European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 29, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Parting the Iron curtain tourists see Russia minus most of our books and we arrived at the russian the Reading matter was left behind at the request of our guide on this bus trip through Russia and it would Only complicate the customs she even without the it took our group of 23 three hours to get through the Border few suitcases were we spent most of the time wondering what the officials could possibly be there was no snack nowhere to buy anything to eat or finally the formalities were Over and we met our official soviet guide who would stay with us throughout our with her Short dark pretty running shoes and perfect american she didst fit the the bus headed East to Minsk on an almost deserted past the dense forests and Rich Farmland of one of 15 republics in the Union of soviet socialist Valentina proceeded to Tell us about her suddenly she seemed the Model soviet she went on at great length about How wonderful everything in the soviet Union is the education system is everyone can study what he getting an apartment is not As difficult As it used to cars Are still yet anyone who wants can get one she lives in Moscow with her an and her 4yearold they have a two bedroom apartment with two two two tape a washing a refrigerator the soviet Union did appear More prosperous than Flowers lined the boulevards in the the main streets and big buildings were there was nothing in the shop the hotels were almost that first night in some of us set out to explore the we Hac hoped to find a a a cafe somewhere to hang see the we had done it in Poland with no it was Only 11 yet we found the same thing happened later in Leningrad and again in surely wed find action in the hotel even this was in Moscow we stayed at the with Beds said to be the worlds largest one evening after attending an opera we decided to have a Nightcap at one of the hotel again it was Only but All the hotel bars were Gorbachev recent crackdown on alcoholism has evidently made its if people Are drinking lots of Vodka in Russia these it must be in the privacy of their we did have the Freedom to take off from the guide and tour group a privilege that not too Long ago was denied because we were trying to see so much in so Little private adventure was it was when we were on our own that we met people Friendly people who helped us with directions getting around without a knowledge of the language or the cyrillic alphabet is people who offered to be our show us the sights people who wanted to Trade Belt buckles or caviar for running cigarettes almost anything from the we had been told to bring pens and lighters to use As tips since it is strictly forbidden to give Money to these items Are Fine for children who might follow the but its hard to imagine that today guides would be thrilled with gum or cosmetic continued on Page 70 basils in Moscow red past and present August stripes Magazine