Hope you're sitting comfortably because this is a very long entry!

After an emotional farewell for all involved to the last person to say goodbye (Kirsty's mum) it was time to swing our backpacks onto our shoulders and head off to the local bus stop to catch a bus into Leicester city centre. A small trek across town later (during which we stopped off at Boots where we were asked by the shop assistant if we were off anywhere nice!) and we were at St Margaret's ready to catch our National Express coach down to London.

Due to the way in which things worked it was actually cheaper for us to get two coaches down to Heathrow rather than one direct. So after a 90 min wait at London Victoria (just time to stop off at the pub for a beverage) we climbed aboard our second coach to Heathrow both coach journeys allowing us to enjoy a nice tour of London into the bargain.

Once at Heathrow Central Bus Station I made my first mistake. We still had to get from Heathrow to our hotel which we knew was a 10 minute local bus ride away. Unfortunately we didn't know which route number it was and while we were checking the various stands I walked away from Kirsty. This was against our golden rule of not wandering off from each other without letting the other one know. I have been suitably reminded!

So after two buses and two coaches, we were at the hotel where we would be until around 3-4 the next morning.

Before 4 the following morning, after very little proper sleep, we were back at the bus stop ready to go back to Heathrow. After a long wait we checked in with no problems. Luckily we didn't have long before it was time to board our flight to Copenhagen which was a very short and half empty flight before getting back on our second flight for Moscow. Luckily we didn't have to worry about the backpacks as they would be transported straight to the Moscow flight without us worrying. The approach to and from Copenhagen were quite interesting as we had a perfect view of the Øresund Bridge linking Sweden to Denmark. It's a road and rail bridge onto a man-made island before a tunnel takes the traffic into Copenhagen. I did only say quite interesting!

Once we reached Moscow, we confused passport control as we were British and the only flight that had arrived was from Denmark. However once we explained it was our second flight they were fine.

It was good and a relief to be reunited with our backpacks in Moscow. We accidentally took a wrong turn in the airport and ended up briefly outside trying to follow the signs for the train. Once we sorted ourselves and headed towards the train, we had no idea how far away it was. It proved to be further than we thought, maybe use an airport trolley next time!

Safely boarded the correct train heading into Moscow city centre. Our next adventure was trying to find the Metro which took longer than we hoped because we were both by this point quite tired and also because our command of Russian was non-existant. What made travelling on the Metro even harder was the fact it was rush-hour - mad busy with busy platforms and trains packed full of people like tins of sardines. Picture the scene The Tube in London but on a really bad day with Kirsty and I and our backpacks trying to decipher the metro map and fighting against going with the flow. After finally making it to the correct stop actually getting out of the system to ground level proved to take way more time than it should have - at least now we've learned the Russian for exit!

So after one bus, two flights, one train and a few trips in the metro we finally arrived at our hostel and our place to stay for the next 4 nights shortly after. Many thanks to Carly for the wedding contribution towards our stay Then like any other holiday, dropped off our stuff, wandered around the area, went to the supermarket and, after such a long day we were in bed around 9, even though we're 4 hours ahead!

An understandably late start the next morning was followed with a walk into the centre of Moscow, all layered up in our thermals, gloves and hats. Moscow is absolutely freezing and we've never experienced such a biting cold wind. Our route took us past the Bolshoy Theatre, through Alexandrovsky Gardens and onto the entrance to the Kremlin where we learned that it was shut until 10 March. Massive surprise and not in a good way. Even the hostel didn't know why when we asked and we can only assume it was to do with the recent presidential elections and change of president.

After this small disappointment we wandered on to the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Not as easy a task as you might imagine as crossing the road is not easy! Christ the Saviour is a massive beautiful cathedral apparently only built in the 1990s as a copy of the original building which was dynamited in 1933. Once inside we weren't allowed to take photographs but the opulence was everywhere, amazing religious paintings and every surface covered in gold leaf! Kirsty took the chance to light a candle in memory of one of our friend's babies (http://www.justgiving.com/ZacWaugh)

After the Cathedral we headed towards Red Square passing the British Embassy on the way (always handy to know!). Once at Red Square we headed to G.U.M. for some lunch (department store famous in the 1970s and 80s for endless queues and empty shelves - it's a bit different now!). At the Red Square we saw St Basil's Cathedral, Lenin's mausoleum and the History Museum. At this point we were cold once again and time was getting on so we headed back to the hostel. One thing very noticeable about the centre of Moscow is the number of scary policeman loitering on most corners. I read that there was an increased police presence a few days ago because of the presidential election but am not sure if this is still the case or whether what we saw is the normal level of policing. Quite daunting to walk by as they have the power to stop and ask to see your papers!

