From Houston to Sydney 2013

From Houston

to Sydney

2013

There’s not much to report today, other than the important point that we left Moscow and boarded the flight to Singapore.  Because of the time difference between Moscow and Singapore, our last day in Moscow was really just a half day, almost all of which was spent packing (or, more accurately, re-packing) our suitcases, going to the airport, and catching a plane.

Our Singapore Airlines flight left from Domodedovo Airport on Moscow’s south-east fringe.  The advice we received from the hotel was to allow an hour and a half for the drive in case the traffic was bad.  We did that, so it was something of a relief that the trip took only an hour and five minutes.  The drive was in a wonderful car that really impressed us, a Skoda Superb operated by City Taxi.

Domodedovo Airport was a busy as we have found it each time we have previously passed through it.  We eventually negotiated the bureaucracy and then waited for our plane, something that a very pleasant experience (for me, anyway) because of the wonderful aircraft spotting opportunities.  Domodedovo attracts many airlines that are seldom seen in other parts of the world, and although the number of Soviet-era aircraft is now disappointingly small, a few are still to be seen.  Furthermore, there is a large ‘graveyard’ of old Soviet planes that are now used for spare parts (and for making aircraft spotters excited), and this area is quite visible from both the terminal building and the taxiways.

I have restrained myself by not including too many aircraft photos in today’s diary - unbelievably, I hear that there are some folk who don’t enjoy them very much.  But you don’t need to worry, I did manage to get a great collection of photos of rare planes during our time at Domodedovo today; please rest easy on that point.

From my perspective, the views at the airport more than made up for the bureaucracy and the crowds.  Di might, however, have a different perspective from me on that point.

Our flight took off right on time, and our final views of Moscow through the patches of cloud were of the high rise housing estates that characterise much of the city - “commie-blocks” as they seem to be known these days.

Farewell Russia - Asia, here we come!

Day 42 - Moscow

Friday

16 August 2013