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Monday, October 13, 2025

Russia 2019: 14-Day Tour

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                                     AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures                                   
Russia 2019: 14-Day Tour

Russia: 9th to 23rd May 2019
(See day-to-day blogs for more detailed routes)
Russia is a BIG country, so big that even during a fortnight tour we only visited a very small corner of the country - i.e., MoscowSt. Petersburg & the Golden Ring Cities! The country spans two continents, i.e., Asia and Europe (three if they had not sold off Alaska). Decades ago, as the USSR, it was an even much bigger country before it broke apart into several countries that included the now independent Baltic States and Soviet Central Asia.
It surprises me that we somehow or other we managed to go on this Russian adventure! Noting that we did most of the planning and booking ourselves (actually, a few of the girls did this). Somehow or other, we managed to get Russian Tourist visas without fully relying on a tourist agency (which was no easy thing back then), plan an itinerary, book our accommodations, train tickets, and make contact with a couple of Russian tour agents for ground arrangements.
OK..... the initial tough part over, let's see what Russia holds for us!
(Note: This is an expansion of a brief blog of our Russia 2019 tour, which is now expanded to daily blogs.)

BLOGS
Below are the daily blogs of our tour. click on the respective photos to read. Further below are some travel trips for this region. It was an interesting and awesome tour, so come and have a look:


BLOGS COMING SOON, STAY TUNED!!!


(Next...  The Balkans)
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TRAVEL TIPS FOR RUSSIA

Below are some general tips on travelling in Russia:

1. Traffic Directions!
    Driving in Russia is left-hand drive, and driving is on the right-hand side of the road. Do look to the correct side when crossing roads.
    Speed limits are between 60 km/h within urban areas, 110 km/h along expressways, and 120 km/h on highways.

2. Getting to & around Russia.
    Since Russia's "special military operation" into Ukraine, accessibility to Russia by air has been limited. But several airlines (including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, and Turkish Airlines) still operate flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg.
     We flew return with Thai Airways from Kuala_Lumpur (KLIA) to Moscow (Domodedovo Airport) with short transits at Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi Airport). Presently, Thai Airways still flies from Bangkok to Moscow but now lands at Vnukovo Airport.
     We booked hotels, train tickets, and several meals via the internet. Ground arrangements (and airport transfers) in Moscow were made through Alexander of Angel Tour, who can be contacted through WhatsApp at this phone number: +7926-435-86-87.
     Ground arrangements (and train station transfers) in St. Petersburg were made through another local agent in St. Petersburg.
    Travelling around the cities was in a 16-seater van. Travelling between Moscow and St. Petersburg was with the Red Arrow Sleeper Train and the Sapsan High Speed Train.
    For out-of-pocket spending, we exchanged some Russian Rubles before leaving. We also brought along our Big Pay debit cards, as these can be used to withdraw Russian Rubles at ATMs. Debit and credit cards can also be used, but many smaller shops or market stalls only accept cash transactions.

3. Immigration & Customs Requirements
    Tourists entering Russia will need a tourist visa, which can only be obtained via a TOURIST CONFIRMATION VOUCHER issued by a Russian travel agency or a Russian hotel that has the license to invite foreign tourists. This can be done through a local travel agency with affiliation to a Russian travel agency to obtain this invitation letter. The following is a list of countries that are visa-exempt to enter Russia.
    For Malaysians, leaving and returning to Malaysia, getting through immigration is easier now. Just install and register MyBorderPass, and getting through will be a breeze. A QR code will be generated, have this scanned, and you're through.
 
4. Places & Things of Interests  
    There were many scenic and interesting places of interest, but one should not miss the following:
    
a. St. Basil's Cathedral (Храм Василия Блаженного(GPS: 55.75252, 37.62308) in Moscow.
    b. The Moscow Kremlin (Моско́вский Кремль(GPS: 55.75097, 37.61757), and kremlins of other Russian cities.
    c. The Diamond Fund (Алмазный фонд), a secured chamber within the Moscow Kremlin, which holds the Imperial Crown of Russia, and other Russian Crown Jewels.
    d. Tour of the Moscow Metro stations with their beautiful architecture.
   
5. Food
    As Russia is a big country with diverse people and culture, Russian Food is wide-ranging. But do not miss the following:
    a. Russian Caviar, especially the black caviar and the highly prized Beluga Caviar.
    b. Borscht soup, and 
    c. Russian Vodka.

6. Accommodations
   Accommodations were mostly at hotels booked via the internet. Cost of accommodations varies and is more expensive in Moscow

7. Communicating with Each Other
    When travelling in a group, it's important to be able to communicate with each other, especially if one gets lost from the rest. Back then, it was not easy to buy Russian Sim cards, and our Moscow guide bought them for us before we arrived.
    Even now, it is not easy to purchase a SIM card. However, it is possible to buy Russian Sim cards online, just be aware of the restrictions posted earlier.

8. Communicating with Locals
    At hotels and tourist spots, locals speak fairly good English. In the smaller towns most locals speak only Russian. As such, it would be good to know some basic Russian.

9. Dressing
    When entering churches and monasteries, it is advisable to wear long pants, especially for women. Ladies will also have to wear headscarves or veils. Caps and hats should be taken off when in the churches and monasteries.
    
