Nizhny Novgorod
Population: 2 million
Distance from Moscow: 442km
Famous for: Having notorious 'Gulags' during the Soviet period, Nizhny was only open to foreigners in 1991. 

Nizhny Novgorod sits at the intersection of two rivers - the Volga and the Oka.  Its main attraction is an impressive 12-tower, red-bricked Kremlin, which is the center point of the beautiful old town center.  We spent a memorable couple of days exploring the city which is definitely worth a stop along the trans-siberian route. 

The Kremlin wall

The obelix inside the kremlin overlooking the Volga river

Our tram "stop" (!!) situated in the middle of a two-way eight-lane street.  We found the best way to catch the tram was to wait for a local to come along then hide behind them when standing in the middle of the road...

Nikki anxiously waiting with the locals for the tram.

Nearing our tolerance for visiting dusty cities in 30 degree-plus heat, we decided to take a break and booked ourselves on a 3-day river rafting trip.  This proved to be an excellent way of seeing much more of the beautiful Russian countryside and getting to know some Russians on a more personal level. 

Our campsite

A room with a view!

 
The Russian countryside

The trip included 4-6 hours of rafting each day, and two nights of camping.  In the evenings we enjoyed some tasty Russian cuisine prepared by our river guides; our nightly entertainment comprised of singing Russian folk songs around the campfire, playing group games on the beach, and conversing in a hybrid of English and Russian. 

Fun and games after a hard day rowing

Russian folk songs by the campfire

Group photo!

In four hours, we'll be on our way to Yekatinburg..... a 23 hour marathon train ride away!!!!!!!

Our chosen method of transport from St Petersburg to Moscow was an overnight sleeper train which left at 11:59pm and arrived at 8:00am the following day.

Photo of our 4-berth compartment.

We shared our 4 berth compartment with two young Russian ladies.  Eric now happily boasts of the night he spent sleeping with three girls.  Our first experience on a Russian train was deemed a success.  It was our first few hours in Moscow that proved to be the biggest challenge.

On arrival at our hotel we were refused check-in by the receptionist who insisted our "registered" visas were not valid.  We had initially registered them with our first-night hotel in St Petersburg and were told by a travel agent that this would be sufficient for the duration of our stay in the city.  Our Moscow receptionist wasn't buying it, and all our attempts at bribery failed.  We were faced with no other option than to take ourselves (and all our luggage) down to the local Police station to face their wrath!

As we approached the run-down station, we were greeted by a welcoming committee of two growling guard dogs and three heavily armed policemen.  Our attempts at explaining our situation were cut short by a gruff demand for our passports and papers.  The policeman immediately identified our predicament and seized his opportunity to fleece two newly arrived tourists to the tune of R6000 ($100 each).  Eric initiated bargaining negotiations with the head officer but was soon silence with a death-stare from Nikki, who having caught a glimpse of the cold, grey, uninviting jail cells just inside the door, was unwilling to risk remaining at the station for a single moment longer than necessary.  In Russia, the Police make the rules!! (It could have been much worse as the Lonely Planet Guide comments that fines can easily reach up to $500 each!)

Fine paid and "valid" registration procured; we checked into our hotel where we remained for the rest of the day unwilling to risk further venture around Moscow. 

Our stay in Moscow proved to be a pleasant surprise; we were both thoroughly impressed with the cosmopolitan feel of the city.  Our sightseeing was highlighted by trips to: the Kremlin, StBasil's, Red Square, Lenin's Tomb, GUM Arcade, and the Contemporary Russian History Museum.

Photo taken of the main cathedral inside the Kremlin.

The infamous Red Square (no longer red much to Nikki's disappointment)

NOTE: Our Moscow photos will follow shortly (hopefully, within a couple of days) - still looking for a fast enough internet connection to upload them.