Moscow Russia – Day 2

Posted on August 4, 2019 by David Cross

There is so much to see in Moscow, you have to spend more than one day.  Of course, I had to go visit the KGB building (Lubyanka) which is now known as Federal Security Service.

You can easily get here from the train/subway and actually ran into no hassles or security concerns!

One of the actual cool things to visit in Moscow is Gorky Park.

The Soviet attempt at copying the US based Space Shuttle is here – it is known as Buran.

Mentioning the subway, they are quite artistic and fun to use around Moscow.  If you see one of the bronze dogs, you definitely have to rub its foot or nose for good luck.

As a history buff, the Novodevichy Cemetery was a real highlight.  If you think of a famous Russian political figure, general or astronaut, there are most likely buried here.  Tons of history and worth a few hours to visit.

As it started to get dark, it was time to take in a few more sites that are best viewed when the sun goes down.  Does anyone know what this famous building is?  It is the famous Moscow University.  It is quite stunning.  And I am sure many students are proud to have studied here.

And not too far away was this famous lake.  Do you know what this place is famous for?  It is the inspiration for the Swan Lake ballet!  Kind of cool to visit the actual places where famous artwork, literature or music was created.

As it got later, we decided we could not resist and visit a classic Russian circus.  It was quite fun, very traditional and it was amazing to see how many expensive limos were outside the circus to pick up people.  Scary when you see multiple Maybechs outside of a $20 a set circus.

And since it was our last day in Moscow, we had to visit Red Square again at night. It is quite amazing and fun to visit.  The night atmosphere is very different and I think the pictures are quite magical as well.

If you missed the other postings, here they are:

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Moscow – Russia

Posted on July 28, 2019 by David Cross

Continuing from the few days we spent St Petersburg, we took the overnight train down to Moscow.  We took the Red Arrow train. This is a historic train and a true delight.  Not to be missed.  It is actually quite comfortable.

Now, one of the unusual snacks in Russia is not all the types of vodka…it is the chip flavors!  Just like we learned when we visited Japan has all the flavors of Kit-Kat, Russians love chips that taste like caviar, crab, etc.

Of course, in Moscow, the largest attraction is Red Square.

It is gorgeous and fun to visit, but here were the two surprises:

  1. It is much much smaller than it looks on television with all the famous parades
  2. It is really a shopping center with expensive shops and that is why most locals visit red Square

Now, the other reason the tourists visit is the rare chance to see Lenin’s Tomb.  Some call it a Mausoleum.  The lines to get a long.  Really really long.  It could take hours and you cannot take a camera in or take pictures.

What did I do?  Yep.  Paid a $20 bribe to cut in line.  It worked.

It was so scary seeing him…it was almost like a ghost that was going to sit up and start speaking in seconds.  I wonder what other secrets are hidden in this bunker…

and since I was in the heart of Russia, I had to explore getting a traditional hat.  What do you think?  Too warm for the summer I think…

There are so many historical sites, buildings and Soviet architecture to see in Moscow.  Do you recognize this one?

This is the famous building where Boris Yeltsin was at during his attempted coup that occurred in 1991.  All the memories…Stay tuned, more of Moscow will be shared in my next posting!

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Exploring Russia – Saint Petersburg

Posted on July 21, 2019 by David Cross

I just realized that I have never added a trip blog for Russia or as it is now officially called the Russian Federation.

Where to start?   It was nerve wracking from a visa application standpoint.  You have to provide all your schools…did you have military service…did you have any experience with nuclear or chemical warfare.  I am a US Navy veteran with some videos on my blog, so would they let me in?

It took a while and several visits to the Russian embassy in Tel Aviv to get our visa, but we finally were able to visit Russia for the first time.  I guess if you pay your $350 for the visa, it is all good!  The nice thing compared to cruise ship visits, is you can go wherever you want and not restricted in any way.

