The Moscow Experience- Part 1

A quick note-
It has been pointed out to me that my blog posts are very long. :)  Since I indulge in the true sights, sounds and atmosphere of my experiences, that wont change.  However, in an effort to keep my reader's entertained and attentive, I'll start to break up the longer blog posts into shorter pieces.  Hope you enjoy!

Moscow is a city of extremes, and an amazing place to take in.  The week prior to leaving Dublin, the team had filled my head with nervous thoughts of being denied a visa, getting caught in customs, being kidnapped by rogue taxi drivers... so I was a bit nervous about the whole thing, but decided to take it as one big adventure.  Getting this visa was a harrying experience, as the gentleman who worked at the Russian embassy in charge of visa applications was NOT a pleasant person.  However, my visa did come through, literally the morning I was due to fly out, so I went straight from picking up the paperwork to the airport and hopped on a plane.  The journey was smooth and uneventful.  I breezed through customs, even received a half-smile from the immigration agent, no baggage search, and there was my driver in the arrivals area, waiting to pick me up and take me to the hotel.  I think everyone was just messing with me!

It was after midnight by the time I was in the car and on the way to the hotel.  The freeway traffic going in the opposite direction was completely stopped.  I asked the driver if there was
something going on, and he said, "No, this is Moscow traffic."  I was stunned! 

 

The city was beautiful at night, well lit, and there were a variety of colorful, neon signs.  It was almost like a mini Vegas.  Well....maybe more of a Reno.  I checked into the hotel, and was delighted to learn they had a gym.... first time I'd had access to a gym in 2 months. My room also had a scale...damn it!  So, guess where I was at 12:30 in the morning? Yup, at the gym.  I was working those machines so hard the whole second floor was shaking.  By 1:30 in the morning I was well-worked and wonderfully tired.  A shower and fresh bed never sounded so good!l

The following morning I met Team Russia, the great group of people who managed the regional market.  They treated me like a queen, and I was a ball of energy the entire time I was with them.  I learned so many new things between the culture, the regional market intricacies, and the opportunities we had for growth and expansion.  I was excited, and they were entertained by me being excited, so it was a win-win.

 

Driving around Moscow with the team was quite literally a death-defying experience.  Traffic was chaotic, and the only way you got anywhere was to force yourself into position.  Once the roads opened up, it was as if there was no speed limit, and they would fly around the city.  Parking was wherever you wanted, literally.  Cars would park randomly in the road, on the sidewalks, in every nook and cranny there were.  I can't remember the exact figure they told me, but it was something like Moscow had 5 million parking spaces and 20 million cars.  The evidence of this being true was everywhere.

 

The team took me out for amazing meals, and I insisted on trying the local delicacies. They introduced me to juice drinks that were very popular, specialty desserts, and a variety of soups. It was all delicious.  I had beef stroganoff and appetizers that HAD to be accompanied by an ice cold shot of vodka.  I didn't want to be rude, so down went the vodka :)

 

The streets were lined with amazing high-end clothing shops.  Everywhere you looked there were recognizable brand names whose products were relatively unattainable to the common folk- Gucci, Versace, Armani and the like.  It was explained to me that Muscovites (local residents) never shopped in Moscow, and those stores really existed for the wealthy tourist and resident millionaires.  Nice.  Magnificent buildings adorned the main streets, and in Part 2 of my Moscow experience, I'll share the sights that prompt me to call this the most beautiful city I've ever had the pleasure of visiting!