big brother is watching you

12/09/09 overnight train pulls into Moskow at 8am; torrential rain; we are the last to get off the train

Finding the hostel is a challenge, but we get there in the end and have a room with private internet!



After a long snooze, we urbaneer using the "inside out" and "end of the line" technique - meaning we hop on an underground train and work our way out to the end of the line. we chose line 2 as it had some of the stations on that were recommended to us in St. Petersburg (and also our hostel happens to be near by - very handy!). The stations are amazing and as far as undergrounds go and the ones I have been to Moskow does have the prettiest stations [and we only saw one line so far]!!!

urbaneering here, however, has a feel of 1984 with big brother watching you constantly. The amount of uniformed men on the platforms, stations and streets is quite intimidating. Eight police man in a row on a platform looking at you actually make you feel less safe, particularly, as all guidebooks warn you of corrupt police who are looking to fine you. Taking pictures of the beautiful stations, therefore, almost has a criminal feel....the end of line #2 is also less than pretty.

Our impressions of Moskow so far really make you reflect and appreciate the freedoms we in the 'west' take for granted, such as the freedom to express ourselves, to freely move about and be left to go about your business without interference or physical surveillance by 'the state'. Police here can stop you at any time to check if your papers are in order and apparently Russians get checked all the time as well (and this is now, can't imagine what it must have been like during communism!)...