Russia

This country has always been a mystery to me. When we decided to travel to Russia, I was worried about getting around, people, language and food. But it has been such a surprise.

To begin with, there was a bit of a cold treatment from the immigration officers. We were made to wait for over an hour to pass through. That hour felt really long. We even started considering options, in case they didn't let us enter! Then as we got out, we hopped on a taxi. The ride to where we were staying was an hour long. The taxi ride. It is not smooth. But hey, coming from India, I cant complain. But still when the taxi driver would text, use instagram, talk on the phone, drink his coca cola, take his pill, its not a comfortable feeling. I prayed we reach safe and sound. And we did.

But from here on, everything changed. Our Airbnb apartment was in an awesome location. It was a beautiful and big apartment with a lot of toys.

Moscow is a beautiful city. There are lots of cafes and restaurants serving awesome food and we had no difficulty finding vegetarian food, unlike in Japan. And the breads are amazing. The French bakery right below our apartment bakes amazing breads and serves good food. The city is very safe to move around. The metro stations are huge, clean and pretty. The people just have a serious face but takes most of them a second to reply with a smile.

If you come to Moscow, you should do the free walking tour. The free tour touches a few important places and gives you a gist of the city and its history. They have many other paid tours as well which are really nice. Apart from seeing the city, it gives you a slight idea about the life of a normal person.

All in all, I am so glad that we decided to come to Russia. Looking forward to many more experiences in this country.