Moscow - part 3
It's good to see Rick again and I've been anxious to pick up the things I left with him while I toured Europe and the Middle East. He looks more pale with new worry lines on his face these days though. Apparently has some trouble with his import business and he may have gotten involved with the wrong people unwittingly. I find out years later that later that winter he's nearly blown apart in a failed car bombing and ends up spiriting his wive and daughter away to Canada and the US with mafiosos hot on his trail - finally losing them somewhere in the Toronto airport.
When I was here last, it was nighttime virtually all the time - three hours of weak daylight at most. Now it's just the opposite and I have difficulty sleeping in the bright 3 am sunshine. The summer foliage is the perfect antidote to the months of sludgy, dirty snow I remember. I'm shocked to discover that the exchange rate is now 550 rubles to the dollar. 1000 percent inflation from 6 months ago. What was shamefully inexpensive before is practically free now. I wonder how long this economic experiment can last before it all comes crashing down. The metro now takes see-though plastic tokens rather than kopec coins. The very word 'kopec' has lost all meaning. After a quick day trip to Suzdal and Vladimir, I'm ready to be off with Russia and get back to Asia where I plan to return to Taiwan to teach another year.
