sort of collective, subconsious memory of the separation of the gulags or what. Every time they part they feel the need to crawl into each other laps and snog like a 14 year old at a Guilford social. The winners of this section so far were a thirty-something couple on a VERY crowded Moscow train. The guy stuck his tongue all the way out and she sucked on the tip of it for two whole stops. It was like watching a car crash, we couldn't look away.
Pickled Lenin was closed for cleaning.
Russian manners. I've never been ignored or pushed past so may times.
It's been fantastic so far. Tonight we're back on the train for two more nights. Apparently the border crossing can take up to 11 hours and the toilets are locked the WHOLE time. I'm a little bit worried by that prospect and will be keeping my fingers (and legs, no doubt) firmly crossed that we'll get hthrough ina speedy 6 hours. Sorry for the massive posts. Happy 21st Suz!
Tonight we will officially leave the Russian Federation. In honour of this i will list the good and the bad of our ex-USSR adventure so far.
Good
Tepemok-Pancake/blini chain. It easily made up 80% of our St Petersburg/Moscow diets.Delicious and nutritious.
Red Square/The Kremlin/The Hermitage
Snow! Going up ski lifts and taking in the beautiful views.
Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world and it's aquarium with two very cute and very rotund seals.
Snorfle. The cardboard toilet roll that was given eyes and named, it provided much hilarity on the train trip. (Incidentally, we discovered that there are two types of funny in the world. Train funny and real funny.)
Watching Gen fall down in the snow. Three times.
A russian banya. A sauna, ice water and jacuzzi combination that involved 20 russian women walking around naked and beating themselves with leaves. We got laughed at for leaving our bikini bottoms on and yelled at for talking. There is to be "silence in the bath".
Bad
Russian couples and their displays of public affection. I don't know whether it's some sort of collective, subconsious memory of the separation of the gulags or what. Every time they part they feel the need to crawl into each other laps and snog like a 14 year old at a Guilford social. The winners of this section so far were a thirty-something couple on a VERY crowded Moscow train. The guy stuck his tongue all the way out and she sucked on the tip of it for two whole stops. It was like watching a car crash, we couldn't look away.
Pickled Lenin was closed for cleaning.
Russian manners. I've never been ignored or pushed past so may times.
It's been fantastic so far. Tonight we're back on the train for two more nights. Apparently the border crossing can take up to 11 hours and the toilets are locked the WHOLE time. I'm a little bit worried by that prospect and will be keeping my fingers (and legs, no doubt) firmly crossed that we'll get hthrough ina speedy 6 hours. Sorry for the massive posts. Happy 21st Suz!
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Yeah, good luck on the stop over. I ended up hopping up and down the isles with bustingness. The Provonista kindly came and got me the moment the toilets reopened and pulled me to the front of the line ahead of all the men and yelled at them! So, get on the good side of your provonista - if there is a good side!
Ps - Happy birthday Suz
PPs- Nerpa seals are way funny
Ppps - Bonnie, No comments on OUR blog?!
Ps - Happy birthday Suz
PPs- Nerpa seals are way funny
Ppps - Bonnie, No comments on OUR blog?!
Liz! Am desperate to email you, but my goggo email has been buggered for a couple of weeks now, and that's the only place I have everyone's email. If you get a chance, you want to send me a quick note at alaina@listsanddiagrams.com with your email address? Have bundles of fun!
Alaina
PS. Happy 21st Suz!
Alaina
PS. Happy 21st Suz!
# posted by 
: Sunday, December 10, 2006
: Sunday, December 10, 2006
Hello Liz and Gen
If you are reading this with out emabarassment you obviously made it through the long loo break at the border - which means all my comments about waterfalls and reminding you about Dad and the way he used to drive over speedbumps, will be obsolete. I can't believe you are now in Mongolia. Please take a photo of a YURT.
Love Mum
If you are reading this with out emabarassment you obviously made it through the long loo break at the border - which means all my comments about waterfalls and reminding you about Dad and the way he used to drive over speedbumps, will be obsolete. I can't believe you are now in Mongolia. Please take a photo of a YURT.
Love Mum
# posted by : Sunday, December 10, 2006
: Sunday, December 10, 2006
Hello all!
Actually, we were allowed off the trains into the station toilets. I don't know why they wer so slack but i'm VERY grateful that they were. We're in Ulan Bataar and no ATM's will accept our cards. Woo! And it's -15 degrees.
Snorfle most definitely had photos taken of him:)
It's liz.day@hotmail.com Laine!
Actually, we were allowed off the trains into the station toilets. I don't know why they wer so slack but i'm VERY grateful that they were. We're in Ulan Bataar and no ATM's will accept our cards. Woo! And it's -15 degrees.
Snorfle most definitely had photos taken of him:)
It's liz.day@hotmail.com Laine!
Wow Liz, that's the funniest thing I've read in a long time! I felt like I was sitting there next to you while you were busting. Glad your enjoying the train ride. I'd have gone bonkers by now.
Happy 21st Suz - I'm a day late but I didn't forget, honest!
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Happy 21st Suz - I'm a day late but I didn't forget, honest!
# posted by : Monday, December 11, 2006
: Monday, December 11, 2006<< Home
