We arrived into Moscow early around 10:00 a.m. planning on spending several hours going through customs and ended up passing right through. Arriving at our ‘hotel’ nicknamed the Green Circle Hilton which was really a dormitory resembling a prison/hospital. There was a dog in the lobby.

We had our first taste of borscht which was delicious! The food was plentiful and flavorful in the hotel’s cafeteria and left no one with an upset stomach! Later in the day we were able to tour Moscow taking in Red Square, St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Kremlin, GUM (the mall), the Moscow River, the Peter the Great Statue, Lenin’s Mausoleum, MAACDONALD.  Despite the pouring rain and wind, it definitely exceeded our expectations of what Moscow was going to look like.

After another delicious dinner, we all got a needed good night’s rest and woke up to clear skies and cool weather.  After breakfast, all the students were able to chat and meet with each scientist/professor involved in the program to discuss our interests, expectations, possible research ideas, and just bounce information off each other and learn more about our specific interests. 

Right now, we are in one of Moscow’s many airports waiting to catch our flight to Yakutsk. It’s another red-eye, the third for some of us, and is an 8-hour flight across the Siberian landscape. We’re all anxious-excited to visit Yakutsk, the largest city built on continuous permafrost. We’re planning to visit the Permafrost Institute, which should be ‘cool’ hahaha.

Also, permafrost thaws, it does not melt.

Kate, Boyd, Matt