Travels etc.

50 people killed in the resent airplane crash: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/18/us-russia-crash-idUSBRE9AG0A820131118 "Russia and the former Soviet republics combined have one of the world's worst air-traffic safety records, with a total accident rate almost three times the world average in 2011, according to the International Air Transport Association." There are potentially several reasons for that, but one of the major - lack of care for the technical and human factor as well as over-utilizing the fleet without proper maintenance.

It's interesting how people understand the way justice works. When somebody asks for Julie Bishop - Australian Foreign Minister - to call to Vladimir Putin - Russian President, and ask to release someone from jail, how they comprehend it's the court to decide, not the President? Should the President care about every criminal? Is it in the Presidents's power to release or to prosecute people? Julie Bishop and Australian authorities have done as much as possible in this matter already. http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/julie-bishop-defends-role-over-jailed-activist-20131103-2wuvv.html http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-31/wife-of-australian-facing-jail-in-russia-demands-action/5061992

I am being asked from time to time about Moscow and where to stay there, where to eat, what night clubs to visit. I have ran through the posts from recent  MosEtnoExp  at  http://tema.livejournal.com  and got a list of places that the guys from the expedition visited and either recommended or didn't say too negative about. Summary Hotels Golden Apple  http://www.goldenapple.ru/ Ibis  http://www.ibis.com/gb/hotel-7140-ibis-moscow-paveletskaya/index.shtml Leningradskaya http://www.leningradskaia.ru/ Renaissance Moscow Olympic Hotel  http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mowrn-renaissance-moscow-olympic-hotel/ Beach Hotel  http://royal-bar.ru/beach-hotel/ Gostinitsa Moscomsporta  http://www.otel-moskomsporta.ru/ Crowne Plaza  http://www.cpmow.ru/ Metropol Moscow  http://www.metropol-moscow.ru/ Berlin  http://berlin.ru/ M'Istra'L  http://m-istra-l.ru/ Intercontinental Moscow  http://www.intercontinental-mos...