10. Weather
    Temperatures across Russia are generally pleasant in May, and warm later in the month without being too hot. You'll need a light jacket and sweater even for the daytime, but nothing extreme.
     In May, expect highs of 18°C in Moscow, 16°C in St. Petersburg, 17°C in Irkutsk, and 15°C in Vladivostok.
     Useful weather forecast sites for 
Russia is AccuWeather. For more detailed weather, including cloud cover and wind speed, use Weatherspark and Ventusky.

11. Navigation
    I used MapMyRide to track our routes and stops. Geo-tagging of places of interest was via FaceBook or Google Maps.
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RELATED BLOGS:











You are at - Jotaro's Blog /Footsteps-AhPek Biker/Russia 2019
If you like this, view my other blogs at Jotaro's Blog
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Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Armenian & Georgian Art: Yerevan Cafesjian Center for the Arts & the Cascades

You are at - Jotaro's Blog/Footsteps-AhPek Biker/Art Gallery/Armenian & Georgian Art/Cafesjian Center for the Arts & the Cascades
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ARMENIAN ART AT CAFESJIAN CENTER FOR THE ARTS & THE CASCADES
Yerevan, Armenia - September 2024
While on a walking tour of Yerevan (during a 2024 tour of Georgia & Armenia), we went through the Tamayan Park leading to the Yerevan Cascades. Within the park were several nice sculptures (see Street Art Tamayan Park Yerevan ). As we climbed the Cascades, we were surprised to find a gallery inside, escalators lead up to each level. Several of the levels are connected to the outside stairs on the Cascades.
The gallery is 
Cafesjian Center for the Arts, and below are the art pieces we saw inside, along the escalator foyers. Enjoy!
(click on the GPS coordinates for a Google Directional Map to the respective artwork.)
This blog does not cover all the artwork at the centre, as short of time we did not go into the gallery itself)
(Click here, to visit their official website, to view more art pieces, artists' bios, etc.)

a (b) (GPS: c)

In the close-up view of the Cascades, shows external stairs lead up to the viewing platforms at different levels. The CCA is actually within the cascades; entering through one of the archways at each viewing platform will lead to internal foyers with escalators leading up to the next. 

After walking through Tamayan Park, at the far end of the ground level is the Cascade Fountain (GPS: 40.19061, 44.51549). It's partly submerged in the ground, and water flows out from those vertical circular fountains.
The title of this artwork is "Poets" (2012) - polyester, resin, fibreglass, stainless steel and LED lights - by Jaume Plensa (b. 1955), Spain.

Nearby is the Visitor Sculpture (GPS: 40.19069, 44.51552).

As we enter indoors from the ground level is this Pink whorls in glass.

"Giant Orchid" (2010)
Mosaic glass, ceramic and semi-precious stones by Maylee Christie, United Kingdom.
The designs on the petals remind me of Batik.

Cut-out butterfly.
- from Butterflies series by Siranush Aghajanyan (Armenia).

Mer-butterfly?
- from Butterflies series by Siranush Aghajanyan (Armenia).

This Mer-butterfly is actually a side-table with a reflection acting as the table top.
- from Butterflies series by Siranush Aghajanyan (Armenia).

From here there's an exit arch to the Yerevan Cascades lower level viewing platform. Tamayan Park can be seen with its sculptures and houses lining its two sides.

Psychedelic Wind Vanes at the Mid-level Viewing Platform (GPS: 40.19172, 44.5156).

Back inside: A blue in rust sculpture.

As we take the escalators up: A Polar Bear (there's a similar bear outside at the Mid-level Viewing Platform).

This polar bear reminds me of a similar polar bear sculpture (titled: "Ours blanc" ("White bear") by François Pompon (c.1923-1933)) seen at the First Floor Gallery of the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

A super chrome car, even its tires are chrome!

A Giant Ear sculpture.
Better be careful of what one says here, the walls have ears 😂.

Copper tooling of a miner in a shaft.

A wire-frame eagle "soaring" below the stairs.

Colourful precious stones?

From here exit to the mid-level viewing platform, here's an even better view, almost a bird's eye view of Yerevan.

The top-level fountains.


Just slightly below is a tower.

by Mark Voller/David Martin

Front view of the "Divers".

View from the top-most platform.
Tamayan Park seems so small, and many of the new skyscrapers can now be seen.

Other than the divers, there is also a lonely swimmer.

And a Polynesian diver being pulled along by a sea turtle.

This turtle must be saying "Thank God, I am free and don't have to pull a diver along!"

Dragon scales?

Large-size seahorse.

Based on the Vardanank novel by Derenik Demirchian - about the Armenian rebellion in 450–451 against Sasanian Iran.


Cafesjian Center for the Arts & the Cascades
10 Tamanyan Street, Yerevan 0009, Armenia.
(Located in Cascade Complex)
Hours:
Friday to Sundays: 8:00am - 8:00pm
Mondays to Thursdays: Closed.


Location Map of Cafesjian Center for the Arts & the Yerevan Cascades
(click on the GPS coordinates for a Google Directional Map to the respective artwork.)
(Click here for Map Link)
___________________________________________________________________________________Related / Similar Blogs:




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You are at - Jotaro's Blog/Footsteps-AhPek Biker/Art Gallery/Armenian & Georgian Art/Cafesjian Center for the Arts & the Cascades
If you like this, view my other blogs at Jotaro's Blog
(comments most welcomed below. if you like this pls share via Facebook or Twitter)