Christmas 2017 - heading for Debbie's place in Tajikistan - part 1

The day before we were to fly, Neal still didn't have his visa to visit Russia. He went over to the Russian Embassy in Vienna - again - and the lady said, "Neal Leitner. Hmmm. We couldn't grant your visa." His face goes ghostly. She laughs! Jut kidding.

The next day, 16 December, we arrive in Moscow. We had 48 hours there. Due to the mysteries of airline pricing, it cost me half as much to stop there as it would to fly through to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, our Christmas destination. I'd never braved the whole visa ordeal before, so never visited Russia. Neal spent a few weeks in Moscow in 2010. We stayed in the Courtyard Marriott right near the Kremlin, in a nice room. Our first morning, we walked a few kilometers (we couldn't figure out the bus stop signs) to a giant electronics store. The camera section didn't have a cheap 360 degree camera, so we wandered over to the phone section, and there was the Samsung Gear 360 (2017)! That was the one that sounded best during my online searches, but it wasn't available in Bergen or Vienna. Of course, the language barrier was immense, but I managed to buy it. Then I asked them to make it go. No go! They tried to diagnose the problem, but eventually gave me a different one.

All the pictures and videos are links that should open in new windows.

Neal and I wanted to eat, and a woman dressed as a cow wanted us to eat at My My, pronounced like Moo Moo. It's a buffet place that Neal loved, so we made the cow happy. That's where I made my first 360 degree video! MyMy360video

Red Square was filled with a Christmas Market and ice skate rink. Joyous atmosphere! Red Square Christmas 360 video
Red Square 360 photo
Walking across the Moscow River video

Next to the square is a giant high-end shopping mall called GUM. We would not have gone in, but the night clerk at the Courtyard said the decorations were wonderful. She was right! The middle part has multi-story open space, filled with "hot air balloons" carrying packages. The ground floor has trees decorated by the stores, so outside a shoe store is one with golden shoes, and the china store had one with plates and tea pots. The giant central tree was surrounded by snow queens selling ornaments.

The Kremlin is not just a museum. It's a working government area. The Communists had not torn down the ancient churches, so those are open for tourists. Since my 360 camera looks so different, I got a picture (click on "picture" to see it) before they figured it out and told me no.

We were leaving from two different airports. I can't read Cyrillic, so was willing to pay a taxi over $50, but Neal can read Cyrillic, so said he'd help me through the public transit system. We hauled our huge suitcases through rush hour traffic on the first snow day of the year, to the metro station, then to the airport train, where Neal bought me a ticket. Then he started for his airport. I could not have done it without him!

He arrived in Dushanbe 3 hours before me, at 8:30 the 19th. I was sitting in Almaty, Kazakhstan at that time, and called Debbie to see if he made it. Who knew Almaty was an hour time zone ahead of Dushanbe? So I woke her up. Sorry! But he made it just fine. And so did I, after missing the sign to the transfers, exiting the Kazakh passport control, and having to go back through security again.

And there was smiling Debbie!