Drink ‘n’ Dive

Well, a few days ago, yes, we did arrive. Safely and with all our bags, with one exception: Brandon’s didn’t make it. He got his around midnight after we were all zonked out in our rooms. We checked into our fabulous hotel (it is pretty darn faboo! We have brekkie and everything.) and wandered about shortly thereafter. Apparently you need to stay awake till like 8.30pm or a little later, in order to try to get adjusted ASAP. We wandered the Arbat, new and old, and it was fun – I saw it ages ago, but in so many trips to Russia, Gary had never been there…

When we returned to the hotel, we met up with one of the PCUSA Mission Co-Workers here in Moscow, (Ellen Smith) who had just returned from a trip up North, to run a camp with Downs Syndrome kids in a small town. She said it was a wonderful experience, and it is hard, very hard, for people in Russia to be dealing with differently abled kids. So, if anyone has any interest in, or desire to, working with kids who are disabled, please do contact her – she would LOVE to have anyone come on over. You don’t even need to speak Russian. It could be a help, but that’s all… On Thursday, before our journey to St Petersburg on the train, we’ll be hanging out with her husband Al and their 15 year-old daughter, Megan.

On Wednesday, we wandered about Moscow, starting with a journey to the Kremlin. It is amazing to see the difference between 13 years ago and now – there are SO many more tourists now. There are a crazy amount of US citizens who wander the streets here, with tour guides. They hold up signs and say, “Ladies and Gentlemen, as I told you…” I don’t think I could do it. It was wonderful to see the buildings as I saw them ages ago, but the Czar bell and bell tower were closed, due to “remont” – aka renovations. You could see the top of the 400 ton bell, but not the whole thing.

When we exited, I saw these kids eating gooseberries, as I know them. I had to ask what they were in Russian, and then they struck up a conversation with me. They were super nice kids. They were touristing around Moscow too! We went from there to Red Square, which turned out to be closed – we were denied entry and I saw very sad… Bummer, but hopefully today (thursday), we’ll get to go again.

After lunch in GUM, which is now upscale and very classy, we tried another route into Red Square and were denied again. DÓH! We gave up at that point and went on a journey to visit the Christ the Saviour Cathedral. What is supremely interesting to me is that I went there, to the same site, that is, in 1993. But, in 1993, it was a swimming pool – a GIANT one. Yeltsin and the mayor of Moscow wanted to build the church back in the same manner in which it was built ages ago. It is the main home of the Russian Orthodox church, and is amazing. It was finished in 1997. I was a little, okay, a lot, flabbergasted by the change, from one thing I remembered to this GIANT cathedral. (There will be pictures up later, we’re in more of a time crunch today than I’m able to upload pictures in.) It was an amazing experience, for me, mostly because it’s the place that so many people wanted to have brought back. In an environment in which religion wasn’t acceptable, mostly for the place it held in peoples’ lives, the Soviet government blew up the main symbol of the national church. And in its place, put a swimming pool (it was supposed to be a huge Soviet building/monument monstrosity – but the ground wasn’t good enough for it). People still come there in extreme reverence and pray. Next time, I need to remember my scarf. It is amazing to me, the love for the church that went underground in the past. People have gone through such persecution for their church.

We visited the Tretyakov Gallery, which was wonderful – I’d heard about it last time I was here, but hadn’t gotten the chance to see it. Their collection of old Russian paintings is amazing – you get a real sense of the ruralness of the countryside. The collection of icons the gallery has is amazing as well – there is a selection of icons by the icon writer Andrei Rublyov from the 1400s, I think. Icons are “written” not “painted.” Rublyov revolutionized Russian iconography in that time period. It is amazing. I really enjoyed taking the time we were given to look at them. It wasn’t too long, but long enough, and short enough, to not get bored, I think.

We had dinner with a friend of Gary’s, and on the way, waiting for her, Kurt made a comment about people looking at my shoes. I informed him that I thought it was my tattoo… there aren’t too many of them here – mostly on military and the like. We got to have some food that was Azerbaijanian, which was an experience. I need to not know what things are – and then I’ll eat them!! I think I’m a bigger fan of Russian food… not sure.

We got to walk back to Red Square – where we were STILL denied entry – and got some really great pictures of St. Basil’s at night. Which is great! Apparently it was “paratrooper day,” and they didn’t want any of the crazy men we had seen around town getting into trouble. So they closed the square… I was sad.

We are doing a study of the Psalms, it’s been great. And today was a lament Psalm, since we are starting the hard stuff of the trip – we are visiting a metro station that was bombed and also the Nord Ost Theatre. Then we are meeting with some Baptists about Beslan.

I don’t know when I’ll get to get online again, but maybe tomorrow. Don’t hold your breath, though! But, I did remember my host family’s last name!! Yippee!! So, here’s to hoping I can find Galya!!