10/9/2012 (In the air somewhere over the Pakistani/Afghani border)
The Russian plane to Moscow is at least 30 yrs old. The in-flight movie was Russian-dubbed "Tom & Jerry" cartoons on thick TV monitors mounted to the cabin wall. And they served fantastic food. We flew along the edge of the Himalayas, over Pakistan, eastern Afghanistan, and into Russia. The land is so inhospitable looking, and at the same time mezmerisingly beautiful. I really felt as if I could be in a spaceship flying over some far-off planet devoid of life. Hoped to get a glimpse of the Karakoram or K2, but was on the wrong side of the plane.
This trip started yesterday, when I took a bus to Vietnam and went to see Thuy. She appointed herself my chauffeur for the day and wouldn't let me spend a dollar. We met a friend of hers for lunch who's a pioneer in another cong. and I promised the girls they can come stay with me when construction starts for our first KH in Cambodia.
We tasted giant snails, went to the meeting; and then out for avocado shakes after. The friends here are so incredibly fun and welcoming. Drove the motorbike back to her house very late, in the pouring rain; as both of us huddled under an electric blue 2-man poncho.
And then in the morning I was off to the airport, and tried corn juice for the first time!
11/9/2012 (En route to Nice, FR)
Back on an airplane again... Russia has been an incredible experience! The brothers and sisters I got to met, even more than the sights! I really have to thank Stephanie and Vladimir for making all this possible.
My flight arrived 20 min early and I had almost no wait at customs. Everything went smoothly with my transit visa and by 7:25pm I was shaking hands with Tolic and Mark- only 5 min after the plane's scheduled arrival time. The family were SO kind! They'd come to the airport packed with a portable a feast in their car: Russian chocolates, the best dried fruits and nuts I ever had, hot tea, home-made apple pie... wow!
There was a welcoming party!- Ok, not for me- for some Olymic athletes returning home. But it was interesting to see some traditional clothes & music
We drove straight through the heart of Moscow to Red Square, where we met Nastia and Masha, 2 sisters from the English cong who helped with translation. I'd copied some Russian phrases off the internet and given myself a little crash-course, and so could speak a little, but I was really grateful for their help communicating! Later we happened upon another couple from their cong, which made us a group of 7- perfect strangers laughing together like old friends and going sightseeing in the dark.
Moscow is all lights and gorgeous at night. Pleasantly cold and just a few scattered clouds. The Kremlin, the palaces, Lenin's Tomb, St. Basil's Cathedral, Kazan Cathedral........ I learned that Red Square is not called "red" because of the color, but because the word we pronounce "red" means "beautiful" in old Russian.
We drove the ring road around the city and up to the top of a hill for a bird's eye view.
Back to the family's home after midnight- 3am Cambodian time. The bed was SO soft! The next morning the sent me away loaded with gifts & souvenirs: honey, chocolate, ham, Matryoshka dolls... their kindness was completely overwhelming!
In early morning traffic it took nearly an hour to get back to the airport and I barely made my connecting flight with only about 10 minutes to spare! This afternoon, I hope to find Ryan and Nansi somewhere in France. I realize now that I never found out what exactly what flight they're coming in on or which airport terminal they'll be at.... humm, this could get interesting...