We flew in to St. Petersburg which is gorgeous place to visit in the summer months.  It is a delight to have a cold Russian beer that you buy on the street along with unusual flavored chips and watch the hydroplane races that are performed on the huge rivers.

It is the historical headquarters for the Russian Navy university, academy and military port both past and present.

Now, Saint Petersburg is known as the “city of museums” as I understand there are over 600 museums across the city.  You have to make some tough choices on which ones to pick as you cannot possibly walk to all of them.

Certainly the Hermitage is the most famous and a must visit…some famous art can be found here like the Madonna Litta.

but I think the best one was the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps which has an amazing collection of Russian and Soviet Union weaponry.

Some of the Cold War history artifacts were really fun and quite surprising to check out!

We also took a day trip to visit Catherine Palace which is about an hour away from St. Petersburg but a wonderful site full of history,architecture and artwork.  Luxurious to say the least.

Now, how many people know that Saint Petersburg was actually known as Leningrad during World War II?  It was actually once of the most brutal and long running sieges in the war.  The Nazi cannons were positioned all around the palace grounds to pound the city 30 KM away.

In closing, we enjoyed touring around the city for about 3 days and then hopped on the overnight train south the Moscow!  What an experience, not to be missed!

If interested, continue on with my next posting on arriving Moscow!

 

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Visiting Jamaica

Posted on July 14, 2019 by David Cross

I really never posted about visiting Jamaica, so it was clearly time to add that country to the entries on the site.

I have actually visited Jamaica twice – once in Montego Bay and once in Ocho Rios so we could visit Dunn’s River Falls.  Both times, we stayed at Sandals which is a great choice to get away, be safe and have fun at an all inclusive resort.  I have to admit that Montego Bay is more fun and very convenient since it is minutes away from the airport.

The cool thing to do at Sandals is to get certified to dive and this is where I started and got my PADI Open Water certification.

You can also easily do some deep sea fishing which is quite fun, but be ready with the Dramamine as it is easy to sea sick of if you are not used to rolling seas…

Now, the reality is Jamaica has lots of history and it is a great place to get a guided tour if you would like to learn more.  But work with your resort for a safe and recommended guide option.

Do NOT go out in town by yourself without guides or a formal tour. You do have to try and avoid the tourist traps of course, but this is much better than the risks of being mugged or running into crime which is rampant in the country.  This is why everyone stays at all inclusive resorts and they do not usually let you leave on your own.

Sandals and other reports are placed all over the island.  This is cool as some can be isolated, but at the same time, it take you HOURS by hot, dusty, unconformable tourist buses to slowly traverse over the pot holed roads.  My recommendation: take a puddle jumper prop plane to avoid the hours of bus and get to closer to your resort in Negril or Ocho Rios in 15-20 minutes.

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Visiting Stonehenge

Posted on July 6, 2019 by David Cross

This is a retro post from a past visit, as many people have been asking about other suspected alien related travel sites that I might have visited and would recommend.  Of course, one of the easiest is Stonehenge of course!

But…it is a very famous and popular site in England that everyone tries to visit when they can.

You can see from the photo that the stones are very large.  The question everyone naturally asks is:  Aliens?  Maybe.  Ever visit Easter Island like me?  It will certainly make you wonder…

Still to this day, I don’t know what these large independent rocks around the site are.  Are they related to monument?  How did they get here?  Unknown…

The rolling hills of the countryside are certainly gorgeous, so visiting the area is a wonderful afternoon jaunt outside of London.

After visiting, go have lunch in Bath and wonder what it would be like to live in Jane Seymour’s castle in the distance.  Many people like Bath for a great place to have lunch and check out the famous Roman baths in the town.

Overall, Stonehenge is only 1.5 hours drive or bus away from London…so it does not take a full day or tour to see it!  and if you jaunt over to Bath, it is a nice half day tour if you start early.

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Touring Scotland

Posted on June 30, 2019 by David Cross

A lot of people and friends have been planning to visit Scotland this summer, so I thought it was time to do a retro post from a few years ago when I visited a few famous sites around the country.

