Fast Facts about our 1st trip

Thought we would give you a few fast facts about our trip.

By the numbers....
Air travel time: 29 hours
Train travel time: 22 hours
Car/Taxi travel time: 4 hours
Moscow traffic time: 14 hours
Words we know in Russian: maybe 12
Number of nights slept on a train: 2
Bowls of borscht we ate:3, before this trip: 0
Stalls in the men's bathroom at the train station that shared a single roll of toilet paper: 8

Other items of interest....
The mullet hairstyle is alive and well in Russia.
Even though a couple days it was 70+ degrees outside, many people were still pretty bundled up.
Traffic laws are really just suggestions, because 4 cars can fit side-by-side across only 2 lanes and a shoulder. (much like any really big city in the US: New York, LA, etc.)
Coming from Texas (the land of the pickup truck & SUV), it was very strange to see only 2 pickup trucks the entire week we were in Russia - both being the smaller variety.

So I kid a little here to get a laugh, but to be honest, we had a wonderful time in Russia. Our hosts were so accomodating and hospitable. It's amazing that we could connect with them even though there was a huge language barrier. We hope to stay with them on our 2nd trip as well as they are a part of our Russian family.