Travelling is fun

Travelling is fun except..........

Yeh, travelling is fun 'cos of the anticipation of arriving at one's destination. Even though I've travelled a fair bit, I can't help but get excited at the prospect of packing and going somewhere everytime there's a trip. Even a short trip like flying between Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur or between Kota Kinabalu and Singapore.

The only downside is the waiting at the airport before your flight as you have to be there well ahead of your flight time. Checking in can be a tedious affair if there are long queues and large crowds. Once on board, settling down to a book or newspaper really makes me contented provided there isn't a hyperkid sitting behind and kicking my seat. Collecting one's bag at the end of the flight is not a problem if you can identify your bag easily from the heaps of identical black bags. I've taken to putting multi-colored ribbons and rosettes on my bag. Thank goodness my bag isn't black but brown so it's easier to spot than my spouse's. His also has ribbons of different colors because many other bags have red ribbons.

My latest trip that took me beyond our neighbouring countries was to Russia. We went with my sister and spouse. They joined us in Kuala Lumpur, making their way from Melbourne. Before the trip I pored through the atlas, trying to locate Tashkent for that was where we would land before flying on to St Petersburg. The excitement built up as our tour date drew closer.

My daughter and I purchased a warmer coat for my spouse as we were told that it could be very cold in Russia. It was great fun trying out the winter clothing and getting someone the same size as my other half to try on the coat for size. Hubby was not in KL when I went shopping.

We transitted in Taskent for a couple of hours. Security was tight. Before we could board our flight for St Petersburg, we had to remove our shoes and socks and put on special bootees and go through security checks. The men had to remove their belts. There was a moment of humour when someone had to hang onto his pants! That was my first such experience. No one complained as it was for our own safety. Stringent checks are better than lax ones which could result in circumstances that are best avoided.

You know it was unbelievable! I never thought that Russia was such a beautiful country, with its elegant buildings ( built long ago ) and onion-shaped domes that turned out to be churches/cathedrals. There were statues of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great in St. Petersburg which is a lovely city. A cruise along the river (I've forgotten its name!! Senior's lapse and also the unforgivable error of depending on one's aging memory. Next time must make notes in a diary.) gave us a good view of the buildings in the city. The palaces and the museums contained a lot of history. The artefacts and paintings must be seen to enjoy their splendour.

Moscow was also a pleasant surprise. I had associated it with the KGB which I had read about and expected the city to be a grim and forbidding place. There were awesome cathedrals and a huge beautiful old building that housed chic boutiques and large departmental stores comparable to Covent Garden in London but much bigger. The women were elegant and slim, not the large stumpy-ankled matrons I was given to believe. The Moscow underground system is fantastic. It's very ornate and has huge paintings on the walls and antique chandaliers dangling along the subway passages. Certainly not like the London underground or the Singapore MRT.

The food was tolerable and I enjoyed the different types of salad. The vegetables were fresh. We didn't have much meat but that is to be expected when one is on a package tour. Souvenirs abound and the beautifully crafted Russian dolls and copies of delicate Faberge eggs were really a feast for the eyes. Russian chocolates are just as delicious as Swiss chocolates.

All too soon the tour came to an end but we had some very happy memories. I never thought I would be able to step into Russia. Thank goodness the Iron Curtain came down and allowed people to visit. This has brought benefits to both parties, the Russians and the tourists from other parts of the world. People get to know more about Russia and the Russians benefit from the tourist dollars. It is a place I would like to visit again, at a more leisurely pace.