Well, the old Tikhi Don made port in Moscow yesterday and today we transferred to the hotel. Going online I discover that Moscow is, for the second year running, the most expensive city in the world. Well, duh, this internet connection is costing me $21 U.S. for an hour online.
I have discovered that Russians sure do like Putin, even if he is unpopular in the western press. Since the country seems to work, maybe that is all they need. I suspect he is copying the Chinese model: if the economy is doing well and people's standard of living is going up, they'll forgive a lack of political freedom. Anyway, we in the west really don't understand how hated the oligarchs are by the Russian in the street. When Putin throws an oligarch in jail the man in the street eats it up.
