My visa is in my hand (via a minitature drama and heart attack, but it all came together in the end and my friend Rob is wonderful) and my flights are booked - for a week tomorrow! It's real now and there's no escaping it. I now need to get down to the business of packing and stuff. I hate packing, but I'm going to try really hard to pack light for once in my life. I don't honestly know how soon I'll be able to get on the internet once I arrive, but I expect it'l...

I've been up to London to visit the visa processing people (and cunningly survived the riots at the same time). The Russian Consulate has farmed out its visa processing service to an external company based in Old Street. I paid them a visit yesterday morning, fully expecting a frosty reception and a difficult few hours while they presented me with endless problems, but no! They were very pleasant and business-like, and while the whole thing did take quite a long ...

Well the blog in Libya fell a little flat due to lack of regular internet access, and a few other issues as well. However, I hope to keep it a little better in Moscow. I'm applying for my visa next week, and assuming everything goes smoothly I should be flying on 5th September or very shortly after. I'm pretty excited, but also nervous. I've forgotten how I fit into Russian society - I know how to be a white female in the Middle East, but I can't remember how to ...