London, England

Today, Reggae had organized to meet a friend from work for lunch in Sidcup (southwest of London), so Luke, Suzy, Kern, Roberta, Bert, Ange, Tim, Tammy and I made the hour train trip down there with her in one of their local pubs.

From there we went to the Blue Anchor in Bexley Village to watch France v Paraguay with Reggae’s friend Duncan, and his mates Dave, Peter and Tarkin. A good afternoon was had by all. 

We arrived back at the Mansions at nine pm after stopping in for some food from the supermarket.

Amsterdam, Holland to London, England

The last day of our Contiki tour. Finally, after 33 days, and some 12,000 kilometers, it is all coming to an end.

While the rest of the tour went to see if the Heineken Brewery was open, Roberta and I decided to walk around the city and see it in daylight instead. This was a bit of a mistake, because nothing seemed to be open until at least ten am, but we walked aimlessly anyway.

We were picked up just after midday to start our journey to Calais. We caught the ferry across to Dover, seeing the famous White Cliffs. This was a fairly smooth and uneventful ride, although we did buy some duty-free presents for our accommodation providers in London.

After getting through immigration, we drove 2.5 hours back to the Royal National Hotel. You could feel the sense of relief on the bus driving back. Although we all had a great time, 33 days on a bus is along time and getting off will be a great feeling. We spent most of the time saying our goodbyes. It is such a shame. We’ve made such good friendships in such a short time – only to probably never see these people again. Another round of goodbyes off the bus and Roberta and I head back to the Mansions and it’s million residents.

Berlin, Germany to Amsterdam, Holland

Today is our longest haul of the Russian leg. Berlin to Amsterdam. This is a long day on the bus, broken up only by service stops and sporadic naps.

We arrived in Amsterdam at seven pm and the place was a buzz. There were people everywhere, with a large number of Poms, out before their clash with Columbia.

Our motel was ordinary, and not having a bathroom was not good, as I still wasn’t 100 percent.

We went to another restaurant / motel for dinner, which was quite nice.

From there we did a 90-minute tour on the canals of the city. This would be our last night together and it looked like everyone was ready for a big night, but as soon as our cruise finished, everyone split into small groups and went their own ways. We (Ken, Jen, Dave, Melissa, Cam, Jo, Roberta and I) ended up walking through the streets, seeing Amsterdam’s infamous Red-Light District and other sights before ending up at an outdoor café for a couple of drinks. Roberta, amazingly, ran into a mate from university while we were wandering around. It never ceases to amaze me that coincidences like this happen – millions of people everywhere, we’re on the other side of the planet, and still you run into someone you know.

Berlin, Germany

I think it is fair to say that I have had more than my share of this stomach bug. Once again, I couldn’t eat breakfast and after walking to the laundry, I decided that I’d be better off at the motel, meaning I missed out on our day tour of Berlin. For a second time in the last three days, my day was spent either asleep or in the bathroom. If this doesn’t approve by the time we’re back in London, I’ll go to the doctors. Let’s hope it’s not that drastic.

Contiki Russia Crew, Olimpiastadion, Berlin, Germany

Warsaw, Poland to Berlin, Germany

Can I survive this leg of the bus trip? Two stops inside Poland on our way to Berlin prove to be no problem. But another delay at the border, which we were once again prevented from being longer, thanks to Dom, and the pains in the stomach start again. Fortunately, we made it to a restroom stop just after getting through the border.

Onwards to Berlin, where our first stop was the Berlin Wall. I expected a lot more than what remained. It is probably not half the size I expected and has no remaining elements which reflect its significance, at first sight.

Berlin Wall, Berlin, Germany

Our next stop was at the Brandenburg Gates, which celebrates the Brandenburg family, whose wealth helped establish Berlin as a city.

Brandenburg Gates, Berlin, Germany

We arrived at our motel at 8.30pm, only to find that they had been double booked and no meal had been prepared, as per expected. We went back into town and found a cheap pasta place, which most of the tour ate at.

