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Archive for January, 2011

Ride The Legendary Moscow Metro!

Moscow metro…there is so much to tell! Itis surrounded by astonishing facts mysteries and urban legends. Built in 1935 it’s the second most heavily used transit system in the world! Almost 9 million people use it every day!

During the earlier years the metro was built mainly by Komsomol volunteers. Thanks to their determination the project was a success. You see Soviet Union missed both knowledge and experience in the field. Many foreign specialists said it would be impossible to accomplish the task. And yethere it is.

Some of the stations are a work of art. When you get off the train don’t be surprised if you see beautiful statues mosaics and carvings.

Here is a short list of stations you should visit:

• Kurskaya
• Ploschad Revolutsii
• Arbatskaya
• Smolenskaya

I just love their grim “Citizen Kane” kind of style. Reminds me of giant zeppelins kitchen robots and rocket cars.

Oh and I didn’t mention talking computers.

Many of the earlier built stations are deep. Very deep. That’s because comrade Stalin wanted them to be giant shelters in case the Bomb fell. In many places especially in the passages there are builtin steel sections. They actually cover blast doors that would quickly seal off the station in case of emergency.

Older stations are not the only ones suited for fallout survival. For example in Savelovskaya station there is a builtin decontamination camera right by the entrance! I doubt it works but this relic is a gloomy reminder of the Communist times.

The Cold War myths and facts

It’s time for some urban legends. I won’t speak about obvious nonsense such as ghosts and giant rats. But one mystery is worth mentioning. It’s the so called “Metro2″. The myth says that Moscow metro contains a secret tunnel network. It connects the Kremlin Ministry of Defense bunkers command posts and other strategic objects.

These tunnels run for tens of kilometers and far out of Moscow!. They allow quick evacuation of Russian leadership. And they lie much deeper than usual metro. It seems hard to believe but here is another fact. “Metro2″ is not the only secret object in Moscow. There is a whole underground city built by the military during the Cold War. It’s hard to estimate the amount of money invested in creating this colossal hideout.

A piece of advice

Some tips on using the Moscow metro.

1 Try to have a local guide by your side. Not all Muscovites speak English. If you have some problem the guide will help you out.

2 Watch your belongings closely. Pickpockets are a pain especially during peak times. Which brings us to…

3 Avoid rush hours. Try to use the metro between 12 and 2 PM. Otherwise you risk getting stuck in a crowd.

4 Learn your route well. Unfortunatelythe signs are mostly in Russian. So make sure you know the number of stations you have to go all of the passages etc. See point 1 also.

5 Get ready for noise. The trains are loud so prepare to tolerate some acoustic disturbance.

Moscow metro is a major cultural and historical landmark. It will greatly enrich your travel experience so try to visit it.

About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Anton Borodko is an owner of Moscow Insider’s Guide which delivers insider tips and advice to anyone who plans to visit Russia or just know it better.

Anton’s rich muscovite experience ensures the quality and actuality of the information and lets his visitors get the most out of their trip.

Rhodes And Its Opportunities

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About the writer:  Ralph Erckens is a journalist in a New York newspaper. He has written hundreds of custom writting dozens of writing service thousands of edit essay touching upon various areas of society life.

Reykjavik Beach Club

No well get out your beach towels. For on a beautiful sunny and calm summer day admittedly a rare meteorological occurrence at this latitude you may want to visit Nautholsvik pronounced naytollsveek for a day at the beach. Yes theres a beach in Reykjavik the capital city of Iceland and on very good day you can sunbathe play volleyball build sandcastles and even swim. Truth be told you could do many of these things on any day just not in a swimsuit. Iceland is famous or shall I say notorious for its capricious weather. Thats not to say that there isnt nice weather here. It just wont stay that way and warm days are somewhat rare all of which creates a sense of urgency to get out and soak up the sun. The day I visited Reykjaviks thermal beach as it is called here was on a particularly splendid Saturday in July the skies were clear the winds calm and the temperature was about 19 degrees Celsius 66 degrees Fahrenheit downright warm for Iceland.

Nautholsvik is situated in a nice little cove at the mouth of a small bay and is not far from downtown Reykjavik. If you are ever here and want to find this beach just locate the Reykjavik Airport and follow the road that parallels the runway to the end. Yes it is right near an airport but it is just a small regional airport for domestic flights and not a big noise disturbance. On the contrary its kind of interesting to see the various small aircraft taking off and landing. Nautholsvik is mostly manmade: the sand was brought from elsewhere and the ocean swimming area artificially created. It has two fresh water swimming/wading pools more like oversized hot tubs called hot pots both with heated fresh water. The two hot pots are kept at about 38 degrees Celsius about 100 Fahrenheit and the ocean swimming area is about 30 degrees Celsius about 86 Fahrenheit. Theres a nominal charge of 200 kronur about 2.75 per person to swim in the hot pots; other then that the beach is free. Theres also a nice
building adjacent to the rectangle shaped pool where you can borrow a locker change into your swimsuit and buy ice cream and other snacks. The whole thing is run by a city wide organization called rtta Og Tmstundar Reykjavkur a mouthful TR for short. They are the same organization thats in charge of all the pools and spas in Reykjavik.

Your day at Nauthlsvik can include most of the standard beach activities sorry no surfing. It even has a very nice paved walkway that follows the ocean circling around the airport in one direction and following along the bay in the other direction. People rollerblade walk run and bicycle along this route. Theres even a small coffee house near the beach sporting a traditional Icelandic sod roof. There you can have the refreshment of your choice and watch the people go by or daydream about traveling to an island way out in the North Atlantic just below the Arctic Circle. Wait thats where I am! And I cant help but be almost constantly amazed by the irony of this place given its global position. Planet Earth is an amazing beautiful and diverse place.
Nautholsvik used to be just the site of a small natural hot water stream that fed into the ocean and Icelanders have been coming here to bath for years. Though I wonder how warm the bathing area was back then with just a small hot water stream flowing into the bay. This spot is no longer dependent on a small stream and has its own connection to the citys hot water supply which coincidentally is located in five huge tanks on the hill above the beach at a site called Perlan the pearl. Iceland has hot water in spades; it is the lifeblood of this country. And it is used for just about everything from home heating to warming the ocean water for swimming. Lets face it without this abundant hot water swimming here would be unbearable.

It is redundant and almost clich to say that Iceland is a land of extremes and contrasts I know. But the truth is everywhere you look you are reminded of this fact. Nauthlsvk is just another example of this. Iceland is a beautiful country and there is so much more to see. It can also be a harsh land. These contrasts come together to create an atmosphere and mood that is totally unique. And when the weather decides to cooperate and the sun shines and the sky is clear I have rarely seen a more beautiful place than here. The views go on and on as far as the eye can see the air is clean and clear and the temperature can soar well sort of. So if you come to Iceland dont forget your sunscreen.

About the writer:  If you decide to visit and are looking for things to do in Iceland consider an Iceland tour. There are many tour operators located right in Reykjavik its worth the investment. David Brooks