Izamailovo |
My third day in the Moscow was not a usual day. I couldn't sleep all night thinking what I am gonna do the next day. It's a nightmare for the likes of me. On the contrary, Women thrives on this. I had no idea where to go, what to look for, and how to get it without much trouble. My friend (Elena) was not well. She couldn't join me. I was on my own in a city of 11.9 million people. I started browsing through my contacts to look for help. Since it was a weekday, everyone had a battle of their own from life. No one was available for my rescue. Finally, I decided let's do this. I am gonna nail this. I am gonna go shopping today! On my own!
People who know me, are aware that how much I repel crowded places, bargaining (I suck at this) and congested places. Shopping is a combined package of all the three and even more. If by any means (mostly emotional blackmails) I was taken for shopping, shopkeepers did not have to sell their products or bargain with my friends, because I took care of it. I have a strategy that works most of the time which is to agree with the quality and price offered by the salesman and leave no scope for my friends to bargain further. One has to be really smart while doing so, your friend cannot know that you are doing it deliberately. As a result, I get compliments from sales attendants and most of the times, I am asked to wait outside by my friends and spared from the horror of brutal bargaining warfare.
I was sitting on my bed and thinking about where to start. Amidst this chaos in my head, I forgot there was this girl sitting opposite my bed💁. She was from Paris. She was tall and white. She was already awake when I woke up and was doing her makeup. I have never seen that many makeup brushes and color pallets. I was under impression that she was an artist and will probably take out her drawing board and start painting but she started putting it all over her face. Meanwhile, I went to Mary (co-traveller) to ask for her help in planning my day ahead.
Mary Suggested going for The Izamailovo Market. Although Arbat Street was a 2-minute walk away from my hostel. it's a little expensive place to shop if you are on a budget trip. I took out my map and understood how to reach Izamailovo market.
Russian metro network is pretty well connected so I decided to take the metro route.
I put my phone on charge and suddenly I got a notification "Its a Match". It was from Tinder. I saw a ray of hope in that notification. A match means a girl, a girl means a company for shopping (and to hang out) which I needed desperately. Getting a match on Tinder is a half battle won but waiting to get a response back is really frustrating. Girls won't relate to this but I am sure guys can relate to me on this one. I immediately texted her hiding behind my desperation if she was available to hang out. She wasn't available that day but agreed to meet the next day. What happened the next day, is a story for another day.
Russian weather, as usual, was living up to its reputation. It was -3degree outside. Partizanskaya is the nearest metro to visit The Izamailovo Market. Don’t get down at Izmailovskaya metro station as its little far from the market. I followed google map but couldn’t find it. It’s better to follow the crowd. Izamailovo Market and other surrounding structure look like a wooden fortress or a film set. It’s little difficult to describe so I will put a video of it. The Izamailovo market is mostly popular for souvenirs, the famous Matryoshka doll, antique and handicraft items. If you know how to bargain, you can get a good deal. If you are like me, stand quietly and let the ladies bargain. Once they bring down the shopkeeper to their knees, make the offer.😎
I was sorted with souvenirs but still had a long list of things to buy for my family. I couldn’t find anything in my budget and I had no strength to bargain so I decided to call it a day for shopping. I could see a lot of eating stalls as well. There were tables and chair laid out on one side of the narrow street and the other side had grillers and barbeques. If you are a meat lover, this is the place for you. I ordered chicken with some veggies, bread and a beer.
There were museums inside the structures such as the Museum of Vodka history, Museum of Breads, Chocolate and Russian toys with ticket ranging from 10 Rubles to 200 Rubles. I was really happy to see one of my favourite characters from Comic/Movies “The Wolverine”.
It’s a really good place if you are travelling with kids. It’s an open market so you might want to carry cash over a credit card. One word of caution – Sellers may exaggerate about quality, its uniqueness, tell you stories about it. Don’t fall for it.
I failed miserably as I didn’t buy anything except souvenirs and chocolates. But I enjoyed the day. It’s a good place and one of the must visits to Moscow. If Moscow is in your bucket list, keep a day for Izamailovo market and Izmaylovsky Park. Prepare to be dazzled! 😍
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Check out Yatra's 25% flat discount (limited offer) on International flights in "Grab a Deal" section on top of this page.
If you want to make money from your blog, join Cuelink (offers deals, coupons to display on your website) as it just takes a day or two for approval and pays really good commission.
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Check my post on Cuelinks - 👉Easiest way to monetize blog/website
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