Aidan & Karen’s Travels

Finally made it to Russia! We still have to keep pinching ourselves that we are here, but we think that the reality of our trip is finally starting to kick in.

Moscow is a very impressive city and it is very, very cold.Its like the coldest we have ever been in our lives and we have had to make the odd trip inside just to check that all digits are intact and still pink! I was a tad disappointed though when we walked past a thermometer thing that said it was only minus 8! It has got to be colder than that. A little worrying as siberia is supposed to be even colder.

We have been wandering around the city and seeing all the sights (the Kremlin, Red Square, even saw Lenin’s body!) Today has felt like we have been in a cold war espionage thriller - but we are more Austin Powers than James Bond - give us time though.

We are getting into the swing of taking layers off and on - freezing outside absolutely boiling inside. We are also becoming expert budget travellers already, rather than going to a museum/gallery we just have a look in the gift shop and look at the postcards. Anything worth seeing we might actually pay the entrance fee!

Anyway, it’s been a great start to the trip and we board the Trans Sib tomorrow and plunge ourselves further into the cold!

We still haven’t made it out of the country yet so we had a very traditional English day out. Karen’s parents took us out to Aldeburgh for fish ‘n’ chips and a bracing walk along the seafront. We had an excellent day and it was a perfect opportunity to test run some of our winter clothing for the forthcoming trip.

As I mentioned previously we feel like we are hanging around at the moment waiting for the great leap forward. Only a couple of days left to wait though. So with our final day looming and having had fish ‘n’ chips today, what are we having tomorrow? Roast beef of course - I don’t think we have ever been as English in our culinery habits. I suppose it is best to get it all in our stomachs before the borscht and vodka.

Some of the photos are up on flickr here

We were sad to say goodbye to Newcastle yesterday - all very emotional. I have decided that this has to be a trip of a lifetime because I am not sure that I can cope with all these goodbyes again. However, as my Mum said the first step of the trip is over and the what lies ahead is an adventure.

Also, thanks to everybody who attended our party. We had a great time and that was all to do with the people there. I have memories that are seared into my brain - mostly to do with the karaoke. I suspect that a lot of people released the inner demons through the karaoke, I am thinking especially of my brother,Tim, who is Grimsby’s answer to Eminem. There is a photo somewhere of my other brother, Dermot, and me looking on in terror as Tim let fly on the mic with a cracking version ‘Jump Around’. I think Simon Cowell may be giving him a call.

Anyway, got to say even more goodbyes before finally getting on the plane for Moscow on Monday (thank God BA posponed their strike or else we would be in all kinds of trouble). Will the torture of saying goodbye ever end?

This is the first post to Aidan and Karen’s new blog website. It’s a travel blog, chronicling a trip around the world from the UK to New Zealand overland via the Trans Siberian railway. We will follow their progress as they make their way over to the far side of the world to live and work for a year. 

The blog also has a corresponding Flickr account where their latest pictures can be seen. Click here to go to the flickr account.    

 So my work here is done, and I hand you over to the bloggers, Aidan and Karen and look forward to reading all about the trip!