Drowsy. That’s how I would sum up my Friday after a really long day at work on Thursday which took its toll on my body. My decision to not carry any of my winter wear to the stadium after seeing a bright sunshine in the afternoon added to my woes. While returning home around 1.30 in the night, the temperature dropped and I left my friend Elena a little worried, as she headed back to Moscow.
I did not feel sick but just had a runny nose, so I took one Cetirizine and slept. Next morning, when I checked with my doctor about the dosage I learnt that I should have taken only half a tablet or else it would leave me drowsy. And it did. I was a sleepy head till afternoon and took longer than usual to finish work. Coffee was of no help. What a shame and waste of a day in terms of exploring the city.
Post afternoon, a journalist from Indonesia, John, checked in to make things little livelier.
On Friday morning, the hostel became deserted owing to Argentina’s loss. Our hostel host then showed us the underground part of the hostel where in they have a big TV to play PlayStation and a ping-pong table. Boys will be boys and we did not lose the opportunity to play PlayStation, after a short session of table tennis.
The place I am staying at is close to the stadium and is away from the city, so this part of the town does not have any modern city vibes. It’s calm and quiet and feels like a remnant of the Soviet Era. But on match days, the place comes alive, and the FIFA excitement is felt all over.
When you read this, I will be back in Moscow, hoping I would have explored this mysterious city over the weekend.
(The writer shares his travel and tour experiences, and also catches the fun and revelry during the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.)
