Day 61: The Day We Visited Putin's Crib

Friday 16th September

Torrential rain on the morning of Day 61 set the tone for what was to be a sombre start to our stay in Moscow. For the 5th time on the trip so far we were again breaking ranks from our fellow intrepid explorers and saying goodbye to Isaac and Will. With their visas about to run out it was time for them to do the sensible thing and bee-line for the border. But, like that persistent wasp at a family picnic in mid-July, we knew we couldn’t shake them off that easily. It would only be a matter of time before our paths converged once more. We then headed off for a spot of sightseeing.


Red Square
Making our way around St Basil’s Cathedral, Red Square and the Kremlin we could only gawp at the staggering display of colour, historical significance and majestic grandeur. Our stroll around the city centre felt like the first proper stint of walking since Mongolia. Being confined to the equivalent space of a portaloo for 4 days had laid waste to our leg muscles. At points we were wondering around the city aimlessly like uncertain toddlers. Tackling stairs, ramps and cobblestones was now a battle against resuscitation.

St Basil's Cathedral
Our cowering and slightly broken demeanours paled in comparison to the macho Caucasian Russian males who kept strutting past us. Tall, handsome and sporting turtleneck jumpers that hide more love bites than mosquito speed dating, these men are the pinnacle of existence. Couple that with the fact that many own stunning supercars and you can see why Moscow is known as the billionaire capital of the world. As we stared through the window at a stunning crimson red Ferrari 458 we realised even one of its wing mirrors are probably worth more than our humble Marigold.



As the old saying goes, behind every great man there is also a great woman and Moscow was no different. Equally impressive in their elegance, style and fetching looks we all decided that when we’ve made our millions, Moscow is the place to be.

Posted by: Rich