Satellite
  • Day 5

    Let's Rock

    October 13, 2017 in Russia ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    A night out in Moscow. I can't imagine a night more weird or fantastic.

    Me and two of the girls from Brisbane stopped by this bar 'Let's Rock' to catch some live music. I am really keen to hear more Russian music, watch more Russian films, to start immersing myself in Russian pop culture. Unfortunately the old man band sang old American rock music but this in its own way added to the nostalgic Russian feeling (note I found Rasputin - STILL alive and now playing the drums).

    We are still Jet-lagged so rocked up to the Lets Rock bar at around 7pm - a bit too early for big drinking and loud music. They had a huge drinks menu, with cocktails around $8. I found a 'shot' of absynthe, rum and two other liquors so ordered that. When is Moscow, hey? I was planning on doing the shot as my friends were finishing their beers so we'd all be on the same level, but when the 'shot' came, the waitress lit the Martini glass of alcoholic cocktail on fire, sprinkled some salt on it and handed me a straw. She picked up two shot glasses of coke and lemon juice and said to me 'ready?'.

    The best thing about travelling is just jumping in. In to a culture, in to out-of-your-comfort-zone situations, and going with the flow, even if you have no idea what that entails. I had no idea what I was about to happen, or the consequences, but i was sure as hell ready for it.

    'I'm ready!'
    She poared the shots into the flaming Martini glass and yelled at me 'Go! Go! Go!'. I plunged the straw into the blue flames and sucked the licorice liquid down. A firy green fairy.

    We then listened to the music and ordered a shisha. I've smoked shisha in Japan and Aus, and it always comes in different flavours. I wrote in google translator 'can we have apple or watermelon flavour'? The man in the white turtle neck organising out hookah shook his head with a laugh. He did an 'ok' symbol with his fingers and shook his head, and I figured that they don't do flavours in Russia.

    The shisha arrived in Moscow time (a bit late but it arrived), and was just water tobacco. It felt stronger than what I'm used to (I don't smoke), so that coupled with the jet lag and alcohol made me a bit light headed. Me and Zoe chatted about Russia and listened to the music. By around 10pm we left the bar.

    On the walk home I passed, in quick succession, a horse, and a man in a bunny suit holding a tiny pigwidgeon owl. I took a photo of the horse, to prove it wasn't the alcohol seeing these animals in the middle of the street. I found this so hilarious - what a wild city!

    I was so exited and overwhelmed with the weird and wonderful Moscow, that I drunk called my dad in Melbourne at 6am his time (sorry dad), and walked back to the hostel.
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