The long bus trip has tired everyone, and we’re all happy to accept a lift home.

Warsaw, Poland

Too many EB’s last night means for a rest day today. As well as a hangover, diarrhea has kicked in.

I started on the day trip of the city, going to Chopin’s Park and the Warsaw Ghetto, where Hitler kept all the Polish Jews of Warsaw during World War II, but wasn’t feeling up to getting off the bus. After Mammal dropped everyone off in another part of town, he took the bus back to the hotel and I opted to go with him. I ended up spending the rest of the day either in bed or in the bathroom.

 

Chopin Park, Warsaw, Poland

Ghetto Monument, Warsaw, Poland

I did get up for dinner, as Roberta and I went to a little pizza place, Casa Mia, around the corner for a good, cheap meal. We were to go for a walk after dinner, but my upset stomach sent me straight back to the hotel bathroom. It as decided that I’d best stay as near a bathroom as possible, so we spent the night in.

Minsk, Belarus to Warsaw, Poland

An early start today to combat possible delays at the Polish border. 

Our only stop of interest on the way as at the Brest Fortress. Brest is a near border town attacked during World War II. The fortress here contains monuments and stone carvings as a memory to victims during this time. 

Brest Fortress, Brest, Belarus

There are four checkpoints at the Belarus / Poland border and the record for Contiki getting through is four hours, with the longest being 16 hours. Fortunately, we had Dom, who spoke Polish, and after convincing the guards that al our alcohol and cigarettes had been consumed in Minsk, and we had nothing to offer, we got through in about two and a half hours, on our way to Warsaw. 

The differences between Belarus and Poland were evident immediately. Houses, farms and roads in much better conditions, making our trip into Warsaw the most comfortable we’ve been in a couple of weeks. 

The Hotel Polonia might as well have been a 5-star hotel. Nice rooms, with a TV, clean, drinkable water and a restaurant to match. 

After dinner, most of us went to 10 Champions, a sports bar a couple of blocks from the hotel, to watch Romania beat England in the World Cup. Good atmosphere, as there were heaps of English supporters, who promptly disappeared as soon as the full-time whistle went. Our drink of choice was EB – sounded too much like VB to miss.

Smolensk, Russia to Minsk, Belarus

Happy 43rd birthday Dad! I tried to ring all day, but couldn’t find a phone let alone one that might take my Visa card. I will try again tomorrow morning.

We left Smolensk this morning, on our way to Minsk. Our first stop was at Glory Mound / Mount of Glory, not long past the Belarus border. The Glory Mound was a man-made hill built by the locals, who bought dirt from regions here soldiers fought and died. On top of this hill, a 240-step climb, is a 70-meter-tall monument symbolizing the four armies that fought in World War II.

Mound of Glory, Belarus

Our next stop was Khatyn. Here there was a park that is also a World War II memorial. It represents the 433 villages that were destroyed. Of these, 186 were not rebuilt. These villages represented by concrete columns that have bells in them and rang every 30 seconds. The main monument in the park was a statue of Yosaf Masolkiv, who was the only resident of Khatyn to survive the massacre of the Nazis, by hiding in the forest.

Khatyn Memorial, Belarus

We arrived in Minsk in the late afternoon and had a quick tour of the city, stopping at Yanka Kupalr Park (a local poet of the 1800’s) and Victory Square – yet another World War II memorial. Another nice motel tonight, with dinner in the restaurant at the motel, before a quiet night in watching USA v Iran in the World Cup, bought on by an early start tomorrow, 6.15am departure, due to a possible delay at the Polish border, an apparently notoriously slow border crossing.

Moscow, Russia to Smolensk, Russia

While some took the opportunity to go to the markets, Brendon and I went for a drive with Gavin and Mammal in the morning to get fuel.

We left Moscow and travelled for two hours to Borodino. This is the site where Russians fought Napoleon in 1812. In the field now is a monument hailing the Russian heroes of this battle. This particular battle was the inspiration for Tchykovsky’s 1812 Overture.

