2 am in Moscow...

and I can't sleep!! Yesterday our plane landed about 1 hour early, we got our passport checked, picked our luggage, and met our guide Violet and driver Vladimir! Everything in less than an hour! Then we started heading to downton Moscow, where our appartment is. Violet did a nice job pointing out major monuments and buildings, and even gave us her honest opinion about how things are going in Russia after the communism ended in the 90's. They drove us around the Red Square, showed us the old KGB building that now is just next to a kids store, and did a nice job helping us getting oriented in the area.

Because we landed earlier, we decided to do few things to "kill time" until the Peace Travel appartment manager could meet us and give us our key... We exchanged money, went to the grocery store, stopped by CSS office to drop our package with our last dossier docs, and then headed to our appartment. We had to wait few minutes, but around 1:30 pm we were all set in our appartment and ready to roll. To be honest, the building was a little run down looking, the elevators the smallest we have been in, the hallways a little dark, but the interior of the appartment is just fine!

Because the weather was just perfect (in the 20's with some nice sun) we decided to eat few snacks and head out for a long walk. Our appartment is right next to the American Embassy on Novinsky Blvd, but about a block of so from all the Novi Arbat action. So, we decided to found our way to the action!!! By following Novi Arbat and heading to the east, we found the Red Square. To enter the Kremlin and visit all the documents inside, it is 350 Rublos (about US $16 each), so we decided to do it next Saturday when we have our whole day for sightseeing. The weather was so nice that we wanted to continue walking and found our way around... we were also not sure for how long there was going to be day light, so we wanted to play safe... We headed then to the Christ the Savior Basilica, with the beautiful gold looking domes.

By that time it was around 5 pm, still some light, but I was getting a little hungry and needed a restroom, so we decided to head to Ulitsa (Street) Arbat (AKA Old Arbat) and check it out... It is a pedestrian street, well lighted and with a lot of people just hanging out... And then, there it was... Starbucks!!! We were planning to meet Beth and Nick there at 7 pm and it was still a bit early for that, but we decided to enter and see "who" was around... and then, there they were, Rob and Dede!!! I have been following their blog for a little while, and once they switched to CSS and had their trip 1, I had emailed them few times... So, we introduced ourselves and sat with them for a long and nice chat!! I figured they were in "hanging out" mode, because they were super nice and answered all the questions we had... we talked about their court date, their experiences with CSS guides and drivers, Peace Travel, their little Liam, etc, etc, etc... Dede and Rob, thank you for all your input and help, you guys ROCK!!

By 7 pm it was already dark and we decided to head home. The walk home was maybe 20 minutes and at the end we got a little lost, but found our way right away! We had dinner, checked email (Beth, sorry you guys couldn't make it, but maybe we could try again sometime in the week), and by 8 pm we were passing out, so we went to bed...

Tomorrow we are meeting our guide at 10:15 am and Svetlana at 10:30 at the MOE. Somehow I think it stil hasn't hit me... We are in Russia and will met our son (Mark thinks we will be surprised with a girl) this week! I don't know where my emotions are, because I feel REALLY calm... Mark reminded me that I felt like that the day before our wedding and even on our wedding day!! I am a big time cryer, and somehow I didn't shed a tear on our wedding day! Uhm, I think this time it may be different!