Where to start?  Edinburgh of course!  Here is a view of the castle which is fun to visit during the day and then attend a tattoo at night (see below).

August is a great month to visit Edinburgh as they have what is known as the Fringe Festival.  It kind of like SIFF in Seattle, but it is based on live performing arts and theater, not films.  It is a blast and so much fun to see the plays, theater and creative actors in many different venues.

Now the “must do” in Edinburgh is attending the Military Tattoo which I think is held almost every night and it is a great fin performance whether you love military parades or not.  Make sure you book your tickets well in advance as almost every night sells out!

OK – everyone knows there is tons of great music and entertainment in Scotland along with some great beers.  But when going out, what must you try and eat?

Haggis of course!  it seems that every restaurant and every area around the country makes it a little differently, so that is your excuse to try it.

I like beer with my haggis myself, but when touring around the country, you should try out and visit a Scotch distillery or two. We stopped by Blair Athol and leaned quite a bit and was surprised to see they make Johnnie Walker blends here.  It was pretty cool to see barrels that had whisky in them that was made 50 years ago and is still waiting to be blended.

Now, if you visit Scotland, you also must visit Inverness.  Why?  To get a chance to see the Loch Ness monster known as Nessie.  It was bad weather and a little stormy, but we did get to see her!  Check out the shot!

Yes, I know bad weather can sometimes create visual illusions, but we also used technology.  And the sonar showed and captured the truth.  The monster is real and still living and on some days, you may be lucky enough to see it in person.  We did!

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Visiting Reykjavík Iceland and Grand Circle Sites

Posted on June 16, 2019 by David Cross

This is a retro post from back in 2011, but so many people have been asking for recommendations, I decided I needed to add an entry for Reykjavík in addition to my previous postings about Grundarfjordur and Husavik.  Some people call some of the sites we visited to be the Grand Circle Tour.

We flew into Reykjavík and spent a long weekend touring around the surrounding areas.  It takes about 45 minutes to get from the airport to the main city.  You basically get to cross and see massive lava fields that dominate the landscape.

The city is very energetic and supportive to bikers and runners. There are very wide trails that go inside and outside the city and you can get some phenomenal scenery in your morning runs.

We took a tour to explore of some of the famous cites within driving distance of the city.  The first was the famous Gullfoss waterfalls.  It is amazing on how close you can walk right up to them and practically jump in if you wanted to!

Next, we went to visit the famous Strokkur geyser.  It was wet and rainy, but it was fun to see these geysers spewing and bubbling everywhere.

Did you know that you can actually touch and see where two continents meet in Iceland?  Yes, in Thingvellir National Park, the North American and Eurasian continents meet and was the meeting place many hundreds of years ago for the local governments.  I think they have a lot of pagan festivals every year year too…

Along the way, we also stopped an hiked around Kerio a little.  Some say it is a volcanic crater, but others have speculated that it was a launch point many many years ago for alien visitors that left the earth before our time and this was the takeoff blast crater.

Last, but not least, is the Blue Lagoon.  This is a must visit place for all travelers and is an amazing experience, second only to the Dead Sea in Israel.  It is not just a spa, it is a magical experience that is worth the money.  Be ready, you need to take public showers and that is how you enter and leave the facility.

 

Now, I wanted to say that running around the world is always fun.  Some of my other favorite spots I have blogged about:

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Visiting Cartagena Columbia

Posted on June 9, 2019 by David Cross

Latest retro post highlighting a quick stop and visit to Cartagena Columbia that was possible from a cruise ship port stop.

A lot of people ask and wonder: is it safe to visit?  Yes, it is.  You can visit the old fort, walk around the old city and see many of the famous old buildings which are very colorful.  This is the famous fat lady statue in case you were wondering…

Some people may remember the famous English pirate name Sir Francis Drake who has a lot of history attacking and looting this city back in colonial times.