We have managed to put up some photos from Moscow but we have so many more. It just takes such a long time to upload them and, to be honest, we're too busy outside having fun!

The following day started with an uneventful breakfast of bread and jam. Once we were all sorted we walked to the nearest metro station. The metro stations in Moscow are worth a visit alone, such is their grandeur. We had a shortlist of 10 stations we wanted to visit to take some photos but to be honest the photos don't really do them justice. Stunning architecture and artwork! We got some strange looks from the locals but I like to think we scored a small victory when a few of them followed our camera lens and gazed up and around them to see the beauty for the first time I like to think.

Today is a national holiday, International Women's Day and it was noticeable yesterday how many Russians were buying or carrying flowers. Definitely something to do with today's holiday and the temperature controlled glass kiosks from which the florists operate certainly were doing a brisk trade yesterday.

We finally left the metro and came above land to visit The Arbat, the famous shopping street in Moscow, full of coffee houses and souvenir shops. By the time we arrived we needed use of the facilities so decided to go to a coffee house as soon as we could. In our haste to escape the cold we plumped for a rather upmarket establishment (with hindsight the white grand piano was a giveaway) and had the most expensive tea and coffee known to man. Six pounds a cup! Was good coffee though!

After a stroll up and down The Arbat and our first souvenir purchase of some small Russian dolls, we moseyed on back to the hostel. I say moseyed - we walked as slowly as we dared in the sub-zero temperatures! On the way back we visited Okhotny Ryad shopping centre, an underground shopping centre (or mall for you American speakers ) very near the Kremlin and Red Square, which without the guidebooks we would not have known was there. All the normal western stores were present, in fact apart from what we were wearing, we could easily have been enjoying a bank holiday in the UK.

Our intention to finish the day was to wait until sunset and venture back outside to see the famous sites again from a different perspective. We had a longer wait than anticipated as darkness doesn't seem to fall until around 7pm in these parts. But the wait was definitely worth it! Again the photos we have taken don't do it justice but the buildings looked really good illuminated against the night sky.

Today we started with a visit to Gorky Park and the biggest outdoor ice-rink I have ever seen. After snapping a few shots and having a wander around we walked back to the Arbat where, this time, we found someone incredibly cheap to eat lunch. On the way to the Arbat, while walking along one of the boulevards we were stopped by some vacationing Russians. Normally we walk on by with a shrug and a "sorry" however for some reason Kirsty decided to stop and hear the lady out before still shrugging and walking off!!

Lunch was delish and we hope typically Russian. We then wandered back towards the hostel however we saw in the distance that the Kremlin appeared to be open and allowing people in. We thought we'd like to get involved in that and after elbowing our way to the desk we asked for what we thought was a ticket to the grounds. However when we tried to enter the guards directed us to the other entrance to the Armory. Once there we were told we'd have to drop off our bags and come back an hour later at 4.30. This was too late as we were having our meeting with our guide for the Trans-Siberian at 5. So we wasted our first roubles! The only thing that softened the blow was that some of the fellow travellers in the hostel had been having the same difficulty and were also unable to get into the main Kremlin. We have both agreed that we would love to come back to Moscow (in the summertime next time for a different perspective) so maybe that time we will get in!!

Tomorrow we leave the hostel in the morning to board our train at just after 1.30. We are travelling non-stop to Irkutsk in eastern Russia (where we've been told it's even colder) 5 days and over three thousand miles away.

The bad news or maybe good news (considering the length of this entry) is that there won't be any more blogging until Beijing in just over two weeks time, assuming we get good internet connection there. Sorry there aren't too many of our photos up yet but as we said uploading is so slow and we have better things to be doing. We will get them up though, eventually!

Take care and speak soon.