Our first experience of Moscow, besides the endless lights of apartment blocks seen from the plane, was a long, unmoving queue at passport control. We soon understood why the Russians immediately ran to be first out of the plane as soon as the wheels hit the tarmac.

A short eternity later, and we found ourselves on a train into central Moscow. We then took the metro to our hostel, stopping to appreciate the interiors of the metro stations which had been ripped from churches and cathedrals 60 years ago.

The next morning we were treated to a bowl of watery porridge and a couple slices of toast, which stiffened our resolve to complete the first task of the day: to visit the mausoleum of Vladimir Lenin. We walked about 15 minutes through the wide streets of Moscow (far more similar to Vienna or Paris than some ex-Soviet stereotype), before reaching the Red Square. We took some pictures of St Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin before joining the rapidly growing queue to Lenin's tomb.

We soon found ourselves walking past the memorials of notable Soviet personalities (Stalin, Brezhnev, Gagarin et al) which are lined up along the walls of the Kremlin, before reaching the main attraction. Stern guards lined the corridors leading down to the tomb (no hats, hands out of pockets and no talking). We spent only a few seconds seeing Lenin (who is now more wax than man) before coming back out into the sunshine.

We then hurried 20 minutes accross Moscow to meet our "free" walking tour (tips can be given in cash or via card). Over the next two hours we were taken through the city and visted several interesting landmarks, including the original house of the Romanovs and Zayadye Park, before ending up back at the Red Square.

Following a warm bowl of Borscht, we headed along the river to the rebuilt Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Unfortunately we were unable to enter as an intriguing crowd of worshippers and heavily armoured policemen surrounded the entrace.

In the evening we wandered around the centre of Moscow, then wrestled with the confusing Russian Railways website and bought tickets (we think) for the second leg of the train journey, from Kazan to Irkutsk.

We then went to Izmailovsky Market, further out from the centre of Moscow. The market was quite deserted and quite surreal with its mixture of Putin matryoshka dolls and bear hides. After a lunch of questionable meat pies, we decided to head back into the inner city.

Our train left at 2338 so naturally we arrived at 2130 so we didnt miss it. Waiting in the station before we boarded we were slightly nervous. Several people were slumped in their chairs, one woman was drinking an unknown substance from a bottle and the smell eminating from the woman sleeping behind us was far from healthy. Fortunately when we boarded we were sat next to (or should I say sleeping above) an old babushka and another woman.