Battle of Borodino Monument, Borodino, Russia

Lunch was there, before heading to the city of Smolensk. Here we went to the Church of Assumption. This church was built in the 1600’s and was one of a few churches that continued preaching during and after the communist revolution. We arrived while a Russian Orthodox service was taking place, which made me feel uncomfortable walking around and seeing the gold-gilded wooden icons.

Our motel was quite nice, for a truck stop in the middle of nowhere. We had dinner at the motel and was entertained by some local dancers and musicians.

Moscow, Russia

This morning we headed to the Park of the Fallen Heroes, which was full of sculptures and statues, including those pulled down by residents at the fall of communism. There were heaps! Lenin, Stalin, Bresnev, Ghandi, and the masterpiece, a 50-60-meter statue of Peter the Great on a huge sailing ship. Another sight too grand for words. The bus was parked next to Gorky Park, which I really wanted to see, but time did not allow.

Me, Park of the Fallen Heroes, Moscow, Russia

Peter The Great Statue, Moscow, Russia

We did, however, then take a tour of the Kremlin with our guide, Galina. The Kremlin is the Russian word for fortress. When a city was built, the Kremlin was always built first, so as to protect the rest of the town. Today, Moscow’s Kremlin is used as a tourist attraction that houses the Tsar canon (the biggest cannon ever, but not used in battle), the Tsar bell (an 11,000-ton bell, which was never used because it broke when it was being put in place), numerous churches and, of course, parliament.

Parliament House, Moscow, Russia

Tsar Bell, Kremlin, Moscow, Russia

After our Kremlin tour we had some lunch, did some shopping for the next couple of days, and headed back to our hotel for our afternoon nap.

Dinner was at the hotel and once again wasn’t too bad. Seeing as we had been to the ballet the night before, tonight we did the other obvious thing to do…The Moscow Circus. Great entertainment, but I’m kind of reluctant to enjoy it too much due to the use / treatment of animals in the act. Although what they could do was incredible, the way they were punished or rewarded was substandard.

When the circus finished, we stopped by the old KGB building for photos, as well as dropping some people off who wanted to see St. Basil's at night. Roberta and I opted for an early night (it has been a big three days). Once again, this is another place I would like to come back to, not only to see more sights, but to see how capitalism takes further effect.

Moscow, Russia

After a non-existent breakfast, our day started with a small tour of the Moscow Metro. Each railway station is ornately decorated with statures and mosaics. Each different from the last. The railway also runs deep underground. It is not known how far down, it is a Russian secret, but it was safe enough to use as a bomb shelter during the World Wars. Our tour included Izmalovsky Park (where the hotel is), Teatrainaya, Kurskaya and Prospekt Mira. The railway is privately owned, but it’s future is bleak. The owners intend to redesign the stations and sell off the art and/or melt the bronze statues etc. It would be such a shame to lose such magnificent art.

Komsomolskaya Metro Station, Moscow Russia

Lenin Statue, Izmalovsky Metro Station, Moscow, Russia

We went to Red Square again, where we went to visit Lenin’s Tomb, which was a somewhat morbid experience. Lenin has been dead near 70 years, and he is laid out in a way and preserved in a bullet proof glass case. He looks like he is stall at the funeral parlor or something you would find in Madame Tussaud’s. Behind the tomb is the burial ground of many of the Soviet leaders, such as Stalin, and plaques to the famous Russians, such as astronaut Yuri Gagarin (first man in space).

After this we had some spare time, so Roberta and I went for a walk up Tverskaya (the main road) before finding a market to buy some lunch to eat in a nearby park.

We then headed back to the hotel, after a couple of mis-stops on the Metro – can’t read Cyrillic - for a quick nap before the night out.

