Travel with Michael TheMonkey

The Moscow Times: Toys manage to carry out protest!

2012-02-25T05:50:00.000-08:00

This Tuesday's article in the Moscow Times is about toys protesting in Russia! How brave of them! It's pretty cold on the street and they stood up to the police! :-)

The winners!!

2012-02-16T09:41:00.000-08:00

Hello friends! Was your Valentine's Day fun and lovely! We have TOYHOP Contest winners here tonight! Meet Dillon, Wide Load and Spotty!

This is Dillon La-Donkey - our 1st prize winner with 38 votes! He loves tea and cakes and this is his Facebook Page - in case you want to say hi and be friends!

Say hi to Wide Load! Our 2nd prize goes to him for 14 votes! He is from Cute and Creepy's Cannabalized Cuties in Los Angeles, California and he loooooves food! You can find more amazing toys by talented Jessica King if yopu follow this links: Facebook//Etsy//Store

Aaaand our 3rd winner - Spotty Watson! He's from Burnaby, BC originally, but now lives in Toronto, Ontario - both in Canada. This is quintessential Spotty, he's the one in the very bottom right corner, in the Canucks toque. Say "Congratulations!" to Spotty HERE.

As we mentioned before our wonderful winners get super prizes from TOYHOP:

1st - FREE ToyPortrait + 50% discount on any Hop to Moscow!
2nd - FREE ToyPortrait + 25% discount on any Hop to Moscow!
3rd - 50% discount on a ToyPortrait + 10% discount on any Hop to Moscow!

Also all the participants received a 25% discount on ToyPortrait just for entering! Congratulations!

ToyPortrait Valentine's Day Challenge!!!

2012-01-29T07:24:00.000-08:00

Hello Everybody! In honor of our new service and Valentine's Day, we decided that it's time for another photo contest!!! This time, we are interested in seeing the true nature of your Toys -- we'd like portraits!

To enter, send an email to toyhop@gmail.com including:

A wonderful photo of your toy that shows who he/she really is!
Your Name
Your Toy's Name
Where your toy is from

Just for entering ,we'll give you a 25% discount on a ToyPortrait!

We'll post your toy to a contest album on ToyHop's facebook page, where you can send your friends to vote! The photo with the most "likes" on Facebook by the 12th of February will win one of our three great prizes:

1st - FREE ToyPortrait + 50% discount on any Hop to Moscow!
2nd - FREE ToyPortrait + 25% discount on any Hop to Moscow!
3rd - 50% discount on a ToyPortrait + 10% discount on any Hop to Moscow!

Prizes will be announced on the 14th! The sooner you enter, the sooner we can put your photo up! We'll also feature entries here on the blog after the contest has finished.

Yours Truly,
Michael TheMonkey and the ToyHop Team

Michael takes a bath

2012-01-27T08:53:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!

As you all know I love adventures! But when I travel, jump, fly and climb I get dirty. It's easy to see because of my yellow, green and orange colors. So from time to time I have to take a bath. I don't like water very much but fruit flavored bath bubbles and foams help a lot. This time I chose strawberry shower gel from Yves Rocher. Now when I am clean again I'm enjoying my hot tea and drying up near a heater. Have a great weekend!

Love,
Michael TheMonkey

ToyPortrait!

2012-01-23T08:02:00.000-08:00

Make a mark for your toy with ToyPortrait!

Send us a photo of your toy and your preferences and we'll create a high-quality digital portrait for you!

Click Here!

Yours Truly,
Michael TheMonkey and the ToyHop team!

happy new year!!

2012-01-03T00:44:00.000-08:00

My dear Friends, Happy New Year! Have a great one and let all your dreams come true!

Yours,
Michael TheMonkey

Merry Christmas!!!

2011-12-25T09:36:00.000-08:00

A Toy Tourism Survey!

2011-12-18T03:30:00.000-08:00

Hi Everybody,

Here's a survey about Toy Tourism! Please let me know what you think if you have time!

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Thanks!!
Sincerely,
Michael TheMonkey

Lost in the (American) 50's in Moscow

2011-11-08T10:46:00.000-08:00

Hi Everybody, I had breakfast yesterday at the awesome-looking 1950's Beverly Hills Diner! The interior is filled with neon lights, checkered tiles, jukeboxes, puffy vinyl bar-stools and even some booths shaped like old Cadillacs! The waitresses wear polka-dot dresses with white collars and tall stockings, the busboys have red and white striped shirts, bow-ties and neatly parted hair, and the speakers play wonderful doo-wop songs and other music from the past -- the atmosphere is very complete!

