Well, I dont know if any of you have been to Moscow, but I am just back from 3 days there, and I have never seen such bad driving in my life (been to most of eastern europe, middle east and africa). It just pipped Algiers to the post....

6 lanes of Traffic in a road marked for 3.. Manic lane changing. Mixture of 30 yer old eastern block cars and western expensive cars. Pot holes, terrible polution, 80 or 95 Ron petrol. Getting caught speeding costs only $20 US in a bribe (that would be nice here eh?!)..

Saw at least 5 accidents in 3 days.

 

Spent 10 days there in April of last year. Not a total shock to me though as I've been to a couple of other places where the normal driving rules that most of us have been brought up, just do not apply there!!!

Three days is a real quick trip, I guess you did the lighting tour of the Kremlin, Red Square and a couple of galleries.... Appreciate the things that other places have to offer and then realize how fortunate you are to live in a country like the UK. BTW, I spent a few days in London and wish I had more time there. What a great mixed environment, more racial mix than in San Francisco, now that was a shock to me. Hope you knew some Russian or had someone to show you around, otherwise you will be fubar'ed...

 

Business trip. Been there b4. Quick dash round red sq. Nice shinny new airport that opened on tuesday. Taken for a few meals. No time for much else (chatting up some lovely russian women).

 

What hotel did you stay in? I stayed at the Hotel Ukraina across from the Russian White House.

 

First trip was golden ring - had it's own strip club... This time the Royal Marriott next to the Bolshoy .5 mile from red square. $1500 for 3 nights and I didnt even eat there! Glad I wasnt paying!

 

.... sounds like the M25...


-andy-

 

What an "M25"?

 

The M25 is an orbital motorway which runs around London and it's suberbs. When it opened it was famous for being a 70mph traffic jam (all lanes full of cars travelling at 70) and now it's just famous for being a stationary traffic jam!

 

Go to Mocsow 2/3 times a year (Metropol or Kimpinski) and the roads are a lot better now than they used to be mainly as a result of their spending as part of Moscows 850 anniversity (2001?) and building of the new orbital and airport roads. It used to be worse back in 1994 when I first went (and never go in the winter).

I think that Cairot is worse as at least in Moscow the cars seem to be mostly roadworthy. Also they don't drive with one hand on the horn.

rael