Finally, the IAAF World Championships in Athletics is here and Moscow, Russia, will have our attention for the coming days, and for good reasons this time.

Yep, track and field's marquee event for 2013 is just a few days away and #TeamGleaner ensured that we were first on the ground and trust me, despite the negative build-up to these championships, with mass withdrawals and doping scandals, one can't help but feel that it will turn out to be a major success.

Photographer Ricardo Makyn and I have been trying to get things going after the long flight over; navigating the language issue (unlike most countries, there are no English translations on signs in public areas here) and trying to find the best and least expensive route to all the places we need to be.

mastered Russian words

Makyn has finally mastered a couple Russian words, 'spasibo' and 'privet', which mean 'thank you' and 'hello'. I have been trying with him but let's just be grateful that he won't leave here entirely empty-handed.

By the way, get your stereotype of bunkers and building shells out of your heads.

I got my first taste of Moscow and it already looks to be one of the most beautiful places I have seen - in more ways than one. There are lot of green areas and old world architecture mixed neatly with rising contemporary grandeur.

There is an air of opulence about the place too. After all, they do say this is where you will find the second most billionaires in the world, and probably the most chain smokers!

It's one of the first things I've noticed since arriving here ... Russians love to smoke it seems, Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson would have a field day here with a smoking in public places ban, or would he?