I ordered Eggs Benedict with hashbrowns, pancakes with strawberry syrup, and American drip coffee :-) The Eggs Benedict was great: the Hollandaise sauce was creamy and fresh, the egg was cooked perfectly to be just a little runny, and the toasted English muffin was very tasty. One complaint I had was that (unlike a real diner in the US) when you order Eggs Benedict, you only get one muffin and egg set on a tiny bed of hashbrowns in the middle of an otherwise large, empty plate. All sides are extra, even toast. The hashbrowns were not the best, either. They were a bit soggy and gray. They didn't really detract, but they didn't add anything, either. The pancakes, however, were fluffy and excellent, and they came with both strawberry and maple syrup, so I could try both. :-)

Compared to the "Starlite" Diner, another old-time-American themed joint here in Moscow, Beverly Hills is relatively unknown, but it shouldn't be! Beverly Hills is at least as good or better than Starlite.

And here are some facts:
The Website with cool music, menus and other info.

There are two Beverly Hills diners in Moscow:
м. Chistye prudy, Sretenka 1: +7(495) 625 42 21
м. Lubyanka, Nikol'skaya 10: +7(495)221 78 01 (I visited this one!)

There is also a kid's room! With Spider Man and other famous American idols :-)

It is open 24h!

Breakfast prices:
~ Egg Sandwich 270 Rub/ $8.85
~ Steak and Eggs 420 Rub/ $13.70
~ Breakfast Burrito 390 Rub/ $12.80
~ Four Cheese Omelette 250 Rub/ $8.20
~ Pancakes (recommended by Michael) 240 Rub/ $7.80
~ Waffle with Vanila Ice Cream 150 Rub/ $4.90
~ Eggs Benedict 220 Rub/ $7.20
~ Tea 120 Rub/ $3.90
~ Coffee from 100 Rub/ $3.30

Michael's Rating: *****/5

Well, the breakfast was great and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Moscow. I'm looking forward to going back to try Beverly Hills' lunch and dinner menu!

Парк Искусств Музеон - Statues!

2011-10-17T03:19:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends and Toys!

Yesterday I took a fantastic trip through Moscow's Парк Искусств Музеон ("Park Iskusstv Museon" - Fallen Monument Park). The park is very large and stuffed with statues. It extends along the Moscow river from the bridge near Park Kultury metro station to where the statue of Christopher Columbus stands on its island.

View Larger Map

The sculptures and statues are all unique and span a wide variety of styles, shapes and subjects: There is everything from Soviet and wartime sculptures to folk characters, realistic figures and abstract carvings.

You can view some of the park for free, and entrance to the rest is very cheap, 30-100 rubles ($1-$3) depending on your age, student status and whether or not you are a resident of Moscow. You can also get in for 30 rubles if you speak some Russian and are extra nice to the lady who sells the tickets ;-)

The ticket makes a great souvenir!

I'll share some of my favorite parts of the park below. I'd like to recommend the park to anyone with a free afternoon in Moscow! Even if you are not an art or sculpture lover, the park itself is very quiet, simple and pleasant. It's a great break from busy downtown Moscow.

Michael's Rating: *****/5

See you next time!

Sincerely,
Michael TheMonkey

What is Russia really like?

2011-10-04T03:16:00.000-07:00

There are many stories and stereotypes about Russia. When someone mentions Russia, certain images come to mind: winter, vodka, communism, bears in the streets, James Bond and the KGB, Cathedrals with bulbs on top, long-bearded Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, etc.

You can find some of those things here, but what is Russia really like?

Here's a glimpse!

Yesterday, I visited a mall called "Metropolis" in the northern part of Moscow. I had lunch at Burger King (Бургер Кинг)! Malls and shopping are very popular in Moscow, and so is fast food! (Of course, besides fast food, there are many other great places to eat.)

This week begins my exploration of Russia. If you've ever been curious or are planning a trip here, I'll try to answer your questions and give you an overview of some great things to do and see in Moscow!

