Moscow, I Love You, Pt. 2

Monday, May 2, 2016

When we first arrived at our hotel the previous day I noticed some really colorful buildings in the distance. Anything weird and vibrant usually catches my eye, so I knew I wanted to check it out. We decided to start our day by seeing what was around our hotel and that was our first stop. It was the Izmailovsky Market, and it was the most whimsical place I have ever seen! I'll blog about it in the next post, but it was so cool and definitely worth the stop if you are in Moscow.

We didn't spend much time in the market because we had a lot we wanted to do and we started our day late. Oops. We caught the metro to Gorky Park, which is one of the most suggested spots in Moscow to visit. We walked through it quickly so I can't give a good recommendation for it, but there was so much going on! This is why I need to go back to Moscow. Five days just isn't enough.

We took a bridge from Gorky Park over the river. It let out right by the Ministry of Defense, and I couldn't help but think, "Is this where are the Cold War action took place?" Probably not, but it was kind of intimidating to be near the building. Near the exit of the bridge there was a vending machine with an assortment of Japanese drinks. A talked me into buying the American coffee because he thinks I need anything labeled "American." Plus, let's be honest, I will buy anything coffee flavored. The can was REALLY hot when it came out of the machine. I didn't drink it until the next day, but it was surprisingly tasty!

We were both getting hungry so we took the metro to the Kitai Gorod station because there was a restaurant nearby that A suggested. Unfortunately, we couldn't find a seat in the restaurant so we went to Крошка Картошка, which Anton described to me as the Russian McDonalds. I didn't think I'd like the baked potato but after eating half of A's I realized that is what I should have ordered!

A's phone died shortly after we ate lunch so we stopped into Krispy Kreme to use an outlet and get fat on donuts (like I said, A told me I need to do all the "American" things). When his phone was sufficiently charged we took the metro to a store so A could buy a phone for his dad's birthday. Then we took another metro (we rode the metro A LOT) to AFIMALL City to admire the skyscrapers. One thing I love is that Moscow is so grand without being riddled with skyscrapers, but the few skyscrapers you can find are the most interesting looking buildings I have ever seen.

As we were leaving the mall A got the directions mixed up, and we ended up riding the connecting train twice. I was annoyed, but what can you do? We finished the night by running across the street to buy some beer and beer snacks. I haven't had cider in a long time because it's really hard to find in Ufa, so it was nice to be able to find some in Moscow.

What has been most surprising to you about my trip to Moscow so far? The skyscrapers definitely surprised me!