Today I was up at 3:45 am (after finally getting to bed and to sleep just
before midnight-- damn jet-lag!) and decided to just say the heck with it
and took a shower and wandered down to the 24-hour cafe. Actually, the sun
was up when I was awakened by the sound of yipping dogs just before 4 am.
That and the heat in my hotel room (no a/c and just one skinny little window
that I had open as wide as possible) made for a less-than-perfect first
night for us all, though most of the students got some sleep.
We took a bus tour (IT had great a/c) of Moscow, stopping for pictures at a
few places along the way before going into the Kremlin. I didn't get in
when I was here 2 years ago, so it was a pretty interesting experience for
me. The students enjoyed it, too. We took some pictures there and in Red
Square, so sooner or later I'll send some along. These computers don't seem
to support my camera's microdisk without a cable I didn't bring, so...
The students got their Metro (subway) wings this afternoon when we returned
from Red Square to our hotel by metro-- it took a little longer than it
needed to because I wasn't sure of our exit (we ended up two stops too far,
but made it back okay); they got a good dose of the tepid metro cars, crowds
in the stations, and tricky card reader machines (on the entrance
turnstiles).
Oddly enough, though, I'm here in the hotel alone at 7 pm. We all had
dinner and were supposed to leave for the circus at 5:30; I ducked out to a
little store in the lobby and when I returned, they all had left. I guess
they must have used the Metro, as the bus was nowhere to be found. (I
wonder if they even know I'm missing?)
In any event, I won't be alone for long, as my friend Aleksei here in Moscow
is going to drop by for a visit...
More later!
E.B.
