Coffee Sinking and Transiting in Russia: My Brief Return to Moscow
“So catch the next flight to leave Moscow” – Manic Street Preachers.
It’s another live blog post, here from Sheremetyevo Airport, Moscow’s massive transport hub. I haven’t been to this airport since I started this travel blog, it was 2007 when I was last here. I also haven’t been to Moscow since 2007 either. But I’m not going back into the city this time, I’m in Russia in transit.
Transiting in Moscow
I’m on a flight transfer with Aeroflot. I finally said my farewells to the Apple Hostel, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and all the friends I made there. There was no time for an emotional send off. Life moves pretty fast.
Apple Hostel, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Ala Too Square, Bishkek
Last plov meal in Bishkek
I was down the pub, my local for the last 4 months, Pinta Pub in Bishkek just 5 hours before I left the country. I was chatting to my dorm buddies for the last few weeks – Ricky and Lukas. We had an interesting discussion about genetics and this whole crazy journey we are all on. Something is not normal when you have a different home every night, when you whackpack easily through countries none of your mates have ever heard of. It’s a life of pure adventure and discovery.
Last meal in Bishkek
Lukas and Ricky – dorm buddies
Staff and friends at Daamduu Restaurant
Last night in Pinta Pub, Bishkek
I bid my farewell to Bishkek after dawn. Kyrgyzstan’s dynamic, progressive and magnetic capital, left behind as I head back to Europe, on a totally expected journey. It’s coming to the end of April, so I want to see another few football matches before the season’s out. I need to be in France too, for the month of June, and possibly early July too, depending on how far Northern Ireland get in the tournament. It was obvious I would leave Kyrgyzstan at some point, and today was it.
Leaving Bishkek
Tickets
Tickets
When I got off the flight in Moscow, we got a bus transfer from the aircraft to the terminal. As a bonus, I saw my backpack (the Osprey Aether) on the cart to take it to the terminal, so my bag made it to Moscow at least! Moscow’s Sheremetyevo is one of the best. I remember fondly speaking to a young boy called Ivan in the Irish Pub at this airport in 2007 just before I boarded my flight to Minsk in Belarus. I even had a Harp Lager that time, at the Domestic Terminal. Yes, I found it odd back in 2007 that my flight to Belarus left from the Domestic Terminal, but it did.
Landing in Moscow
Cappuccino in Moscow
Today, I’m flying to Munich! Yes, I’m back in Germany. Also for the first time since 2007, a long wait but worth it. I’m at the coffee shop here having a cappuccino. My flight leaves from Gate 5 in just under an hour.
Coffee and blogging in Moscow, Russian Federation
I love these parts of travel too. The waiting game. The knowledge that I’m heading into the unknown, day after day. I’ll be staying in the 4 You Hostel in Munich, doing a beer pub crawl tour, maybe a bike tour and hopefully a visit to the nudist park. Then it’s across the border into Austria to meet Lock In Lee in Salzburg.
On route to Munich
Arrival in Munich
Airport bus in Munich
Aeroflot food
There will be another few surprises along the way, and I’m still backpacking it, still doing the dorm thing. Despite trying to slow this ship down, and to give up backpacking for good. I simply don’t know or want a different lifestyle other than backpacking. This “giving up backpacking” will be harder than I thought, but I’ll give it a go.
In the meantime, come and meet me in any of these countries:
Germany
Austria
England
Lovely
The Copeman Empire
Northern Ireland
Italy
Seborga
France
There are possibly a few changes to this to come. I’ll keep you all updated. Thanks for visiting my website and official country, Don’t Stop Living.
4You Hostel, Munich
Bar at 4You Hostel, Munich
My Room at 4You Hostel, Munich
Backpacking in Munich, Germany
Backpacking in Munich, Germany
Alright Jonny,
Nudist park isn’t up to much in Munich, myself and Paxter went for a nose and I think there was only one person and that was on a warm weekend in September. While in that area check out Eisbachwelle (google it) we stumbled along it and stood for about an hour watching it, something different anyway. There is a Chinese tower with a beer garden just north of the park and a band plays on the tower.
If I had known you where going I woulda recommended this as it covers the whole region, me Paxter and Mike used it around munich and then a train up to Inglostadt (on the same line as Dachau) for an Under 21 game, also covers both airports and as far down as Eagles nest. Might get you to Austria
https://www.bahn.com/i/view/USA/en/prices/germany-regional/bavaria-ticket.shtml
Nymphenburg Palace is a nice spot for a nose and the worlds biggest beer garden isn’t far from it, a tram will get you there again covered in the above pass. (saved us a fortune) If you go out to the Olympic stadium, there is a big hill beside it you can’t miss it and it will offer views into the stadium and across munich.
Frauenkirche these towers didn’t get bombed during the war as the Brits etc used them as a marker to drop bombs.
Munich glockenspiel is worth a watch, although watch your pockets as its prime for pickpockets we seen it happen, also close to the big beer hall
Victuals Market, massive farmers market, Stephen Rowley and myself got breakfast there and at 10am all the locals stopped on their tea break and had a beer, they all left about 10:30am, came back at lunch time and so on.
I stayed in Wombats which was spot on, the area was a bit red on it but Stephen directed us too it.
I love the city its small but brilliant.
Hi Michael, great thorough update and tips thanks. I was only really transiting through Munich on route to Salzburg but I did some of the things on your list. I loved the Nudist Park, there should be more of those and I did a bike tour and a pub crawl. Will get some stuff typed up when I can. Safe travels. Jonny