Moscow domestic airport woes

It was an early morning again, we only got to bed around 1am and up again at 6:15, get gear ready to leave at 7am.

I spent quite some time the night before sorting out my gear as Joe and I got hit by that luggage excess at ORT and I didn't want to have issues again here in Russia!

I ended up putting my ice boots, nalgene bottles, hydration powders, biltong, snacks and more into my backpack which now weighed at least 12kg!!

Moscow is an amazing city-so diverse!! We wandered down the main roads, shopped and Red square was superb! I also went into this beautiful church with Doctor Nick and watched bit of a service-amazing!

We caught the metro back to the hotel after consuming the biggest baddest burger king!! We laughed so much as it cost about R50,00 for all 6 of us on the train!

Anyway back to our departure-at 7am we marched down the road and spotted the most amazing coffee/bakery house and sat down for breakfast.
My hot chocolate was pure melted chocolate with skinny frothy milk, and absolutely heavenly!

By the time we left back to the hotel it was spitting, and rather cool!
Our bus arrived at 7:50am for our airport transfer - it was quite big so Tortoise (aka The Funnell) lay down and slept immediately!
The drive was long and the highways packed-weekend traffic apparently!

I still get sweaty when I remember the sight that greeted us as we went through the revolving doors-pandemonium!!! No formal Q,s, basically a free for all mess of people, kids and baggage!! You had to first get to the front, then send your bags through a detector and let me tell you it sounds easier than it was!!

The Russians have no system of Q's, people push in wherever they feel like and for those of you who know me-I was getting more upset by the minute! Until I was reminded to just go with the flow....
We did get through but half of boarding passes wouldn't print, wrong lines and then the excess weight-I saw Robby was sweating up a storm, as we all were! Yay thanks leader, no fees to be paid!!

Now for the final security clearance....da da da dum....oh yes please, shoes off, get into a standing MRI type scanner and wait!! Then go through to the scary ladies motioning for me to open my bags...'wat is dees'-she says pointing at the screen with a latexed finger??? I now broke out into a sweat imagining that latex glove doing all kinds of internal searching depending on my reply!!?! Anyway-Richard this one's for you-it was my little baggies of white powdered energy drink and my little led lantern with batteries causing all the concern! Well just put that latex covered finger away babushka I can explain!!!

She swabbed the powder did a drug test and I opened the lantern and within 7min I was home free...sho I was exhausted!! Poor old JaySun (aka Stretch) had to have his whole bag swabbed haha-something like hand cleanser had leaked he thinks!!

Joe tells me poor old Robby (aka TinTin and fatty) caused quite a stir when his Everest knife was discovered!?! He completely forgot it was in his carry on-what a sad situation-he had to give it up!!
Apparently the lady first pointed at Joe and said 'you, why you have this'- anyway he quickly uttered no no its his bag (pointing at Robby) haha so much for having his back hey!!

Once through we grabbed some juices, free wifi and boarded - what a nice surprise to learn our flight would only take 1:45min and not 2:35 as thought!!

More on our arrival to follow!

Paka!!