This night saw us back in town to see the Stanislavsky Ballet. It is said that this is the premier Russian ballet now, as the great dancers from the Bolshoi Ballet defected to the west at the fall of the Soviet Union. The performances we saw tonight were of Sulamimite, the tale of a king who falls in love with another woman. When his queen finds out, she plots to kill her, but the king kills his queen first. The 2nd act was the story of Salome – the dancer who impresses King Herod so much that he offers her anything she desires. She asks for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. John, at the time, was imprisoned by Herod but not put to death for fear of retribution. Although it was not classical ballet I expected, I still really enjoyed it.

Another Metro ride home before a quiet evening at home watching France and Saudi Arabia in the World Cup.

Tver, Russia to Moscow, Russia

Off to Moscow, the capital of Russia. We are only 3.5 hours from the city, so only stop on the way was at Tchykovsky’s House – the home of the composer of the Nutcracker, Swan Lake, etc.

We arrived in Moscow at midday. This is a better kept city than St. Petersburg, but by no way is it a prettier city, as there are no classic palaces here. None the less, Moscow has some great buildings in its own right.  We stopped in town and changed money to $US and went to Red Square. We walked through the gates to take a couple of photos of the Square and the Kremlin. We couldn’t go too far in, as Lenin’s tomb was open and they close of the whole Square when that happens.

Red Square, Moscow, Russia

State Historical Museum, Red Square, Moscow, Russia

Lenin's Tomb, Red Square, Moscow, Russia

GUM Department Store, Red Square, Moscow, Russia

Afterwards we went to the symbolism of the new capitalism in Russia – McDonalds.

After lunch there, we got back on the bus for a guided tour of the city. Our first stop was St. Basil’s Cathedral, the onion-domed church at the Moscow River end of Red Square. We got out here for photos for half an hour.

Roberta & I, St. Basil's Cathedral, Red Square, Moscow, Russia

From here we drove up to the Moscow State University, which is on a hill overlooking the city, with the 1980 Olympic Stadium in the immediate foreground.

Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

From here it was to our hotel. This is a 5-building complex, with 10,000 beds built specifically for the 1980 Olympics. The room here is quite nice even though it’s up on the 22nd floor.

We had dinner in the hotel’s restaurant and then some people went to Red Square for a drink and to see if they could get thrown out or not. I decided to stay home (I’m getting too old and sensible). Besides, I had a stomach bug and didn’t want to be too far from a bathroom.

St Petersburg, Russia to Tver, Russia

Today we drove to Tver, a halfway point between St Petersburgh and Moscow, for an overnight stop. I now appreciate the Pacific Highway a lot more. The road we travelled was atrocious to say the least.

Our stop was in Novrogorod, where we had lunch and walked through the local Kremlin. It is said that when the Germans attacked in World War II, they made every building in the city uninhabitable, so to see it rebuilt and repopulated is pretty special.

Kremlin, Novrogorod, Russia

On to our Tver motel, where we had a nice meal and a game of Three Man before retiring relatively early.

St Petersburg, Russia

Breakfast was in the hotel this morning, before a day of travelling around St. Petersburg. The day started at Smolny Monastery, which, now a days, was a winery. When the Bolsheviks came into power, all the girls attending the school, being of nobility, were either shot or sent to Siberia.

Smolny Monastery, St. Petersburg, Russia

When the Bolsheviks started their Revolution, it began in the Aurora, a naval warship now docked on the island where St. Petersburg was established.

The Aurora, St. Petersburg, Russia

Also on this island is Peter & Paul’s Fortress (our next stop). This was the building in Russia where the tsars, Peter the Great, defeated the Swedes. The fortress now contains a cathedral where all the tsars and tsarinas are buried, and a prison, which was used for political prisoners, both by and for the tsar families.

After this, we went to a dodgy CD shop in a room on a back street (as organized by Gavin through his Russian contact, Serge) where CDs were only US$3.50 each. I contained myself to Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (who we missed in St. Petersburgh by three days) Greatest Hits and a live Bad Religion CD.

After this, it was a visit to St. Isaac’s Cathedral – an absolutely amazing church, full of religious art. This is the city’s principal cathedral, where everyone stands during services.

