Tourists

Reports completed and delivered to the big chiefs at HQ, we meet up with a Russian acquaintance of Arthurs who gives us a quick tour of the sights. First is a trip to a vodka museum - free sample- and then something to eat Russian style. Caviar, pickles, sliced tongue and chicken, chips.
A trip on the metro - what a place- spotless, marble and heroic bronze statues.





Next stop Red Square, then a few drinks in a bar and back to the hotel.
It's been a long day, and Friday it's all day travelling again as we fly home via Dusseldorf and Birmingham.
Going to be a bit quiet on the blog for a few weeks, but we'll be back to Russia 3rd March

To Moscow

Left Yaiva for Moscow this morning which meant a 3 hour drive to the airport at Perm. It's -35 degC and it still only took us 3 hours for the 230km drive. Like I said before "God bless studded snow tyres".


Transport cafe for a fag & coffee break.


The road to Perm, doing 140kmh here and its warmed up to -28 because the sun has risen.
Get to the airport for 11:30 and check in eventually. Girl at desk then points us upstairs where the VIP lounge is - we are fortunate enough to have business class tickets- so up we go. The next lady at the VIP lounge then informs us that we do not have to check in with the other 'class' of passenger and in future we should check in at the VIP lounge where we will be looked after and escorted to the plane when boarding. We must ignore the tannoy messages about boarding etc as you are business class and will be escorted! Well, that's us put on our place and very nice it is too. It's certainly an extra level of service that we didn't experience with Lufthansa.


Also, travelling with Siberian Airways was a very pleasant experience on the 'plane as well - at least in first/ business class!!
Once at Domidedovo Airport, we have no problem hooking up with our driver as he's prepared and is standing at arrivals with a big Eon sign. We still ran the gauntlet of the 'unofficial' taxi drivers and there was some dodgy looking characters in that lot.


What can you say about our first impression of Moscow? From the drive in I would say they are in desperate need of an orbital motorway. They seem to have a type of inner ring road 10 lanes wide (5 each way) but that was solid both ways all the way to our hotel. Took us nearly 2.5 hours to do about 35 km - manic.
The hotel is very grand, especially the reception & lobby areas, but the equivalent of £8.75 for a pint of Stella makes you wonder where you are. I thought Norway had the gold medal for rip off bar prices. Then again it is a posh hotel, and a pleasure to have a fully functioning and hot shower plus someone else other than Al B cooking my tea for me.
We meet up with Arthur - our oppo in Surgut, and have a good chat over dinner a beer.
Tomorrow it's the monthly report to the Moscow big chiefs. We finish that around 4pm, then we're planning a trip to Red Square, followed by a visit to a vodka museum and then a meal Russian style, all courtesy of a Russian contact of Arthur.
Friday it's homeward bound back to Blighty for 28 days, then we do it all again.

Location:2-й Красносельский пер.,,Russia

The last weekend

Due back in UK Friday 3rd February, but travelling back via Moscow on Wednesday & thursday as we have to report to HQ on our activities for the previous month.
So the task this weekend is to complete our monthly report ready for translation Monday. Get a bit done on Saturday, but it's over to the 'clubhouse' for a couple of hours billiards to pass the time, then cook tea, have a beer and watch a film.


Russian TV was supposed to be showing Man Utd v Liverpool in the FA cup but there was boxing on instead so that was a bit disappointing.
Sunday we finished off the report and decided to have an early dinner, so Al B goes down to the kitchen to start and meets 3 Russians in the kitchen who are having a liquid lunch. Friendly guys one of whom speaks a bit of English and before you know it he's had a few vodkas. Al G turns up, introductions all round and he's catching up via the Russian hospitality. Before we know it, there's an international billiard tournament arranged and it's over to the 'clubhouse' after dinner. Another bottle of vodka appears, top thrown away as it's not needed!!! Our hosts show us the proper rules of Russian billiards and it's a game of in offs and straight downs., so now we know the proper rules. Host says we now drink more vodka & beer downstairs, have some raw fish and then into the sauna where we can be naked together and beat each other with birch twigs. At this point we decided an exit strategy was in order as an all night session beckoned, so we had a few more drinks and then bottled out and left them to it!!!! Lucky escape as they were still at it at 01:30. Seems the 'clubhouse' is hired out for private functions and they get to use the billiards & sauna etc, these guys were regulars as the hotel ladies seemed to know them well. No doubt we'll meet again!

Colder

It was -31 this morning. When you go out in that temperature you have to cover up exposed areas around your face, head & neck as it gets painful after about 10 mins.


You'll note the thermometer stops at -40, local knowledge says we need one that goes to -50!!!
You get told off by the Russians if you haven't got a hat on or your big coat on when you venture outside and they know best.
We spent about 20 minutes checking out the freezing on the cooling tower today, and even the russian guys were running back to the warm office afterwards. It was the coldest I've ever been. I felt it in my hands and cheeks, although I had a balaclava on and gloves?


I think the fact that we were in a bit of a draft and there was a windchill factor accounts for it.
They send a team out to knock the ice off when it gets too much- rather them than me.
The walk to the canteen takes about 10 minutes, this is the road we go down. Nothing like a brisk walk in the fresh air to work up an appetite.


By the way, the road surface of packed snow & ice is typical of all the roads around here. Our driver has complete faith in his studded snow tyres and we are learning to have faith in them as well! I'm amazed at the amount of traction they have.

Turn me over.....

........ I'm done.
Hotel ladies noticed us with a bit of a chesty cough so virtually threw us in the sauna.


This is one we didn't know existed and is on the floor below. Half an hour was enough and another highlight was the space age shower with it. One of those with floor to ceiling nozzles, neon lights, LCD control pad etc. Full of surprises this place.


The door at the end opens onto a vertical drop of around 3m. We reckon its onto a swimming or plunge pool and they haven't got round to building the platform or steps into it. You'll be glad to hear it was locked - like I said, full of surprises!!!

Taste the coal

Bit of a random visit to the coal plant of the main site - "do you want to taste the coal?" they said. Anyway, trip to the stock pile which is in a long strip virtually the length of the site. Overhead grabs, mobile plant, dozers, various other augers and drills which we think break the frozen coal out of the trucks which come 1000km and two days by train from further east Siberia.


That's about 3 feet of snow covering the stockpile.





Beautiful clear sky, not a breath of wind, but around -22.

Tea time

Tonight the hotel ladies decided that our cheese & onion omelettes will not be enough to keep us fighting fit and offered us to help ourselves to what was on the table. The large jar has a lard type substance that was scooped out with the tea cup thus allowing you to dip the raw onion & shallots and garlic cloves into. The other option if fish is your fancy was the bowl of anchovies. Making sure of our five a day is the shredded pickled carrot with some black slimy stuff in it - I think it was sliced mushroom - at least that's what I've convinced myself what it was.
We picked up a pack of cheese yesterday - we reckon it's a safe bet to be Edam.


Ambient temperature update - we cracked -30 deg c first thing this morning and didn't get above -22 all day.