12:00am 9-24-09 Moscow time, 3pm Chicago time 9-23-09
I went to the Tretyakov Gallery and saw Lenin's body in Red Square today. I didn't get to see Lenin last time so I wanted to make sure I made it this time. There used to be people lined up for hours to go thru the mausoleum, now, I was in and out in about 10 minutes. There is a whole story about how two doctors embalmed him and came up with some radical way to preserve a body forever, well at least that was how the story went. It's pretty simple, the dude is wax. No doubt about it. There is still a lot of pomp and circumstance around his body, I got yelled at for having my hands in my pockets as I went by. Dude, the war is over, we won and that guy is wax. It's not disrespectful to have your hands in your pockets at a wax museum. Last night, Pat and I went out and had a couple of drinks at an English pub. I wasn't quite prepared for the unisex bathrooms. It wasn't really a big deal but when you are walking out of a bathroom and there is a girl walking in, your first thought is, "Holy Moses, did I walk in the wrong bathroom?" After checking the symbol on the door, I knew I was in the right place.
Tomotrrow, I plan on going to the Armory inside the Kremlin. It's got all sorts of Russian histroical artifacts. I remember it from before but we kind of were in and out of there quickly. They have an audioguide tour that I plan on taking to get the whole treatment. Additionally, I will be able to take close up photos of a lot of the buildings that you have seen from a distance. If anyone has any requests for anything for me to bring back, let me know!
RM