The most interesting thing to do (in my opinion) is to go out and visit some of the mangrove swamps and small villages that live and exist among them.

Basically you rise along and paddle with some of the locals in some canoes.  These were not ours, but you get the idea 🙂

Despite the poor villages and squalor, it was very safe and friendly.

If you love wildlife and photography, paddling around the canoes through the swamp areas and villages allows you to capture some great shots that you were never see in the city.

 

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Maui – Hawaii

Posted on June 2, 2019 by David Cross

It was time to add a retro post for a domestic visit to Maui Hawaii a few years ago. I know most of my postings have been international cities and countries, but Hawaii is very foreign for many people…no pun intended!

Without question, Hawaii is one of the best places in the world to truly and experience the fact that the world is flat and you can slowly see the sun set below the edge of the earth as it goes down in the west.

Clearly, Maui is the island of relaxation and resorts and most people to relax and not adventure very much.  We rented a condo and stayed in Lahaina.

We took the risk and could not miss the adventure of driving around the North Shore of Maui and the difficult route to visit all the small villages and sites around the northern part of the island.  Needless to say, with a rented Lincoln town car, with very narrow, tight and limited space one lane roads, it was a little treacherous in some spots.

But adventure is my middle name and it is almost a rite of passage in truly visiting Maui in my humble opinion.  We did it, we survived and will relish the experience forever.

It was a short trip, but a great trip and I was even able to introduce a friend to scuba diving for the first time to do a shore dive right in front of our rented condo.  Anyone recognize the emerging cyber-security experts here…?

 

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Bangalore India

Posted on May 23, 2019 by David Cross

It has been a few years since I visited Northern India so…I decided it was time to visit Bangalore in southern India on a business trip and of course, I had to explore every second I found some free time outside of work.

It was a nice trip on British Airways when you can go upstairs to the upper deck of a 747 where it is so quiet and peaceful.  It is so easy to adjust your sleep schedule to be ready for a time zone that is 12.5 hours ahead of your normal cycle.

When I travel, what do I to acclimate myself to the time zone and explore the area?

Go running of course! The routes are not simple running trails.  They are more of an obstacle course with trees, debris, trash, electric wires and scooters/bikes chasing you everywhere.

When you explore, you never know what you may find. I am still trying to figure this one out myself…

It was mighty hot and humid and hard to run more than 5K despite the 3,500 elevation which is much cooler than the surrounding area.  You know it is hot when the security guards outside the hotel need to use shade umbrellas…

You can find some great boutique hotels here in Bangalore that are cozy and quaint that are close to the high tech center areas of the city.

You can also find enormous variety and choice of local delicacies along side the road when you need a snack or a lunch break.

The high tech sector is very packed and crowded.  The traffic is brutal in these areas and it can take 1.5 hours to get to the high tech areas when you are only 12 KM away in a large hotel.

But if you want to truly see and experience Bangalore, you need to go to the city center and visit places like the K.R. Market.  The traffic is not bad and it is a lively place.

Very safe, fun place to explore and experience the lifestyle, culture and be part of the daily flower market.

You can also meet and make some great friends who roam and shop the market with you.

Now, the real treasure and highlight of the older and historical part of the city center was the Bull Temple.  This is really the origin and history of the city.  It is a place you must visit to fully understand and learn about the culture and history of this very old city.

If you would like a little more recent history and learn about some of the British occupation and battles, you can see some of the remains of the old Bangalore Fort.  Most of the walls and prison cells are torn down now, but the one remaining section gives you a feel of what the original city was like.

The largest building is the government building which has been extended in the early 200s.  The state parliament is near the huge Sri Chamarajendra Park and the former British parliament house which is now the state courthouse.

I only wish my hotel was close to the Cubbon Park and this is an awesome place to go running and is like New York City central park.  Highly recommended for runners.  If interested, here are some of the other places I have run in the world when I was exploring:

 

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