Yesterday, I discovered a confusing element of the Moscow metrorail system. While I had intended to Smolenskaya, I actually ended up in....Smolenskaya. That’s right, there are two Smolenskaya stops, separated in definition by a color difference; while one Smolenskaya is on the light blue rail, another is on the dark blue rail (good luck to any color-blind tourists trying to figure that one out). Furthermore, there are, as I learned later, two Arbatskaya stops. It certainly confused me and delayed my journey, but I leave Moscow with positive memories of the metro, from its efficient passage system, to its well-run security, to its efficient trains, to its helpful natives who aid tourists in need of help. Perhaps I will even remember with fondness the screeching and hissing of the crowded rush-hour train as it races down the tracks in need to send its commuters to work on time.