St. Isaac's Cathedral, St. Petersburg, Russia

From here we did a viewing of Church of Our Saviour (Spilled Blood). This is the only Moscow-style church (like that of the onion-domed church in Red Square) in St. Petersburg. It is so beautiful outside and apparently more so than St. Isaac’s on the inside, but AU$26 entry, Roberta and I decide against it.

Church of Our Saviour (Spilled Blood), St. Petersburg, Russia

Church of Our Saviour (Spilled Blood), St. Petersburg, Russia

Next to the church was the flea market, where we purchased some traditional Russian Dolls. Roberta bought two and I got three. Mum’s getting a traditional one, Kelly is getting a Snow White and Seven Dwarves, and a Nirvana one for myself.

Today was the hottest day of the tour so far (33oC) and, of course, the day we picked to walk the hour and a half back to the hotel. We got some food from the supermarket and stopped at the Blue Domed Church along the way.

The Blue Domed Church, St. Petersburg, Russia

After dinner in the hotel, we tour went to Nikolaevsky Palace to see a traditional Russian folk show. Singing, dancing and music! This was spectacular. It was also fun to see Nick, Paulino and Ken pulled from the crowd to dance on stage.

Traditional Russian Show at Nikolaevsky Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia

Nick, Ken & Paulino On Stage, Traditional Russian Show at Nikolaevsky Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia

I wish we could stay longer in St. Petersburgh, as it is a most amazing city, which we only touched the surface of. More free time to wander the streets, and a couple of days in the Hermitage would have been more to my want. Maybe another time!

St Petersburg, Russia

Breakfast in the hotel was followed by a one-hour drive to the Peterhof Palace. Commissioned by Peter the Great, who was a tsar who lived in Moscow but wanted to be elsewhere, so commissioned the city of St. Petersburg to be built.

This is the palace that he stayed in during the summer and was absolutely huge. I had mixed feelings about being here. On one hand, here I was seeing this most magnificent building, smothered in gold leaf, on over 250 acres, surrounded by dazzling fountains. Yet the excess felt a little too much in a country struggling to come to terms with capitalism. The amount of money spent in upkeep of place, not to mention re-building it after it was bombed in World War II, seems such a waste when the infrastructure of the city is in decay and so many other buildings, although not half as nice, could well use the money for maintenance.

Peterhof Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia

Peterhof Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia

Peterhof Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia

Peterhof Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia

Peterhof Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia

After lunch in the palace gardens, we went back to the city to see the Winter Palace, in which is Russia’s largest museum – The Hermitage. The Hermitage consists of five buildings – The Winter Palace, The Small Hermitage, The Old Hermitage, The Hermitage Theatre and The New Hermitage. The buildings house 2.8 million pieces of art, a collection started in 1764 by Catherine the Great with a mere 225 paintings. It is said that if you spend 1 minute in front of every piece of work in the museum, it would take you 30 years to see everything. Unfortunately, we raced through in an hour and a half, and it’s closed tomorrow so we can’t come back. I spent my whole time wandering around in awe and missed most of the commentary from our local tour guide, Anna, but soaked in enough art and culture to last a lifetime. It was amazing to think that in one day, under one roof, I saw artwork by Michelangelo, Da Vinci and Monet, yet in the same circumstance missed works of Van Gogh, Renoir, Picasso, and ancient Egyptian treasures, to name a few. But I also think about it the same way I do about the Summer Palace. Exquisite, but excessive! Though I would love to come back one time just to spend a week here in the Hermitage. Such a shame that it’s closed on Mondays!

Back at the hotel, we took the opportunity to confirm our booking in Paris, as well as me buying two Russian soccer shirts, CSKA Moscow and St. Petersburg, for US$10 each – one for me and one for dad. Dinner was at the De Konnick Restaurant. We had beef stroganoff at the restaurant and it was delicious.

Afterwards, some of the tour, Roberta included, went to the Metro nightclub for a taste of Russian nightlife. I, however, opted for an early (midnight) night to catch up on washing and my diary.