Yours,
Michael TheMonkey

REVIEW: Burger King at Metropolis Mall

2011-10-04T01:00:00.000-07:00

If you like Burger King, Moscow won't disappoint. The burgers and fries are the same quality as they would be in the United States or anywhere else. However, the prices are higher. A regular meal for a single person might cost as much as $10, which seems a little high for fast food. The choice of sauces is nice (there are six) but you pay extra for sauce. The curry sauce (карри соус) is very good! :-)

Michael's Rating: ***/5

A New Direction

2011-10-02T03:09:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybody

I wanted to announce some exciting new changes that I'll be making to my blog in the next couple of weeks!

To this point in my young, toy-monkey life, I've spent most of my time traveling to new places and giving a glimpse of the things I found there. While I've had a great time on all of my adventures, I feel that there's one very interesting place I've often neglected, and now I'd like to spend more time sharing it in more detail: Moscow!

Next week, I'm going to begin posting my in-depth guide to Moscow for the benefit of tourists and Toy Tourists alike!

I'll also be updating my blog's navigation and appearance to reflect the new focus!

Yours,
Michael TheMonkey

"I'm A Toy Tourist!" Award

2011-09-30T03:13:00.000-07:00

Hello Fellow Toy Tourists!!!

Who's a Toy Tourist?? Any toy who travels around, takes photos and shares their adventures!

I've decided to give out a special "I'm a Toy Tourist" award to the five of my Toy Tourist followers who have commented most recently! The special thing about the award is that it can be given by whoever receives it -- so winners, please pass it on to (at least) 5 of your friends to help develop the Toy Tourism community!

The award goes to:

Hammie Hamster!
Raquel!
Marlowe!
Buttons the Bear!
and
Jerry and Ben!

Here's a badge for you!

You can copy and paste this html to put it onto your sidebar:

<a href="http://travelwithmichael.blogspot.com/2011/09/im-toy-tourist-award.html"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VBXwNh7Q2G4/ToWUe4hiyDI/AAAAAAAAAkA/XAAzr25VSyc/s400/toytouristbadgesmall.jpg" width="200" /></a>

If you aren't mentioned here but you're proud of being a Toy Tourist, please take the badge and pass it on! Thanks for reading!

Yours,
Michael TheMonkey

I do New York

2011-09-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

Whew, I've been settling back into life in Moscow. Now I finally have time to share some more about my trip to New York!

Firstly, I'd like to say that New York is truly impressive! From far away, it seems almost like all of the talk about it must be a legend, but it really IS a great city. People from all over the world live there, and there are always things going on! Here are some of the cool things I saw. I really liked the contrast between the tall buildings and the smaller neighborhoods :-)

Looking across the water toward the Statue of Liberty

The new World Trade Center - Building 1

The Empire State Building, seen from the Highline walkway

The Trump Tower, wheeee!!!

Central Park

I loved the lily pads!

Yours,
Michael TheMonkey

Michael Meets the Bull

2011-08-30T09:27:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody, I met a new friend in New York! Here's what happened:

He let me go, though! :-)

I also jumped off the Trump tower!

Yours from New York,

Michael TheMonkey

Hello Irene!

2011-08-28T21:52:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody, I just went through a hurricane in NYC!!! I didn't go outside and actually it wasn't as bad as everybody thought it was going to be, but it was still exciting and a little scary to have to hide inside without knowing how bad it would get.

Here are some pictures of me outside after the storm had passed, it was still a little windy up on the end of the bridge, I didn't cross it because I was a little worried.

A broken window! I'm not sure it was from the storm, though.

Me on the street.

This pigeon looked a little worse for wear after the storm :-)

Tanya's trip

2011-08-21T08:33:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! This is Tanya! I'm in Russia while Michael is in the States! Let me tell you what i do here! Last weekend i took a trip to an old Russian town - Kostroma. It took me an overnight train ride to get there from Moscow. The weekend was sunny and just perfect for exploring the town. There is a huge river going through the town - Volga river - so you can find nice beaches not too far from the center. Also i ate some traditional food like pirogi which are little pies, blini -- flat pancakes; and drank kompot - Russian summer drink made with fruit and berries.

What i like about small Russian towns is that they don't have much traffic, glass and concrete... there are many trees, parks, wooden houses, little old churches, tiny unique museums everywhere around! I visited a folk open-air museum, a museum of flax and linen, famous Ipatiev Monastery on Kostroma river.

I really enjoyed my weekend but i do miss my cousin Michael and can't wait to him arriving back to Moscow so we could travel together!

