How I Explored the Largest Country in the World (Russia) Solo, by Train, in 30 Days – Moscow (4)

4/8/2019. From St. Petersburg to Moscow, I wanted to take the night trains to save time, but buying night train tickets at the last minute on a summer weekend was excessively expensive. I ended up taking the day train to Moscow, which only cost me USD 30, so I was penny happy the entire journey. The day was a welcome breather from the juggling-while-walking of the past few days.

With all my years of growing up on news and images of communism, Red Square, the Kremlin, a country seemingly at odds with the rest of the world, I couldn’t wait to be at the heart of it and for it to be right in my face.

I stayed near the Kremlin. First thing in the morning, as I strolled around Red Square, the preponderance of colorful domes, stately structures, heroic statues of the greats, perched at an elevation, struck me. The iconic St. Basil’s Cathedral loomed large, really quite an eyeful, like a bunch of multi-twisted color lollipops. Bold, expressive, cheeky, almost outrageous. Inside, however, was a place of incense, prayer, and humility. Perhaps how we should be, inviting on the outside, meek on the inside.

^{4/8/2019 – 从圣彼得堡我搭上火车往莫斯科。因为夜票实在太贵，恰逢夏假又逢周末，只能买了日票，就只需大约三十美元，这样节约我全程就爽在心里。这一天就静坐在火车上让已埋怨多时的两条腿好好休息。

多年来见闻共产，克林姆林宫，红场，苏联，冷战等新闻和画面，这国就一直与西方格格不入。我渴望闯入这重地，我选择住在克林姆林宫附近。一早起来天边无数圆顶，许多大教堂，英雄伟人雕像，雄气俄式建筑。我充满稚气寻找第一目标，那像五颜六色的棒棒糖的圣巴西勒教堂。一会儿这大教堂在我眼前升起，把我眼睛装得满满当当的。设计大胆，颜色调皮，神奇又使人抓不着头脑。但里面却充满香火，祷告，和严肃。这可能就是我们该有的性格，纯静的内心，讨人喜欢的外表.}