We have been home for 12 months now and I have let the home trip slide into the back ground a bit. Corona virus has set in and stopped all travel and all we can do is look back on what we were able to achieve.
Our flight home was scheduled to depart at 3;30 pm but because of the Moscow traffic we needed to leave Vladimir's house around 9 AM. Unfortunately Vladimir had already gone to work and we had said our farewell the night before. Even so, it still felt wrong to leave without seeing him one more time. Our Taxi arrived on time and after our bags were packed into the car we said our farewell to Ella and Eva. We were then on our way to one of Moscow's 5 airports, 4 of which are international. The trip was going to take about 1 1/2 hours and will cost us 2050 Ru ($47 AUD) which is quite reasonable considering the equivalent trip in Australia would cost 3-4 times that.
We booked onto a free Singapore tour again and had a look around other parts of the city and were dropped off at the Singapore Jewel. This is a huge shopping/tourist precinct joining the airport terminals. It boasts the largest indoor waterfall, with the water cascading over 5 levels in a central atrium. It is pretty spectacular to see. There are also eateries by the hundred as well as a variety of other shops.We stopped at a Latino restaurant for lunch and after that headed back to Terminal 3 for our connecting flight. Luckily for us we managed to find 2 comfortable chairs to spend some time in and it didn't take long to catch a few Zzzzz's. The connecting flight to Adelaide was boarding at 10;30 pm so we still had some time to go.
The cruise we were on was magnificent and don't believe all the reviews you read on trip advisor. the staff on the MS Rossia were very professional, friendly and had everyone's well being at the top of their list. The food was always hot and 5 star and the service we had from waiting staff was far better than what we have had in Australia in some places. There was night time entertainment on the ship as well but sadly was not well supported by the people on the cruise. It was their loss and our gain as well had plenty of room to dance and enjoy the atmosphere.
Our flight home was scheduled to depart at 3;30 pm but because of the Moscow traffic we needed to leave Vladimir's house around 9 AM. Unfortunately Vladimir had already gone to work and we had said our farewell the night before. Even so, it still felt wrong to leave without seeing him one more time. Our Taxi arrived on time and after our bags were packed into the car we said our farewell to Ella and Eva. We were then on our way to one of Moscow's 5 airports, 4 of which are international. The trip was going to take about 1 1/2 hours and will cost us 2050 Ru ($47 AUD) which is quite reasonable considering the equivalent trip in Australia would cost 3-4 times that.
At the airport we had a bit of time up our sleeves before the check in opened so we found a coffee shop, free wifi and caught up on emails and caffiene. Before long we were on the plane and heading to Singapore for a 17 hour stop over. Arriving in Singapore at 5:30 AM. We hadn't really slept because of the time variation so it was going to be a long day.
Eventually we boarded the plane and were homeward bound. We managed to get 1-2 hours sleep in before we landed at Adelaide where we were picked up by our friends Tony and Julie and taken home.We tried to stay awake as long as possible to enable us to sleep through the night but the truth is it has taken a week to get over the jet lag from the trip.
Now for the down and dirty review of the trip. In my earlier blog I mentioned the western interpretation of Russia and how it is a dull bland place veiled by secrecy, and this is thanks to Movies and western propaganda. Nothing could be further from the truth. From our experience travelling from St Petersburg to Moscow and surrounds, we have been blessed with the most and welcoming friendly people. The images of everything being grey and brutalistic are true in some cases due to the socialist regime but behind the facade is a colourful and vibrant community. The opulence of the past is preserved and the number of palaces, churches and museums to the imperial era is impressive. The Kremlin is a beautiful place and is not the interrogation post for unsuspecting westerners, but a town inside a city. It is the fortress that protects the important people and artefacts of the country or town. In fact we visited several Kremlin on our tour.
The cruise we were on was magnificent and don't believe all the reviews you read on trip advisor. the staff on the MS Rossia were very professional, friendly and had everyone's well being at the top of their list. The food was always hot and 5 star and the service we had from waiting staff was far better than what we have had in Australia in some places. There was night time entertainment on the ship as well but sadly was not well supported by the people on the cruise. It was their loss and our gain as well had plenty of room to dance and enjoy the atmosphere.
Fast forward 12 months and all we can do is reminisce on what was. Travel as we know it has been non existant for 12 months and we can only keep in touch with ou friends by phone or social media. We still keep in touch with the Rossia Corner table group and our dear friends in Moscow Vladimir,Ella nd Eva. We hope to return one day and hope that inrnational travel will open up again so we can show our friends our patch of Australia one day. the lesson to be learnt from Corona pandemic is appreciate what you have and can do because one day it can all disappear.
Very interesting, thanks!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting, thanks!
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