Mountaintop Surprise!!!

2011-08-16T19:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody, I've been exploring some more in Idaho. I went up a mountain called "Scotchman's Peak" and I found a surprise at the top :-)

A view of lake Pend Oreille on the way up.

A stack of stones to mark the trail

Almost there...

There's the top! (And some snow!)

Oh, hello goats!

Happy goats :-) They were very calm and nice to me.

The view from a goat's front porch.

I made it to the top!!!!

The goats are very friendly and almost always visit with anybody who hikes to the top of Scotman's Peak :-) I also wanted to share a little video I am in, I felt like dancing :-)

Yours,

Michael TheMonkey

Mountain Day!

2011-08-07T22:41:00.001-07:00

Hello!!!! Today I went hiking on a mountain called Schweitzer that looks down on Sandpoint, Idaho. From the top you can see Lake Pend Oreille. It's a huge lake surrounding the town that was created during the ice ages by the lake Missoula floods -- it's called "Pend Oreille" because it's shaped like a big ear :-) Here I am jumping over the ski resort building and the lake!

On the trail I found some deer tracks!!! I didn't see the deer who made them, though, but he must have come just before me.

And I found some beautiful flowers called "Indian Paintbrush."

And last but not least, I found some huckleberries!!! Huckleberries are like mountain blueberries, they are a little smaller and they have a slightly different but extremely yummy taste!

Mountains!!!!!

2011-07-25T02:30:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody! Today I took a trip just over the Idaho border to western Montana! I floated down a river in the bright sunshine and saw mountains and fishermen and trees!

The water was so clear and clean in the river I could sometimes see fish swimming right below me.

It was great! I definitely recommend making a trip to Idaho and Montana!!! More coming soon!

Yours,

Michael TheMonkey

Back in the USA!

2011-07-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybody!!! I'm in the little town of Sandpoint, Idaho! So far and I've explored town a little bit, and I went hiking! There were great views from the lookout point!

A view of town, there's a big lake here called "Pend Oreille" because it's shaped like an ear.

Old American cars

A repair shop and an old mill in the background

Happy evergreen trees

Me in a tree!

More to come tomorrow, I'm going to a farmer's market!

Yours,
Michael TheMonkey

Happy Birthday St. Basil's!

2011-07-12T01:57:00.000-07:00

Today is the anniversary of St. Basil's Cathedral. It is 450 years old this year!

St. Basil's, Tourists and Construction

I learned something interesting about its name. In English it is usually called "St. Basil's", but in Russian it is called "Собор Василия Блаженного" - "Saint Vasili's Cathedral."

"Василия" is the possessive form of the Russian name "Василий" - "Vasili" (which has a short, informal form "Вася" - "Vasya.") The character "В" in Russian actually sounds like "V" in English, a hard English "B" sound in Russian is made by the character "Б."

So the Cathedral can be called "St. Basil's" or "St. Vasili's." :-)

Red Square

I also couldn't help myself -- I had to take a quick flight around the square.

Meeeeee!

Yours,
Michael TheMonkey

Chinese Box Lunch in Moscow!

2011-07-10T04:18:00.000-07:00

I've been dreaming of finding a Chinese restaurant with take-out boxes for a long time, but I was convinced that they couldn't be found in Moscow. Then, out of the blue last week I happened upon an internet ad for Wokker! Not only did their food look yummy, they also had cool take-out/order-in boxes like I had been dreaming about.

So I went to try it! I got some Teriyaki turkey noodles and some noodles with shrimp and oyster sauce, it was great! The only sad thing is that Wokker's three locations in Moscow (at Metro stops "Voikovskaya" - where I went, "Rechnoi Vokzal" and "Universitet") aren't that close to where I live, so I might have to order in next time. :-)

Yours,
Michael TheMonkey

5 Foods to take to a desert island...

2011-06-29T02:52:00.000-07:00

I recently saw this idea posted other places and I wanted to make my own list... what would I take???

1. Bananas, of course, I'm a monkey! While you might find these on a desert island, it's best to be safe.

2. Banana Popsicles! It's hot on desert islands and these are a perfect cool treat.

3. Banana bread. Mmm, for cold desert island nights, warm banana bread is perfect.

4. Banana cream pie.

5. Bananas again. You can never have too many bananas.

What about you? Let me know what you'd take in the comments!!!